User24

iTrader: (1)

Perfect. I have 3.5 years of paying off the RX8 remaining, so by late 2010 if Mazda has delivered, it's definitely a possibility.

However, I highly doubt that I would want a 2nd gen RX8. The current style is the pinnacle of 46 years of Mazda rotary--they are moving away from it, away from originality, and towards conformity with their newer style.

devildog1679

I agree, a 280 hp engine in 2010 will not compete with the 2010 models of Nissan, Subaru, Mitsu. Unless, like you said they cut the weight. Also I hate to say it by then the new Camaro will be out RX-8 will be paid for so it will be my track car and Camaro will be my daily.

MP3Guy

Guess that's why they announced they're building another, right?

mikefrombarrie

Question is, How many people are going to buy it? Even If they do come up with up to 20 percent more power. that is still not enough.

Socr8tes

Not enough for whom? We already bought it with 20% less...

mikeyfuzz

Ditto my friend, I love me 8 and I will buy the 2010 version.

lone_wolf025

Believe it or not the 8 has been good to Mazda in terms of sales figures. I love the current style of the 8 but with these hints of a new motor I'm curious to see what happens...

brillo

[QUOTE=mikefrombarrie]Sorry guys, but the rotary is Dead...

While I understand your skepticism, it is possible for Mazda to have a competitive (emissions, power, fuel economy) rotary engine in the 2010 time frame. Possible is the key word, as Mazda has a huge challenge in front of it, and its going to require some serious R&D dollars as well as a true rotary commitment, the reason for which other than the obvious is that Mazda will have to offer more than one vehicle with a rotary to justify the cost.

Direct injection and some form of hybrid technology will go along way, as the engine can be made to be smaller and lighter, even in a hybrid form, than a piston engine. In addition, if Mazda offers a sports car with the new rotary, it will be several hundred pounds lighter than our 8’s which will also aid mileage.

To be honest, I would put the odds at 50-60% that Mazda can pull it off, its far certain, but given what the engineers were able to pull of with our cars with a shoe strong budget, some really more thrown at the problems could see a competitive engine.

Ajax

Direct Injection w/o spark plugs at all would be even better. Maybe they'll throw a laser ignition system in there. That'd be pretty smooth.
And then on top of that, they should throw a nice borg warner variable geometry turbo in like the new porsche 911 turbo.

mikefrombarrie

All I know is I am saving up for a Corvette.


The base model will have 450HP and the top of the line will have 650HP

6speedRenesis

They are awesome vehicles, but are they truly worth the price tag?

sixgen3sgte

well considering brand new the base is about 18k more for probably twice the car i would say yes

but thats a two side question, because whom are you asking is it worth it to.

the 22 year old student or the 35 year old stock broker thats like to drive fast without working on his car, lol

because i'm the 22 year old student and i guess you could say i chose the rx-8

but then again i will hopefully be able to fly by the Z-06's when i get the car back, with more hp (probably similar torque) and nearly the same weight, and i am going to have much torquier gearing than the vette


but i would love to have one some day, you know what they say, the more you start with the more you can get, and with my experiance that applies to horsepower pretty well lol.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

SWEETNESS ! my payment should be done by 2009 ~

then Im gonna wait at least a year .... for people to try it out first.

but dont worry Mazda. I will get your next Rotary for SURE !

You have my word.

RotaryP7

The RX-7 is coming back..

Mikeluvs8

hopefully mazda equips it with a nice turbo..

shaunv74

[QUOTE=mikefrombarrie]Sorry guys, but the rotary is Dead...
QUOTE]
*sigh*
the FD sold 12,000 units in the US total from 93-95. They still made the RX-8. The 8 has sold more than 60,000 cars in the same amount of time. That is the definition of of a success as far as I'm concerned.

Why do people still think that Mazda will abandon the rotary??

Skiptomylue

yea but most people bought it while they were under the assumption that it had 250hp... i agree.. if they can make it 2800lbs and 280 hp... that would be a quick car.. look at the rx7, it had less then 280 and it was a low 14 to high 13 sec car.

BigOLundh

iTrader: (1)

that was all fine and dandy in 1993, but this is the year 2007. By the year 2010 if the car is priced to compete with the GTR, Corvette and possibly a new Supra - 280 hp and 2800lbs isnt going to be good enough

BigOLundh

iTrader: (1)

oh and i was talking about a new RX7 not 8

ASH8

Thinking of the WORLD market and not just the US...if gas/fuel prices look like its about to take off yet again, then you can put an end to many of these "super" cars and the rotary (RENESIS)...because they will not sell the numbers to make them viable...full stop.

I hope it does not happen..

Spin9k

Gas prices are something...but far from everything. Personally gas cost going up bothers me, but it really has little to do with what I'll buy or how far I'll drive. I'm much more concerned with what I GET from the $$ I spend. If I'm happy with that, heck it's only $$ and spending it is what it's for.

Sure there are those that must count every penny, but I'd wager that there are gazoodles of us in the world at large whose opinion is that gas cost plain doesn't really matter on a scale of 1-10 on what's important in a car.

sixgen3sgte

there is no way to tell if gas prices will go up and stay up, i think it will go up for the summer and come back down next fall just like it did last year.

as far as being priced to compete with the GTR and corvette, i highly doubt that, i bet money they will keep the price in the same are it is now, it might go up but not to $70k like the GTR is projected to be and how much the Z06 is.

playdoh43

by 2010 the nissan VQ37 will probably be making 350+hp hopefully the new rotary will be pushing similar kind of numbers

FYI cars dont get lighter, they get heavier, its been the trend for just about every car including the Miata. sound deadening material+safety material+premium system = weight.

Spin9k

I don't think that is a given. It's a cost issue not a technology issue. High strength steel use is going up in cars to help performance, weight, and to offset some of the use of higher (still) cost aluminum parts. There are composite materials too, but they're still too expensive. But if mpg standards demand, or market forces can up sell to these materials with their overall weight/fuel consumption reductions, cars can (and probably will) loose weight compared to todays cars.

The 8 is a perfect example, try hefting the hood of a std crap car, it weighs a ton. Most designers just throw metal at something to make it stronger or cheaper.,

Our 8 is quite light, including the doors, suspension, seats, etc. There's a few places the 8 could have been designed lighter still (roof, front doors, lighter whees, calipers, etc.) but at additional cost Mazda didn't want .

Personnlly I'll take a carbon fiber & composite shell car w/aluminum trim

playdoh43

it dosn't matter what kind of issue it is, be it federal regulations or cost or combination of everything, the end result is that cars have been getting heavier