zoom44

no- but they couldnt build more anyway. they have trouble increasing production to get more 3s out the door.

i was saying that the success of one product cant be measured by the sales numbers alone - you have to measure the success over the size of the company. for instance the rx-7 was clearly a success for mazda even though its total sales were less than the 350z 3 year production.

PeteInLongBeach

Not necessarily so. It depends on the battery design, materials, and technology. See the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brcSLnAT1nU

Vlaze

iTrader: (14)

So you're saying I can't stick out a samurai sword against the fender/tire of a vehicle going by, have it flip over and shoot at the gas tank for it to explode like in Matrix Reloaded?

Dammit, gonna have to erase another one off my bucket list.

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

A123's LiFe cells are completely different (and still relatively unused minus a couple power tools and RC applications) than traditional LiPo and LiIon cells we find everywhere, including inside the Tesla.

I do believe A123 is working with one, if not more, of the manufacturers for a LiFe hybrid though... I want to say Ford but it's been awhile.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

I'm just speaking from my own, highly limited knowledge.

I've used Li-ion and Li-Po batteries in some of my projects (R/C planes, helicopters and some of my robotic stuff) and when they go, it is pretty spectacular.
I watched a 12v pack weld an aluminum hard-case completely into a molten puddle once. It was awesome (excepting the $1k in damage it did to the custom electronics inside).

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

Same here... Planks and 450-600 sized helis and some spectacular "shorts"

neit_jnf

I disagree.
BSFC of 0.42 have been obtained and documented in stratified charge unthrottled direct injected turbo rotary engines. There's your fuel efficiency, with the turbo there's the power. With less fuel, emissions are easier to control, less catalytic converters are needed.

PhillipM

Whilst I agree they don't blow up, I'd argue with the smoldering, a small fire in a car is usually very rapidly a whole car on fire within 20-30s - the speed of flame propagation with all the hydrocarbon-based materials in modern cars is astonishing, even with all the fire retardents.
We had a competitors car catch fire from a little bit of wet oil on his exhaust heat wrap last year - by the time they stopped and got out to see what the smoke was, the entire rear clamshell had gone up, within 10-15s, the cab was alight, another 30s and the whole car was a bonfire - even with every fire extinguisher on site applied by everyone there ( 168 x 2L/3L handhelds ), we still couldn't stop the fire from melting the frame and engine block...

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

/\ I had someone set a car off next to my house a while back - scary stuff .
Smouldering would definately NOT be a word I would use to describe the carnage .

ASH8

Getting back sort of on track..

Interesting side bit On 'Maeda San', the Chief Designer now at Mazda and Designer of our RX-8 and Mazda 2, on his BIO it asks what is Your Favorite Movie...YOu Will never guess..."CARS" ..Seriously..

Now we know where some of the Happy Faces come from!!

robrecht

That's funny. My kids and I love that movie too, but I don't like that goofy grin on the new Mazdas.

longpath

iTrader: (1)

After reading about an alleged development in the 16X program using diesel fuel, I am wondering if Mazda isn't giving thought to a spark-ignited, direct injected, diesel fuel version where they can use the additional BTU content per volume to achieve a higher MPG figure. The general assumption that if diesel fuel is used, that the engine has to be compression ignited isn't at all true. Even the SAE published a paper years ago about getting a direct injected spark ignited wankel working. The questions I have, assuming such allegations are true, are what AFR will be ignitable and would the engine be multi-fuel capable or strictly diesel fuel?

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

If we read same article the rumor was that it would be multi-fuel

longpath

iTrader: (1)

I believe it would be the same, so I guess my question is in a multi-fuel vehicle, would Mazda get to take the EPA mileage test using diesel, with its higher BTU per volume?

MazdaRX-8SPEED

OMG! if the new rx7 will look like the pic by OP... damn haha

999miki

You know about these SAE papers, yet you didn´t take that little time to find them? I personally have 12 papers about direct injection, stratified charge RE All of them has been found on internet.... magical, isn´t it?

Engines are multifuel capable, I don´t know why you are interested in AFR - since these engines are un-throttled, engines load is changed by amount of fuel, so AFR will vary greatly. At low load, it can be 45:1, at full power it will be approaching stoich ratio.

fyrstormer

It looks like an RX-8 on Ecstasy and PCP. I approve.

longpath

iTrader: (1)

I wasn't certain if Mazda would be able to stay fully unthrottled or if they would have to resort to a throttle for part of the operational range.

Rote8

I would like to see it be a "let down"; no new sports car; only a new set of engine choices for the RX8.

/And swap possibilities.


//propane injection system for the diesel 8....

xr4tii

What a bunch of whiners.

Mileage is not that important. Mankind is clever, and will ultimately convert some other form of energy into transportation fuel.

Think more along the lines of nitromethane. Now there's a fuel

As for cost, we get richer every year, whats a couple thousand for a fillup.

tofu_box

mmm

On a side note, the rotary has always been the flagship/representative of Mazda.

To my knowledge Mazda makes its profits almost entirely on its 3-6 and even 2 ranges now days.

If the release of a new rotary was to occur, it will only be there to remain as a symbol of mazda's heritage.

You see some cars such as the Bugatti & the new Lexus LFA, These are just flagship model cars where the manufacturers show of their manufacturing/engineering abilities.

In the recent episode of Top Gear, even with the LFA's hefty price tag, Toyota actually makes a loss on the actual vehicle.

So if another Rotary comes, it will simply remain as a heritage and a option for enthuastics, i doult mazda will rely on the sale of this particular model to gain its profit.

My uneducated 2c

Psylence

Yup, soon we will be as rich as pre- WW2 Germany or modern Zimbabwe!

fyrstormer

Don't you think you should give the car companies a chance to make a fun electric car before you **** all over it? Tesla's experience making electric sport coupes is that a single gear ratio isn't practical anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised to see electrics with gearboxes eventually. And besides, even if it doesn't have a clutch pedal, you still have all the other stuff you have to worry about if you're going to push the car to the limits of its traction.

fyrstormer

The nitrox content of nitromethane exhaust automatically rules it out for widespread use as a transportation fuel.

The biggest thing is going to be not using a single energy source -- diversity is critical to survival, not least because diversity means no single resource gets depleted faster than it can be regenerated. The big problem with burning gasoline is WE ALL burn gasoline. We need a bunch of fuels and alternate energy sources to keep from overburdening any one segment of the ecosystem with the waste of several billion people.

fyrstormer

I think a diesel rotary would be a great idea. I fully support this idea.