I wasn't sure where to post this article so i may post it twice the thrust of this post is mainly Robert Davis comment in it

New Green Mazda goes with the Flow



But its a rather broad article delving into Mazda's whole push into lighter weight and more efficient IC engines.

Interest that the current platforms won't work with those new "SkyTech" powertrains. So for instance it mentions that the NextGen Mazda 3 will debut in 3 years with the new SkyDrive.

Also it's nice to see they are really considering bringing the Diesel as well. I had a long talk with a remarkably well informed Mazda Rep recently and she was as enthusiastic as I was about the possibility of the new diesel being brought over in the Mazda2. She actually brought it up first and agreed that it wouldn't be hard to sell "the younger" crowd on a 2 diesel when they see the 75mpg rating and feel the torque.

Also there's some talk about the Mazda Mafia at Ford and how( i totally agree and I'm sure Ash and others do too) Ford wouldn't have turned things around as well as they have without the help of those guys that came up through Mazda.

Next up after the launch of the new Mazda 5 shown at Geneva?

The new MX-5 !!!

and why is that important? The next Gen rotary car will be on the longer version of that new rwd platform. Start looking for new spyshots

 

Wow... nice article Zoom4. Just recently I was scratching my head and wondering what would be next after the new Mazda 5 that has just been shown in Geneva.

I know it must be either the mx5 or new rx machine.

 

good read. cant wait to see whats next.

 

Interesting....so did Davis tell the reporter a new RX-8 is on the way or is the reporter just taking a wild guess?

 

Davis didn't personally mention anything about a new RX-8.

 

All in all, it's a positive article for the future of Mazda and the Rotary.

 

23MPG (1.3x18) certainly would be nice for a combined RX-8 mileage number. But I simply don't see how they intend to make the rotary THAT much more economical, even considering a supposed 220lb weight loss, direct injection, and ???... and esp. considering the 16x has a 23% larger displacement than currently. I'll believe it when they produce it.

If they can do those things, then what are they waiting for? Give it to us now, or at least some of it now. Iit must be a magical evolution in rotary engine development. Also I guess the RX-8 stays the RX-8, and is not the RX-7 or RX-9 or whatever as "Look for it in the next RX-8" was quoted.

 

Spin, I think they're planning on redesigning the geometry of the rotor & housing. Sorry but I can't remember where I read that... too much interwebs for one day.

 

Thanks for this thread Charlie. This is the most real news we've had in a while.

Paul.

 

Yes we all are hungry for any thing you can find out not much in Geneva...Thanks

 

Long as that article was and only 2 sentences on the rotary?

 

good stuff Charlie, this is definitely good news for Mazda and the future of the Rotary.
(keep in mind all this Sky drive, MX-5, Mazda 3 stuff is what pays for the production of our beloved little RX-8)

 

If they can get direct injection worked out on the rotary, that could go a long way towards that 30% mpg gain...

Overall though, it looks like they arent trying to make MORE power. If anything it looks like they will be trying to make basically the same power, just using less gas, and propelling a lighter car. Which I think is an ok idea. 250 ACTUAL horsepower lol plus a decent bump in torque would be nice....not 220 as we have now....

 

wow,

i so have your phone #.

calling you while i am at the gt rolex series... homestead. really you should be there.

sleeping now?

beers

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. Judging from everything I have read, and continue to read, it seems that the serious focus from Mazda is the gas mileage, not so much power. I read the same with the redesinged MX-5. It seems power will stay pretty much the same, even lower, but with much higher mileage for the new MX-5.

And that, as an RX-8 owner, is of course very respectable. However, power is important also. Let's have it with a liiiitle more HP and more Torque than the RX-8 although I am predicitng not by much. Instead I bet you the focus will be on the gas mileage.

 

Nice find Zoom!

 

My main gripe is the mpg, so if they only increased the hp and torque modestly, and could get 30% better mpg, I'd be more than happy. A lighter car would just be a bonus on top of that...as long as the design isn't a FAIL.

Might as well throw this out there too...for anyone hoping for comparable power to the Z out of the 16x...it ain't happening so don't get your hopes up. I'd venture to guess 250-275 would be the best case scenario.

 

I have no problem with power or torque although I would welcome more of either. The car is overweight (Even though considered light in it's category) and mileage is terrible. For those who say "It's a sportscar, screw mileage", I say this is 2010 and struggling to get 20mpg cruising does not cut it.

From a marketing standpoint, if they cannot give us more power it will work against them.

Paul.

 

The new Mustang is the first vehicle to have 300 hp and get 30 mpg. The LS engines from Chevy have more power than that and are knocking at the 30 mpg door too. These are highway miles of course and in cars that are heavier than the RX-8. If the rotary could hit 30 mpg highway, and I know it can, it would be quite nice. A light nible car would be welcome too. If Mazda gives us a reliable rotary (crosses fingers) in a car that runs in the 13's in the quarter, and returns 30 mpg hwy, it'll sell quite well. It's possible. They just need to do it.

 

I just want one more 2-seater rotary without any hydrogen-hybrid crap for when my kids are in college. The lighter the better.

 

It needs to perform like a stock FD did (about 14 flat in the 1/4 with 100mph trap) but with highway miles in the mid to high 20s and NO reliability problems. People expect a car that will go 100k miles requiring nothing but fluids.

The OMP and all the other stuff should be worked out so that premix, while beneficial, will not be necessary for the motor to last 100k.

 

I think they can squeeze more milage out--with some areodynamic changes etc.
With my Pettit ki and the 09 trans in my 04 model car--I get 24-25 mpg on the interstate and 15-17 in suburban type driving.
Thats not too bad.
The 09 trans 6th gear allows me to do 65mph at around 3100rpm--so secondarys are closed.

 

I don't know how people gather the 16x will only address gas mileage. This is nothing new. It's been long stated that the goal was to significantly increase low end torque. Rotary characteristics tell us that high end hp will follow. But mark my words, great design, good mpg, good power, and reliability = WIN for Mazda. It would be sick if they offer a flex fuel engine too. Speculation aside, this article is a subtle spark directed at our community that simply says, its coming. Get ready. I can't wait.

 

More MPG from:
- Weight loss
- Thinner rotor width (the combustion doesn't even reach the sides on the Renesis, thin it down removes some of the wasted combustion)
- More torque (gear it higher in cruise gear for lower cruise RPM)
- Direct Injection (possibly with laser ignition? Ford was the pioneer there, and they are clearly working together)
- Tranmission
- Aerodynamics

And while it isn't directly said, they found economy savings in the transmission, and I bet that some of those savings can transfer to the rear diff as well as they use similar mechanical concepts.

Granted, transmission, diff, and aerodynamics aren't the 16x part of the car, but those MPG losses in the 8 are still attributed to our engine. It's the nature of people.

 

I hope they dont make the rotary act more like a recip. Its not a recip and that is the what makes it one of a kind.
Why do a lot of people talk about increasing gas milage etc when the rx8 is not that far behind other high performance sport cars. If you look at the hard data its not. And to the owner--if 15 mpg in the city versus 17 mpg then what the heck are you looking at the car anyway.
On a corporate level--I understand.
The rotary engine without major advances in materials (like ceramics) will never be as thermodynamically efficent as a receip. The strenght of this engine design is its volumetric efficientcy.
---- build a smaller rotor and drop FI on it and dont tell me w/meth is that complex---its NOT. That system could be set up so if the idiot owner failed to fill the container (like a BIG windshield washer bottle) then it could go into a limp mode. heck you dont even have to use meth--it can be just water!
Not only would this help with keeping the carbon out, getting MORE gas milage, less detonation possibility. less emission problems,---- it would also be a real "cool" factor.
I know what seems simple to us --is not so simple to corporations. Too bad.