jird20

Dear everybody,

Surprisingly we have not had any "january-february- ... sales" thread this year so I though to start this one.

BTW I am arising this question since recently in "rotarynews.com" it was written "HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 30, 2007 — Today marks the 40th anniversary of Mazda’s first rotary engine powered vehicle. As of the end of April 2007, Mazda has manufactured approximately 1,970,000 rotary vehicles since production first began.".

Vehicle 2.000.000 will be an RX-8 but when this mark will be hit?

Cheers

jird20

NoTears316

I guess when they make 30k more...

rotary crazy

It will be in 2009 acording to the last time mazda made public its production #, and if it stays at that rate

Zephyrzone

I'd love to know how '07 sales have been. My guess is they've been in accordance with Mazda's forecast or a bit less. I just bought mine and the GT's are very hard to come by. I was told (although I'm skeptical) that Mazda is not producing anymore 8's until December as the '08 model.

Try selling a relatively small engined sports car in September with a sticker that reads 16/22. If I were Mazda, I'd fire-sale the 8's I had in stock right now before the EPA required me to change my window sticker and gas prices hit another record high...which is what I suspect is happening. I have no real idea, just a theory.

-Z

TheKDog

If I knew this, I would have held off on my purchase to become the 2 millionth customer.

I imagine Mazda would award me with all types of prizes.

saturn

Since you asked....

RX-8 sales in NA for May were down 26.6% from last year and down 35.1% for the year.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...2007,+02:48+PM

CarAndDriver

They need to get the new 6 out now! The 6 sales are awful.

jird20

If this is the sales pace, yes we will have to wait till 2009 to see the rotary unit number 2 Million on the road.

mmmm....

cheers

jird20

fc13b-re

its no surprise sales have dropped, due to the increase in gas...just look at all the owners dumping their cars on here or on autotrader, the market is flooded with used 8's hell ive got two on my lot...and i work for mitsubishi..lol

Zephyrzone

ZOMG!

525 units sold in May? About 2k units sold year to date?

Yet again another abysmal chapter in the rotary engine saga. Everyone must be buying Z's and Mustangs. Hopefully last months C&D article does something to spur sales, but I somehow doubt it. I'm a huge rotary fan (as most of us in the 1st engine club are I'm sure), and I'd hate to see North America go without one for another decade or longer...

I must admit to taking pleasure in having a unique vehicle, but not if it means Mazda has to pull the life support plug from the rotary.

I think gas is only half story (although it's going be more than half once the 08 standards come out). A LOT of people really admire the 8 but just "don't get it". Most of my family members are diehard auto fans and none of them "get" my 8. "What's with the funny doors? Why do you subject yourself to an engine that has no torque and gets SUV mileage? What do you mean it USES oil? etc."

Ah well. Hopefully gas prices fall, Mazda marketing picks up a bit (somehow I don't think the new Day Watch movie trailer is going to help all that much) and there is a big 08 push. LONG LIVE THE ROTARY!

saturn

I don't think these sales numbers are a big surprise. It's a niche market car with some unappealing characteristics as far as most Americans are concerned (bad gas mileage, no torque, questionable reliability). Without any significant updates over the years there's bound to be continual declines.

The real question is whether or not they stick with the rotary for any upcoming model. Since all the press releases seem to indicate they are planning on doing just that so there's not a lot to worry about.

I would think that the next rotary car would have to have significant improvements or it would be a suspect venture at least from the outside perspective.

Duke15

What I'm wondering is if the new RX-8 and rotary will start Mazda down the same path it went with the RX-7, pricing themselves out of the market eventually.

Spinning Sushi

iTrader: (21)

Well, I actually don't want the RX-8 sales to go up, it makes our car rare, almost an exotic. Although that might affect future productions of rotary powered cars....

munche187

I am proud to say I got my 07 back in April

RX-Hachi

Keep in mind that the RX-8 sales differ in other parts of the world. This link has the global total for 2006, over 23K RX-8s were produced.

http://www.mazda.com/publicity/resul...6_actuala.html

I'm not sure exactly when the 1,970,000 count was made. But a 2M mark could be hit sometime in 2008, and certainly by 2009. No way for 2007.

saturn

Looks like they sold 23,463 last year worldwide. Interestingly enough, they sold exactly 100 more than they produced. So, either someone added wrong or they had some leftovers.

In 2006 MNAO sold 9,343 RX-8's which was 40% of the total number of 8's sold worldwide.

Zephyrzone

I'm sure the other 60% are driven exclusively in Tokyo and Hiroshima.

I agree that it's pretty awesome to drive such a "rare" care. Especially when it's as cosmetically appealing as the 8. It really does look like an exotic of some sort.

I just wish more companies and engineering firms poured their efforts into developing the rotary. Imagine where the auto industry would be if the resources dedicated to piston engines had been dedicated to rotaries instead.

Rumboo

so US and Japan make up 100% of the sales?

Travel the world a little.. see for yourself...

Try to avoid Baghdad though..

Cooper47

Umm.....They did or have in the past and have already come to their conclusions. The rotary will always be for a niche market becuase of the design. Trust me, if there was a lot more potential in this engine companies would be putting R&D dollars into it. Think about it, Mazda has been working on this engine for 40 years and we're still dealing with the same issues. It's a better engine then it was before but in no way have they solved the basic issues. Physics can only go so far.....

sldrmr21

i think that as long as there are Mazda and Rotary enthusiasts, they'll continue to have sales. but what they do in the future is totally out of our hands. thats why I enjoy seeing an FD on the road, its so rare and the owner ALWAYS takes care of it. makes me wonder in the years down the road if we'll be like the guys and there 7's now. i hope so, cause i sure do want people to stare at my car because it looks so different than anything they've seen before.

Critzman

I agree with that b/c yesterday I got 4 compliments alone...

-Brian

Zephyrzone

I agree that physics can only go so far, but having the brain trust of multiple companies and engineering firms working to solve an issue it better than just 1 (even if that company is as good as Mazda). It's likely that other auto manufacturers haven't put the R&D resources into the rotary because there's already an established market and reliable technology in piston engines. I realize other manufacturers have tinkered with the rotary, but there is no real reason for any company to go beyond that given the entire auto *world* revolves around (pun intended) the proven piston.

If I were at Honda or Toyota or any company in Detroit there's no way spend money on researching this technology. I'd let Mazda work at it for 40+ years and figure it out, then I might jump in (if the shareholders approved). Mazda, on the other hand, has their brand very much intertwined with the rotary and therefore has a marketing stake in keeping it alive and kickin'.

As to "dealing with the same issues", well we are and we aren't. As we're all aware, the Renesis output isn't far from that of the TT FD but emissions are far less and fuel economy is ever so slightly better. No turbos, much lower emissions, same fuel economy and close power output- all attributed to simply moving the exhaust ports.

There is another Felix Wankel out there somewhere (or a group of them) that can reach significant breakthroughs with the Rotary. From a physics standpoint it *should* be a better powerplant solution.

saturn

Physics is as physics does.

mdw1000

I purchased mine in 2006, but it was built in 05 (as a model year 05), so yes there were leftovers.

NismoSkylineGTR

honestly i haven't seen any rx8 near my place for months


EDIT: wow i can post now cuz b4 i never recived activation mail