Our Wish List for Mazda’s Next Rotary

Mazda hinted that they’re going to reveal more about their latest rotary at the Geneva auto show, so now is the perfect time to come up with my wish list for the next Rx7.

Mazda is already on the right path with their SkyActiv technology to keep systems light and efficient. If they use the same strategy with a new rotary engine, we could see some exciting things.

Mazda has been talking about laser ignitions for a while now. As a current Rx7 owner, and to the rest of the rotary heads out there, you know the spark plug bills for the Rx7/Rx8 can pile up. Not having to deal with spark plugs or coil packs again would be a blessing in lower cost of ownership.

Direct injection is something I’m really looking forward to, for several reasons.

1. Lower chance of flooding out your engine in the case you go brain dead and move your Rx7 in the driveway without letting it warm up or you hold the throttle up to clear out the engine.

2. Better emissions control. This is a big one in my book when it comes to the success of a car. With DI systems, you can make sure the fuel is in the optimum location on the rotor face for the best burn and the most power from the fuel.

North America doesn’t get i-Stop technology from Mazda due to fuel-economy testing and regulations. I’m crossing my fingers Mazda brings it, or something like it, along with the rotary.

Mazda can use i-Eloop to help out the rotary’s naturally low torque by giving you a boost from a standstill and give you back some fuel economy.

Now, the million-dollar question: will it be a hybrid?

My guess is no. With the i-Eloop and i-Stop technology Mazda already has available for fuel economy and ignition improvements, adding a hybrid system doesn’t make sense. A hybrid system goes against the idea of lightweight technology and cross-platform technology sharing that Mazda has been focused on.

As if I even need to mention this, my money is on a turbo setup in the Rx7, much like the units used on the turbodiesels. The small turbo on the Sky-D engine is spooling just off idle which gives you the instant hit of torque while transitioning to the larger main turbo. It’s pretty seamless on the Sky-D. Imagine it on a rotary with the exhaust energy. It will be even better.

Any other predictions out there? Feel free to post up! I love to hear other people’s thoughts on what Mazda is hinting at for the future.

December 1, 2014

Love for the Rotary

With all of the talk of doom and gloom for the next rotary I wanted to share the experience I had with the help of Mazda during Sevenstock 17 on Nov 22^nd. I hate to say it but while I was at Sevenstock helping out with the Diesel Mazda 6 I experienced the awesome side benefit of being next to three 4 rotor cars in the same garage.

The recent message given from Mazda about the rotary engine being important but not in the cards for a current car has been a heart breaker for the rotor heads out there, myself included as I daily drive an 87 Turbo FC. I can definitely say that from the top down the rotary engine is important to Mazda despite it not being considered for a new car right now. Take a look at this 787 which Robert Davis (senior vice president U.S. operations aka he runs the show in US) personally drives.

There is a genuine love for the rotary with him, I watched him wipe down the car after going out onto the track for one session. In conversations, the restoration of other rotary race cars was brought up many times and when Robert isn’t driving the 787 above he rolls in an Rx8 in NASA PT racing, when time affords it.

See the first car in the line below? It is one of the Rx-792P IMSA GTP prototypes.

I watched Weldon Munsey (Manager of Dealer Affairs) hop out after just one session with a big smile on his face. You could tell he just loves driving that car.

This next car is one of my favorite Rotary race cars (as I had the opportunity to see it raced at Portland Intl Raceway in the early 90s). The 4 rotor GTO kept the basic shape of the FC rx7 (which included the stock roof panel, windshield, and tail lights) and the rest of the car was pure business with a 4 rotor engine.

Not a big surprise another Mazda executive drives it, Jeremy Barnes (Director of public relations). I am sure the re-occurring theme is not lost here, these guys love rotaries and if the opportunity presents they will be pulling to get another car released for all us rotards out there. In the meantime enjoy the video below from Sevenstock 17 with a few drive byes of the 787 and the 792p wide open on the throttle at Autoclub Speedway.

Zoom zoom.

– Derrick Ambrose from CorkSport

Derrick started working with cars when he was in high school. A friend had a GLC which they tweaked a bit which then became a 323 then into RX-7s and it was all Mazda down hill from there. His current projects are a 1968 Mustang, The 1988 323 GTX (never ending project), 1986 Honda Shadow Motorcycle and a 1968 Silverline Rambler 16′boat. For motorsports activities he has previously participated in drag racing the CorkSport Protege Drag car and Rally Cross with the 323 GTX. Currently he is driving the CorkSport Mazda 2 B-Spec race car.

If you attend any events CorkSport is at Derrick will be the guy you will talk to at most of them, so stop by and say hello!

August 22, 2014December 18, 2017

What Mazda said that Will Have you Saying “Take my Money”

Real Quotes from Mazda’s Global Sales and Marketing General Manager

Once again Motoring.com.au has brought some rotary rumors to surface thanks to an interview with Yasuhiro Aoyama, the General manager of Global Sales and Marketing. So what did Yasuhiro say that is so revealing?

“this is a very fantastic idea, 2017, [for] a new rotary.”

followed by

“We celebrate the anniversary of rotary in 2017; 50 years. Then 2020 is the Olympics in Tokyo and the 100th anniversary of Mazda,”

When prodded for more info and whether we would see a halo car in 2020 he was quoted as saying: “We will defy convention”.

In order to prevent us from expanding on his words without the proper quotes let us list them all here:

“We have our own definition of sports and our own definition of how to get Jinba Ittai, the oneness between car and driver – and we do not have to necessarily compete with segments or competitors,” he said.

“We won’t follow them just for the sake of it.” [in reference to other car companies]

“We are indifferent to the successes that our rivals are making; we need to make our own success and forge our own way forward.”

And one of the quotes that I find most exciting was this:

“Lightweight is one of the core elements for our sports cars to have high performance, so all of the vehicles for the next generation will be like this,” he stated.

What could this all mean? Well that Mazda again has neither confirmed nor denied the idea of an RX-7 in 2017, and that it “is a very fantastic idea”, and that it it will definitely be a lightweight vehicle. We also know that he is hinting at something in 2020? Possibly a halo car? Possibly the RX-9 that they trademarked awhile back. (source)

Nonetheless, we are already stashing our pennies so that once we have official word, we can start yelling “Take my MONEY!”

-Spencer