MAZDA SkyActiv-R Sportscar... New RX-7?

[12,000 RPM]

They can add very simple valves to close off individual rotors.

[MX793]

The issue always seemed to be fuel consumption and emissions. Smaller displacement coupled with a hybrid system would.solve most.of the issues.

Adding a turbo effectively increases the displacement, and the emissions.

[MrH]

They can add very simple valves to close off individual rotors.

What? How?

[MrH]

The issue with rotaries has always been inefficient combustion. You have a non ideal combustion shaped chamber. Mazda sounds like they're going down the right path: they need pin point precision on fuel delivery and spark for this to ever have a chance.

If they're trying to get to HCCI in the sky active engines, they've got a fighting chance to make this work.

[12,000 RPM]

What? How?

Have u heard of a butterfly valve?

[Laconian]

I don't know if a butterfly valve could withstand the heat and pressure of combustion.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Float like a butterfly, sting like bee.

[MrH]

Have u heard of a butterfly valve?

Yeah. I can't even imagine how that's supposed to come close to working.

[Cookie Monster]

Sporty just throws out weird ideas/suggestions like they can just be implemented like it isn't a big deal.

[Payman]

YES!!!


The Tokyo Motor Show kicks off this week and all eyes are on Mazda, anticipating the sports car concept they've been teasing with a shadowy image for weeks now. And guess what? Despite our (completely justified) initial skepticism, the car will indeed have a rotary engine after all. Holy crap.

I'm so excited right now, my brain just blew its own apex seals.

This news comes from the UK's Autocar, quoting the company's head of research and development Kiyoshi Fujiwara:

Speaking to Autocar, Fujiwara said: "People think rotary can not meet modern Eco demands. The SkyActiv engineers worked on rotary and have it cutting edge tech. It is an essential part of our DNA and it just be passed onto future engineers. It is synonymous with the brand. Some time in the future it will return and be called SkyActiv-R."

SkyActiv-R! That makes sense and is good and wonderful. Mazda's own president and CEO, a guy who just a few years ago seemed dismissive of the rotary, added this about the concept:

Mazda president and CEO Masamichi Kogai said: "It is a two-door, two-seater. It is a pure sports car design. We have MX-5 and another icon is a rotary sports car. We haven't talked about market reach but this would be in that segment." Mazda design boss Ikuo Maeda added that the concept "represents our dream, but we don't want it to be a dream too long."

Kogai added "the targets are strict, rotary engines have lots of issues, and we need to solve each of them," but alluded to the possibility of production within a few years.

Hey, that's awesome news. Fans of spinning triangles have waited a long time for the return of an engine very central to Mazda's heritage, and this time they may just be able to nail it right.

I can't wait to see the full concept at Tokyo this week.




Now they just need to green-light it for production.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

2 doors, 2 seats, fixed roof, rotary engine.

This just might be the one, I hope they name it RX7 too.

[MrH]

SO SO CITED!!!

[Payman]

Changed thread title to something more appropriate. This is indeed exciting.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Can't wait, if this turns out well I might be a buyer. I hope mazda does what they should have done, and picks up where the FD left off and pushes the RX even further towards the pure sports car end of the spectrum. I'd say the 2 seats is a good sign with regards to that.

I hope they can keep it under 3K too, a curb weight in the 2800-2900 lb range would be awesome.

[MrH]

Yeah, I'm just worried about the price. If this is $50k+, it'll be too much for just a toy. If they can make a 2 seater rotary for under $40k, I'm in.

[2o6]

I feel like that Rotary could be amortized for something like a Range Extender on an EV car.

[Rich]

A rotary would be sweet for a range extender

I'm interested in this car just because I think it's cool. But I don't think I'll ever buy one as it'll be priced outta my league I think. And it has a roof. Unless I have a shit ton of money or never have kids, I couldn't swing a Miata and this.

[Payman]

Can't wait, if this turns out well I might be a buyer. I hope mazda does what they should have done, and picks up where the FD left off and pushes the RX even further towards the pure sports car end of the spectrum. I'd say the 2 seats is a good sign with regards to that.

I hope they can keep it under 3K too, a curb weight in the 2800-2900 lb range would be awesome.

Given the teaser pic, and given it's Mazda, I think all that is pretty realistic. Like H said, the big decider will be price. With the Miata covering the $30k region, I'm going to guess $45k.

[Cookie Monster]

I feel like that Rotary could be amortized for something like a Range Extender on an EV car.

A rotary would be a horrible range extender.

[giant_mtb]

Diesel is best range extender. 

[2o6]

A rotary would be a horrible range extender.

Rotaries work really well at constant RPM's; this isn't a new idea and is being tested by other companies...

They're also super compact.

[2o6]

Besides, I think one of the Audi E Tron concepts uses a rotary range extender

[12,000 RPM]

Yeah. I can't even imagine how that's supposed to come close to working.

Have you ever heard of displacement on demand?

[12,000 RPM]

I feel like that Rotary could be amortized for something like a Range Extender on an EV car.

Amortized! I was looking for that word earlier.

I dont know about the range extender stuff. I think Mazda can use this as a test bed for tech that carries over to piston engines. Turbos, hybrid assist/KERS, displacement on demand.... I think they will need to throw the kitchen sink at this thing to get it to pass emissions. Then whatever they learn can be implemented on their gas engines in the future. Instead of the 2.5, maybe the 2.0 with an electric turbo, and if necessary light hybrid assist. Etc. I don't see Mazda doing PHEVs.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

The price actually doesn't concern me, I'm realistic when it comes to that.

Mazda isn't going to offer a sub 30K rotary sports car. I'm fine with that, if they can hit a price point of 35-37K for the base area and myabe just a shade over 40 for a well speced model, I think they will have plenty of buyers. More importantly I think that price will afford them the ability to make this car much better than it would be if they chased after an unrealistically low base price.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Dieser rotrary... mmm very goood, efficient mashreen.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

The other reason the price doesn't worry me is because this is mazda. Which means that chassis and suspension dynamics will be TOP NOTCH, with ample power and good exterior design(both of which I feel they are capable of) coupled with their current level of interior design(fantastic, IMO). This thing will probably be the best drivers car short of some really spendy metal.

[Cookie Monster]

The price actually doesn't concern me, I'm realistic when it comes to that.

Mazda isn't going to offer a sub 30K rotary sports car. I'm fine with that, if they can hit a price point of 35-37K for the base area and myabe just a shade over 40 for a well speced model, I think they will have plenty of buyers. More importantly I think that price will afford them the ability to make this car much better than it would be if they chased after an unrealistically low base price.

I dunno, wasn't the RX-7 like $50k back in the '90's? I'd realistically expect this thing to be at least $50k.

[2o6]

The price actually doesn't concern me, I'm realistic when it comes to that.

Mazda isn't going to offer a sub 30K rotary sports car. I'm fine with that, if they can hit a price point of 35-37K for the base area and myabe just a shade over 40 for a well speced model, I think they will have plenty of buyers. More importantly I think that price will afford them the ability to make this car much better than it would be if they chased after an unrealistically low base price.

They've already got a running concept and IIRC a few test vehicles driving around Japan

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/10/mazda-mazda2-phev-rotary-engine-range-extender/

[MX793]

Have you ever heard of displacement on demand?

Issues with implementing on a Wankel:
1. No valves normally in the design to seal off the rotor chamber
2. Rotaries rely on oil mixed with incoming fuel for lubricating the apex seals.  If you shut off the rotor, where does the lubrication come from?