Mazda Announces New Sports Coupe, to be Unveiled at Tokyo... (Rotary?)

Interesting tease. I'm leaning towards rotary for powerplant choice. The Skyactiv engine design is very high compression and would likely adapt to forced induction the way a grenade reacts towards having its pin pulled. Either Mazda is dusting off the old Wankels or it's doing an all new engine design, and given their small size and budget, I'm leaning towards the reuse option.
 
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It was bugging me all day, but I finally got it. I knew those taillights reminded me of something...

2XRwxdV.png


Kinda... sorta.... if you squint..... shut up, it makes sense in my head


I thought about that since the first time I saw it, but I keep telling myself "the RX-7 is dead...get over it"
 
I highly doubt it will be a rotary. Mazda is too small to be able to afford a bespoke sports car engine.
 
Interesting tease. I'm leaning towards rotary for powerplant choice. The Skyactiv engine design is very high compression and would likely adapt to forced induction the way a grenade reacts towards having its pin pulled. Either Mazda is dusting off the old Wankels or it's doing an all new engine design, and given their small size and budget, I'm leaning towards the reuse option.

I highly doubt it will be a rotary. Mazda is too small to be able to afford a bespoke sports car engine.

What if the partnership with FIAT on the 126 went the other way as well and FIAT loaned them an engine for this?
 
What if the partnership with FIAT on the 126 went the other way as well and FIAT loaned them an engine for this?

Why would they need a FIAT engine?
 
What's up with a blown SkyActiv 4 pot? I seriously doubt it will be a rotary. One of the many issues with those is emissions and the rules got tighter everywhere since they last had one on sale. As argatoga pointed out they aren't the biggest company in the world and they have been working on the SkyActiv family of engines for a while now so I would be surprised if they have been able to dedicate the necessary resources to completely overhauling the rotary as well.

Of course they could have simply borrowed a defeat device from VW.....
 
I am hopeful, but skeptic.
Most likely outcome: A sporty CUV/SUV.
 
RX-9, huh?
That picture and that name makes me think it's a wankel.


I still don't believe it.
 
The top left of the first image says, "is this the RX-9?" I don't believe an official name has been announced.
 
Damn, that looks really good. I don't mind if they put a 4 cylinder in it. These things can be fixed.

1.8l_vs_6.2l.jpg
 
The article mentions HCCI....

I really don't understand how a rotary could withstand the 18:1+ compression required for HCCI, but if the mechanical requirements were met, it would cure a *huge* problem for the rotary, and that is fuel ignition and flame front propagation. Some of the race cars have run 3 spark plugs to try and mitigate the problem with marginal success. But DI + compression ignition could, in my mind, produce phenomenal improvements over traditional spark ignition. Add to that the possibility of an electric motor boosting low end torque....I don't want to get too excited, but this could be amazing.
 
RX-9, huh?
That picture and that name makes me think it's a wankel.


I still don't believe it.

Agreed. A concept with a rotary I can see, but I am doubtful of a production model with it. Mazda can also bring out a Cosmos as an example of a sports car, not necessarily a rotary powered one.
 
Agreed. A concept with a rotary I can see, but I am doubtful of a production model with it. Mazda can also bring out a Cosmos as an example of a sports car, not necessarily a rotary powered one.

Ever since the split with Ford, Mazda really hasn't shown any concepts that didn't make it to production in some form. Shinari became the 6, Hazumi became the 2, Miangi became the CX-5, for instance. The recently shown Koeru will likely be the next CX-9. Especially in the last 2-3 years, most of their concepts have translated very directly (and quickly) into production cars.

This is the main reason I am excited. I strongly believe that whatever mazda shows at TMS will be production ready as a 2017/2018 model. I just hope it's wearing the Cosmo badge...obviously...
 
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The article mentions HCCI....

I really don't understand how a rotary could withstand the 18:1+ compression required for HCCI, but if the mechanical requirements were met, it would cure a *huge* problem for the rotary, and that is fuel ignition and flame front propagation. Some of the race cars have run 3 spark plugs to try and mitigate the problem with marginal success. But DI + compression ignition could, in my mind, produce phenomenal improvements over traditional spark ignition. Add to that the possibility of an electric motor boosting low end torque....I don't want to get too excited, but this could be amazing.

*googles HCCI*
So, it's kinda like a diesel? Cool.
 
Ever since the split with Ford, Mazda really hasn't shown any concepts that didn't make it to production in some form. Shinari became the 6, Hazumi became the 2, Miangi became the CX-5, for instance. The recently shown Koeru will likely be the next CX-9. Especially in the last 2-3 years, most of their concepts have translated very directly (and quickly) into production cars.

This is the main reason I am excited. I strongly believe that whatever mazda shows at TMS will be production ready as a 2017/2018 model. I just hope it's wearing the Cosmo badge...obviously...

The problem is that since the split with Ford, they haven't had the cash on hand for anything but big sellers.
 
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