Mazda Commited To New Rotary Powered RX8 Successor

A few months ago we told you about a report that hinted towards the introduction of a much-awaited Mazda RX-8 successor, again equipped with the trademarked rotary engine.

We can now say there’s another report that confirms that the Japanese automaker has not given up on the plans, and after years of hints, promises and denials the make is finally closer to the re-launch of its rotary engine. The only thing is that the development process has been postponed even further – the reported launch date of 2017 is now valid for the car’s concept and the production model would only come another three years later, in 2020.

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scenicbyway12 - 10/15/2014 11:45:20 AM

0 Boost

First off it's patented not trademarked. Why can't they let this engine die, it's thirsty, unreliable and has no torque. Even that patent owner have abandon this engine.

MorePower - 10/15/2014 5:23:24 PM

+1 Boost

You could say that about every combustion engine design. It takes time to mature a technology as complicated as an internal combustion engine, especially when there is only one company pushing the technology.

M3owns - 10/16/2014 1:20:56 AM

+1 Boost

Yes, but this type of engine has been in circulation for a long time now and there is very little progress. The basics of that engine like keeping stable compression is not good for some reason. They have had more than 20 years to figure it out and they still can't. I love the rx 8 but even super cars dont do 200 miles avg to the tank. Oil burn like nothing too. Those are just one of the few problems with that type of engine.

M3owns - 10/16/2014 1:23:48 AM

+1 Boost

One company pushing for that engine is a valid point but consider that toyota havent had hybrids for as long and they still keep improving them. I am pretty sure mazda has more money than the hypercar companies that develop hybrid super engines currently. Those companies were able to perfect their technologies in a very short time.

40flash - 10/17/2014 1:06:12 AM

+2 Boost

If you haven't read the article in Wikipedia on the rotary you should. Wankel's first patent on the engine was in 1929. Mazda signed a contract with Wankel in 1961. That's 53 years ago and they still can't make it reliable or get decent mileage or produce decent torque. Why they refuse to give up is totally beyond me. Here is a list of the companies that were also licensed to develop rotary engines. All have given up after discovering the fatal flaws that are inherent in the design that apparently cannot be fixed.
Curtis-Wright, Alfa Romeo, American Motors, Citroen, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Suzuki, and Toyota, Deere & Company, Norton Motorcycles, Suzuki.
When is it time to move on. As I've said before. The mostly round shape of the engine means that it would bounce along the bottom and therefore wouldn't even make a good boat anchor.
The smartest thing Mazda could do beyond dumping this piece of garbage would be to offed a piston engine option in their next sports car so they can recover some of the high cost of car development.