Mazda Rotary Ends Production

plex · Postby **plex** » June 27th, 2012, 12:30 pm

Mazda Rotary Ends Production, May Return As Hydrogen Range-Extender

The last rotary-powered car from Mazda rolled off its production line in Japan on Friday, a 2011 Mazda RX-8 Spirit R sold only in the Japanese domestic market.

With no successor confirmed, we may never see a rotary engine in a production car ever again, though those at Mazda certainly don’t want to see it this way.

Part of the reason for its demise is its terrible fuel economy, which is around 40 percent worse than a conventional internal combustion engine with comparable performance.

The engine, first launched in the 1967 Mazda Cosmo, did have its pluses, however. From the tidy 1.3-liter unit found in the RX8 came 232 horsepower, which peaked at a lofty 8,500 rpm with the six-speed manual it was fitted to. And for all the revs, it was still smoother than many piston engines with twice the displacement at half the rpm.

Mazda engineers are toiling away with solutions to make the rotary engine ‘greener,’ but so far have had little luck. One strategy is the application of SKYACTIV technology, either with direct injection, supercharging or some other conventional fuel-saving technology.

Another, more radical strategy is the use of the rotary strictly as a range-extender for a battery-powered electric car. According to Bloomberg, Mazda is currently testing a rotary burning hydrogen fuel to charge a lithium-ion battery that then drives an electric motor.

Mazda wasn’t the first to proceed down the rotary-powered range-extender development path. Instead, it was Audi that showed the rotary-packing A1 e-tron concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. That allegedly led to talks between Audi and Mazda, and rumors that Mazda was developing a special-purpose rotary engine for the Audi A1 e-tron. It’s likely that such an engine could also be used to power future Mazda range-extended electric cars.

Perhaps then the rotary will come full circle. The unique engine design, after all, was pioneered by German engineer Felix Wankel shortly after World War II, who at the time was working for Audi NSU Auto Union AG and later licensed the technology to Mazda.

Motorauthority

.:PROZAC:.. · Postby **.:PROZAC:..** » June 27th, 2012, 1:00 pm

The way things going I guess. Chin up mates.

wagonrunner · Postby **wagonrunner** » June 27th, 2012, 1:07 pm

Car news on trinituner? nah man.

And a fun note for the Zoom zoom purists who find cross breeding should only take place in people, and not car............., pity nissan never licensed the SR20 to Mazda. :poke:

cinco · Postby **cinco** » June 27th, 2012, 1:29 pm

wagonrunner wrote:Car news on trinituner? nah man.

And a fun note for the Zoom zoom purists who find cross breeding should only take place in people, and not car............., pity nissan never licensed the SR20 to Mistusbishi.

when last you see a box lancer with a mitsu engine?

16 cycles · Postby **16 cycles** » June 27th, 2012, 1:32 pm

so the concept Furai was just a tease????

thought that would have been the successor to the rx7......sigh....

cinco · Postby **cinco** » June 27th, 2012, 1:33 pm

16 cycles wrote:so the concept Furai was just a tease????

thought that would have been the successor to the rx7......sigh....

they quit production of the rx8 renesis series engines
i hope this mean 16x time :lol:

wagonrunner · Postby **wagonrunner** » June 27th, 2012, 1:36 pm

cinco wrote:when last you see a box lancer with a mitsu engine?

I can actually carry you by at least two right now.
Them is the limited edition ones, that did not leave the plant with nissan hearts.

cinco · Postby **cinco** » June 27th, 2012, 1:40 pm

wagonrunner wrote:
cinco wrote:when last you see a box lancer with a mitsu engine?

I can actually carry you by at least two right now.
Them is the limited edition ones, that did not leave the plant with nissan hearts.

which one ah dem still driving? :lol:

wagonrunner · Postby **wagonrunner** » June 27th, 2012, 2:11 pm

cinco wrote:which one ah dem still driving?

umm. both.

Bobs_Burgers · Postby **Bobs_Burgers** » June 28th, 2012, 9:20 am

about time rotary is a waste of time, i think every japanese rwd car should be equipped with a 2JZ

nareshseep · Postby **nareshseep** » June 28th, 2012, 10:06 am

roadracer7 · Postby **roadracer7** » June 28th, 2012, 1:18 pm

Bobs_Burgers wrote:about time rotary is a waste of time, i think every japanese rwd car should be equipped with a 2JZ

WHY is that ?

is ah toyota is ah honda is ah nissan is ah mitsubisni is ah suburu is ah mazda is ah is ah is ah....
the rotary engine speaks for it's self and since it's invention there's been a lot of spin offs of it's type quasi etc etc etc.... don't bad talk the rotors, it's an amazing invention,and i don't think it's dead yet because there are a lot of amazing hot rodders out there and they are the ones that has the auto industry where it's at today...... the problems with fuel consumption will be taken cared off.......... by the way if i may also mention I'M a V8 guy and have had many a 2jz snack...

16 cycles · Postby **16 cycles** » June 28th, 2012, 1:55 pm

the sound ..........

Bobs_Burgers · Postby **Bobs_Burgers** » June 28th, 2012, 1:59 pm

at the end of the day what beats titan's celica? any v8's?

roadracer7 · Postby **roadracer7** » June 28th, 2012, 3:58 pm

Bobs_Burgers wrote:at the end of the day what beats titan's celica? any v8's?

the moran motorsports monte

roadracer7 · Postby **roadracer7** » June 28th, 2012, 4:00 pm

roadracer7 · Postby **roadracer7** » June 28th, 2012, 4:02 pm

the monte' in front but worry about that rotary knocking at titans door....

mike moran now runs in the 5's @ 5.97 secs

oh, and you asked.

roadracer7 · Postby **roadracer7** » June 28th, 2012, 4:15 pm

Don't BAD MOUTH THE ROTARY ENGINE....

roadracer7 · Postby **roadracer7** » June 28th, 2012, 4:21 pm

THERE ARE A LOT OF GRASSROOT RACING IN THE STATES THAT ARE POWERED BY THE ROTARY ENGINE,SO THE ONLY WAY TO KILL OFF ALL THE ROTARY ENGINE IS TO BUY UP ALL THE EXISTING PARTS & MELT THEM.... BUT THERE'LL STILL BE MORE COMING OUT OF THE CASTING FOUNDRY DIES & HOT RODDERS INGENUIETY...

CHEER UP....