Stunning Mazda Vision Gets Closer To Reality

Last fall, Mazda brought its stunning Vision concept to the Tokyo auto show and lit the flame of hope for all of us who have ever owned an RX-7. Those of us who did can never get the thrill of its nearly vibration free rotary engine spinning up to 8,000 rpm and beyond. That engine made a satisfying growl like no other. It was music to the ears of plenty of gearheads, myself included.

Yeah, it was thirsty. And yeah, it burned a little oil. But that was one sweet motor. By comparison, the pushrod lump in my MGB felt like it was from the Stone Age. The last time Mazda sold a car with a rotary engine in America was in 2011. Since then, fuel economy and emissions challenges have kept it out of production. Gone but not forgotten, it seems.

Mazda has just filed a patent application for a modified rotary engine design. According to AutoBlog, this one places the intake ports as the bottom of the engine and the exhaust ports at the top. The changes are said to allow the engine to sit lower in the chassis of the car it is mated to. A lower center of gravity leads to better handling.

The top mounted exhaust is also supposed to make it easier to turbocharge the engine — something that would be necessary in order to help the little screamer meet upcoming emissions standards. The short distance from engine to turbo should make the old bugaboo of turbo lag nothing more than a memory.

The new engine design uses port fuel injection. According to the patent filing, it has a triangular rotor that covers part of the exhaust port which allows for different exhaust flow characteristics. The filing claims that that two of the four possible orientations allow for less airflow resistance in the exhaust port. That would also boost turbo performance.

The Mazda Vision is one of the sexiest designs this side of the original Jaguar XK-E, before it got crapped up with federalize headlights and bumpers. Will a rotary equipped Vision ever see production? The odds, frankly, aren’t that good. It is unlikely that Mazda will ever be able to tame the Wankel engine to meet modern regulatory constraints.

But if it does, and I was forced to choose between a rotary powered Vision and an autonomous transportation pod like the Tesla Model 3, I’m pretty certain my love of sports cars with real engines and transmissions that have to be stirred by hand would carry the day.

New Mazda RX-7 And RX-9 Coming?

An artist rendering of what the new RX-7 might look like.

The Mazda Cosmo Sport first appeared in 1967, and it was the first volume production car to feature a Wankel rotary engine. According to Australia’s Motoring magazine, sources within the company suggest that a reborn RX-7 sports coupe could be in the offing for 2017 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of that milestone. Then in 2020, Mazda will celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary, which will coincide with the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and those same sources say Mazda will introduce an all new, range topping sports car in honor of both occasions.

We do know that Mazda has registered the names RX-7 and RX-9 with the Japanese trademark office, adding credibility to  the rumors. Mazda reported record profits of nearly $2 billion dollars for the last fiscal year, so there is money available for creating new models.

The new RX-7 is rumored to use the 300 hp 16X rotary engine Mazda has under development. Add an electric turbocharger to the 16X, and you have a potent new motor for an RX-9 “halo car”. The RX-9 may also come with a hybrid powertrain to stay competitive with offerings from other manufacturers. Asked about all these rumors recently, Mazda global sales and marketing chief Yasuhiro Aoyama was enigmatic, saying only that a new rotary powered RX-7 for 2017 would be a “fantastic idea”.

Mazda has devoted more than five decades to perfecting the Wankel rotary engine, primarily because it produces good power from a unit that is smaller and lighter than any other internal combustion engine. Because there are no pistons going up and down thousands of times a minute, the rotary is also very smooth compared to its rivals. Unfortunately, it tends to be fairly thirsty, and has been bedeviled by longevity issues with the apex seals that are critical to making the engine work. Mazda’s latest rotary engine car, the RX-8, suffered from poor fuel economy and disappointing reliability, which led to it being withdrawn from the marketplace after a relatively short production run and low sales.

If Mazda can duplicate the reputation for bullet proof reliability enjoyed by the Miata (itself debuting a new model next month) and wrap the new cars in styling that excites the eye, these two new models should be enthusiastically received by potential buyers. But the folks at Jalopnik say the new RX-7 is a recurring internet myth that gets folks riled up every few years. We should know the truth in about two years time, so buckle up Mazda fans.

It could be a bumpy ride.

Source: Mazda