Most liked posts in thread: Mazda Announces Diesel Racing Program

Steve · Jun 4, 2012

:blush2: Lesson learned: don't skim, read every word...

Metalman · Jun 4, 2012

BMW / MINI needs to hook up with Mazda on their diesel development. That would be a sweet engine to drop in the MINI.

ScottinBend · Jun 4, 2012

This is for the new GX class.....and sad to see the rotary go away.

Steve · Jun 4, 2012

I didn't know it had anything to do with GX, that's news to me.

Ignoring the racing connection for a tic, I like the bit about "bringing modern clean-diesel technology to the United States with plans to offer a production car with a diesel engine in the near future."

Nathan · Jun 4, 2012

Yep, it's for the new GX class...

Cars using the Skyactiv-D engine will compete in the new GX class, created to let new vehicles and new technologies into the competition.
Click to expand...

ScottinBend · Jun 4, 2012

:wink:

Crashton · Jun 4, 2012

Sorry to see the rotary go, but it has always been a bear to find a good camshaft for one, plus the adjusting the valves is a real pain.

Mazda's announcement tells me we will be seeing oil burners in Mazda's soon. My guess next model year. I'm not a diesel fan, but saving fuel is a good thing even if it is that stinky fuel.

ScottinBend · Jun 4, 2012

Not so stinky anymore.......

I will definitely add the Mazda diesel to my very short list of cars to get for my wife next.

Steve · Jun 16, 2012

No longer just Grand-Am, they're attempting to go all out with this thing. As the article below is from ALMS.com, no surprise that the title refers to the ALMS P2 class, but the announcement was made in Le Mans for the LM P2 as well.

Mazda Announces SKYACTIV-D Program for P2 (ALMS.com)

Customer engines available for ALMS P2 teams; Dempsey Racing first customer

LE MANS, France (June 16, 2012) - Mazda Motorsports today announced that it will sell racing versions of its new SKYACTIV-D CLEAN DIESEL engines to teams competing in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila PatrÃ³n P2 category, as well as LMP2 teams in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Speaking at the 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mazda representatives unveiled the P2 engine, which will be a stock-block Mazda SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder, dual-stage turbocharged powerplant. The engine is being developed jointly by Mazda Motor Corporation, Mazda North American Operations and SpeedSource Race Engineering. Dyno testing has already begun, and on-track testing begins in late 2012.

With an eye toward entering the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mazda hopes to have the engine ready for the 2013 American Le Mans Series opener.

"We have a lot of testing yet to do on the dyno and on the track, but the best place to test, with SpeedSource being in Coral Springs, Fla., would be at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March," John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports said. "That's certainly a target, but there's a lot of work to be done until that's set to go."

"Everyone at the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila PatrÃ³n is delighted by the news of Mazda's SKYACTIV-D engine joining the P2 category," American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton said. "Mazda has been a long time partner of the ALMS, and the SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine fits our position as the Global Leader Green Racing. We applaud Mazda for its efforts to enhance its consumer products through racing, especially in the arena of energy efficiency, and we look forward to seeing the SKYACTIV-D in P2 competition."

Planning and preparations continue for Dempsey Racing to become the first customer for the Mazda SKYACTIV-D racing powerplant. Co-owned by racer/actor Patrick Dempsey, Dempsey Racing expanded its operation this year to include a team running in the American Le Mans Series, and is competing in both the Prototype Challenge (PC) and P2 classes as it prepares for its Le Mans effort.

Dempsey and his business partner/co-driver, Joe Foster, have both competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as drivers in the GT category and are eager to return in 2013, this time in the LMP2 class and with Mazda SKYACTIV-D clean diesel-power.

"Our long-term partnership with Mazda has been fantastic, and we look forward to mutual success as we prepare for 2013," Dempsey said. "We are focused on that preparation, which is why we are currently testing our P2 car here in the U.S., in preparation for the next ALMS event. Our team and partners are excited to be associated with SKYACTIV-D technology and the cutting-edge green technology it represents."

After the conference, Doonan thanked the American Le Mans Series for its role in making the SKYACTIV-D program a reality in P2.

"The vision and leadership of the ACO was facilitated by great support from Scott Atherton and certainly on the IMSA side from (COO) Scot Elkins," Doonan said. "We've been working with their relationship from the ACO to help understand balance of performance for the engine in the category and also with Mazda's history here at Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series. That relationship we've had since day one of American Le Mans, and we look forward to continue that for many years to come."

The American Le Mans presented by Tequila PatrÃ³n returns to action at Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix on Saturday, July 7. The two-hour, 45-minute race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET from the 1.5-mile, 10-turn Lime Rock Park circuit. ESPN2 airs the race the same day at 4 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available, starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

The Series' website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the Lime Rock round and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com.
Click to expand...

jasonmathew · Oct 30, 2012

Goes without saying that I'm excited to see where Mazda goes with this.

Steve · Nov 28, 2012

ScottinBend said: ↑

Not so stinky anymore.......

I will definitely add the Mazda diesel to my very short list of cars to get for my wife next.
Click to expand...

Here ya go.

The Mazda6 Diesel Is Coming To America (Jalopnik.com)

by Jason Torchinsky | Nov 28, 2012 11:45 AM

The show floor hasn't quite opened yet, but crack Jalopnik operatives have dressed in our special trash can costume (a trash can with feet holes) and got photos that prove that Mazda's new SKYACTIV-D diesel engine will, in fact, be an option for the Mazda 6. This was widely speculated, and now we have proof it's going to happen.

The engine, the SKYACTIV-D, is a 2.2-liter "clean" diesel engine, making 310 lb-feet of torque. Or, if you want to go on some signage scraps seen by the car, a far more exciting 445 lb-ft of torque at 3600 RPM. Also available for the 2014 Mazda6 are 6-speed transmissions in both manual and auto flavors, the i-ELOOP regnerative braking system that sounds like a friendly alien pal's name, and, of course, "KODO Soul of Motion Design," which is at the top of any saavy car buyers list. Seriously, don't settle for Soul of Immobility-based designs. You're worth it.

Another diesel option in the US is very welcome, and I can see a diesel Mazda 6 Wagon being a really desirable car (hint hint Mazda). Hopefully we'll get to drive one soon.
Click to expand...

papa-j · Nov 28, 2012

Yay!
Good gravis Mavis - that's a lot of stump pulling grunt! Enjoy my Speed6 as-is but would love to feel the pull from that diesel.

Steve · Nov 29, 2012

Here's their Grand-Am GX concept. It never crossed my mind they might use a Mazda6 for this.

GRAND-AM: Diesel-Powered Mazda6 GX Rolex Series Concept Revealed (speedtv.com)

Mazda used the Los Angeles Auto Show to reveal the first rendering of its new-for-2013 diesel Rolex Series platform, the SKYACTIV-D-powered Mazda6.

Marshall Pruett | Posted November 29, 2012

Mazda chose the Los Angeles Auto Show as the venue to reveal the first rendering of its new-for-2013 diesel Rolex Series platform, the SKYACTIV-D-powered Mazda6, which replaces the RX-8 as its flagship entry in the GRAND-AM sports car series beginning at January's Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The production-based 2.2-liter, four-cylinder, dual-stage turbocharged engine is expected to power a pair of factory entries in the new, semi-experimental GX class, and to have a presence in at least one P2 car at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The SpeedSource-run diesel GX program will be the first of its kind for the Rolex Series.

“We have been eager to announce this car for months, but had to wait until the production car was revealed," said Mazda North American Operations motorsports director John Doonan.

"The SpeedSource engineering team, working with the Mazda engineers, have been flat out for months on engine development. We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance. That means 400+ hp for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts. This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block SKYACTIV-D. We’re excited about having our newest engine powering our newest car.”

With global plans for the competition version of the SKYACTIV-D, Mazda's Jay Amestoy hopes to see the SpeedSource-built engine become a popular choice in the other major sports car championships.

“This reopens our love affair with Le Mans,” he said upon the motor's unveiling at Le Mans in June. “In 1991 we made history, winning with rotary technology. Now we’re looking to return to the winner’s circle with what we believe will be the most advanced and cleanest production-based powerplant the sport has ever seen. We’ll do it in current Mazda style, with engines being available for sale to European and U.S. customers competing in the LMP2 class for both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).”
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Steve · Nov 29, 2012

Turbos

Steve · Jan 3, 2013

SpeedSource Mazda6

BThayer23 · Jan 3, 2013

:drool

Steve · Jan 4, 2013

Mazda6 diesel to race at Rolex 24, team and drivers announced (Autoblog.com)

By Zach Bowman | Posted Jan 4th 2013 1:31PM

Mazda is getting serious about showing off the Skyactiv-D turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine in the Mazda6. The automaker has just announced it will campaign three diesel Mazda6 racers in the Grand-Am GX class of the upcoming 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona in a quest to walk away with the company's 24th class win. Mazda partnered with SpeedSource to develop the race version of the new sedan, with Japanese and American engineers lending a helping hand where needed. Meanwhile, Freedom Autosport and Visit Florida Racing/SpeedSource/Yellow Dragon Racing will helm teams of their own.

Each car will make use of a five-driver team for the 24-hour race on January 26. In the interim, you can check out the full press release below for more information as well as the full driver roster. Mazda says we can expect to see the No. 70 SpeedSource car under the lights at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show later this month, as well.
Click to expand...

Steve · Jan 15, 2013

From the Detroit auto show.

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