Most liked posts in thread: Mazda to stop Wankel Production

Steve · Mar 13, 2012

Mazda Rotary Engine Hiatus Temporary, Cleaner Return Planned (MotorAuthority.com)

by Thomas Bey | Mar 12, 2012

Somewhere between turns five and eight on the track at Road America, with the 2010 Mazda RX-8 and its 1.3-liter rotary on high alert around 8,000 rpm, it became clear.

The RX-8 was like a versatile actor with great chops that always lost top billing to trendier stars.

Two years later, the eccentric is retired.

Sad as it is to see it go, the Mazda was no innocent martyr. A misquote of power here, a public apology there, and it all centered around its dependency on rotary power.

Mind you, the Renesis engine had its pluses. From that tidy 1.3-liter unit came 232 horsepower, which peaked at a lofty 8,500 rpm with the six-speed manual it was fitted to. Yet for all the revs, it was still smoother than many piston engines with twice the displacement at half the rpm.

On the other hand, conventional engines were typically more efficient. The RX-8 we tested was rated at just 16/22 mpg city/highway - and that was under the EPAâ€™s simulated â€œnormalâ€ driving conditions. We canâ€™t guarantee our hooning around the road course even returned double-digit mileage.

For a spirited drive, the rev kettle had to be on full boil, because the rotaryâ€™s torque pot was nearly empty. Added to longtime sealing issues and high emissions, the rotaryâ€™s days were understandably numbered.

But with a little rehab and image improvement, anythingâ€™s possible. Mitsuo Hitomi, Mazdaâ€™s general manager of powertrain development, tells WardsAuto we could even see the rotary engineâ€™s comeback with a supporting role in Mazdaâ€™s SKYACTIV technology.

Hitomi wonâ€™t spill the beans about every last detail, but insists his team â€œfound a way to make dramatic improvementsâ€ for the next rotary engine. In other words, cleaner, torquier, and more efficient. He clearly has his work cut out for him.

Donâ€™t take this to mean thereâ€™ll be a high-efficiency RX-9 anytime soon. While another rotary-powered car could be developed, we think itâ€™s more likely to see duty as a means to extend range in an as-yet unspecified Mazda electric vehicle down the road.
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Redbeard · Mar 13, 2012

Funny, it doesn't look like a rotary engine...

All jokes aside, kinda bummed to see it go. If they can improve the efficiency it makes a TON of sense to put one in-line with an electric motor in a hybrid.

agranger · Mar 13, 2012

Best thread title ever: Mazda announces that it will stop playing with its Wankle

Come on Nathan... it would be so easy to edit the title!

Steve · Apr 18, 2012

Mazda Future Powertrain Plans Detailed (MotorAuthority.com)

by Kurt Ernst | Apr 18, 2012

The quest for improved fuel economy across the model range will have a big impact on Mazdaâ€™s future product plans, but the news isnâ€™t all bad. First and foremost, thereâ€™s a glimmer of hope for rotary-engine fans, as Mazda remains committed to the development of a new-generation rotary engine.

In fact, as Mazdaâ€™s Robert Davis, senior vice president of U.S. operations, explained to Car and Driver, there are multiple rotary engine strategies under development. The first involves a replacement for Mazdaâ€™s thirsty Renesis engine, developed for Mazdaâ€™s now-discontinued RX-8.

The Renesis replacement rotary engine will feature reduced internal friction, reduced rotating mass and more efficient transmissions, all of which should combine to improve fuel economy.

Reducing emissions will be critical to launching a new rotary engine as well, as the RX-8 was pulled from the European market in 2010, after it could no longer meet emission standards.

The rotary is also being looked at to power a range-extending generator, as used in the electric Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma. The rotary engineâ€™s small size and light weight make it ideal for this application, and the engineâ€™s low torque output isnâ€™t a factor when powering a generator.

Like Volvo, Mazda appears to be moving towards an all-four-cylinder lineup. There are no plans to replace the V-6 engine currently used in the Mazda6 sedan and Mazda CX-9 crossover, and no SkyActiv six-cylinder is currently under development.

Instead, the next Mazda6 will be powered exclusively by four-cylinder engines (including the expected Mazda6 Hybrid), while the larger CX-9 will likely get a turbocharged four-cylinder as its base engine. 
Speaking of crossovers, the current mid-size CX-7 will be dropped from the model lineup, leaving just small (CX-5) and large (CX-9) crossovers in Mazdaâ€™s product catalog.

As for the next generation Miata, Davis confirms what weâ€™ve been reporting all along: it will be smaller and lighter, and will come wearing the companyâ€™s latest Kodo design language.
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Steve · Jun 26, 2012

Mazda Marks End of an Era With Final Rotary Engine (AutoGuide.com)

by Stephen Elmer | Jun 26, 10:12 AM

Starting in the 1970′s, Mazda brought its first rotary engine to market, and last friday, the company assembled its last one, marking the end of an era for the Japanese automaker.

With its new SkyActiv technology, Mazda is looking at a new generation of engines which puts fuel-efficiency as its prime concern. When the rotary engine first debuted, it was praised for its light-weight and small displacement that was capable of large power. It was arguably ahead of its time, but unfortunately, time has caught up with it, and with a new era of small displacement turbocharged engine, the rotary no longer has any relevance.

The RX-8 is the last Mazda car outfitted with a rotary engine, and it was destined for a halt in production after itâ€™s rotary engine failed diagnostics tests for the Euro 5 emission requirements that came into effect in 2010.

â€œFuel emission standards can mean the life or death to some products,â€ said Masato Sase, a consultant at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting Co. â€œIt makes no economic sense to build cars using a certain technology, and if there isnâ€™t ample demand for that, itâ€™s difficult for them to survive.â€

Debuting in the Cosmo Sport in 1967, Mazda managed to sell almost two million vehicles with rotary engines over the last 45 years. Hoping for the same result, SkyActiv has already been proving itself as a large competitor, selling more than analysts anticipated.

The new SkyActiv-D diesel engine also shows a new direction for the brand, again focusing on fuel-efficiency over high output.

By 2016, Mazda wants SkyActiv tech in 80 percent of its vehicles, a strategy meant to bring the company back to profitability.
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Steve · Jun 28, 2012

Mazda Will Continue to Develop Rotary Engines (AutoGuide.com)

Stephen Elmer | Jun 28, 9:31 AM

Nazda is committing to fuel economy with its new SkyActiv technology, which was expected to render the companies rotary engine lineup defunct. Not so says Mazda, confirming that development continues on the next generation of rotary.

The RX-8 was the last Mazda to use the rotary engine setup, and after production was ended, it was assumed by many that the rotary technology would die with the car. Especially with SkyActiv taking over as Mazdaâ€™s new engineering setup, the gas-thirsty rotary engines seemed destined for discontinuation.

To keep up with SkyActiv, the rotary engine must become more fuel efficient, a feat which Mazda claims they have figured out how to achieve.

â€œWhile the majority of the companyâ€™s engineering resources are focused on the development of our revolutionary Sky Activ technology, work does continue on the next-generation rotary,â€ said Mazda.

Rotary engines are easily adaptable to run on fuel sources other than gasoline, and the company has said that this is an option as well.

â€œAdditionally, work continues on the use of fuels other than gasoline, taking advantage of the rotaryâ€™s unique ability to operate on multiple fuels without extensive reengineering,â€ said Mazda.

A rotary engine range extender would also serve well in a hybrid setup, as small displacement numbers can be made into big power rather easily in a rotary engine.
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Steve · Aug 29, 2012

Mazda Rotary-Powered Plug-in Hybrid to Launch in 2013 (AutoGuide.com)

Mazda is plotting a gasoline range-extended electric car and, as usual, is choosing to take its own path in the development, relying on engine technology exclusive to the brand.

According to company boss Takashi Yamanouchi, the Japanese automaker is committed to the rotary engine. And while a next-gen rotary sports car isnâ€™t out of the question, for now Mazda will focus on using the technology in a plug-in hybrid.

Speaking at the Moscow Motor Show this week, Yamanouchi commented that roatry engines are at their most efficient at low rpm and under constant load. That said, itâ€™s ideal for use in range-extended engine â€“ similar to what is found in the Chevrolet Volt. The system would work by having the rotary engine charge batteries that would then be used to move the car via an electric motor. With the electric capacity already on-board, itâ€™s all but certain to also have a plug-in component.

Mazda has been on a product and technology offensive as of late, launching its SkyActiv models, including the 2012 Mazda3, CX-5 and most recently the 2014 Mazda6. With a next-gen Miata in the works, the new plug-in rotary vehicle will arrive first, debuting next year. Itâ€™s not clear if the car will be based on an existing model or be an all-new model, though Mazda has confirmed it will initially only be available to lease in Japan.

[Source: Autocar]
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