Photo: Mazda
As of late, Mazda has been a little touchy on the subject of rotary power. One official said this, another said that, one of the higher-ups dismissed the up-talk as not feasible considering the future corporate average fuel economy standards, you know the drill. But more recently, the automaker has finally opened up on the Wankel’s destiny, confirming that SkyActiv-R is happening.
It’s rather funny that Mazda hasn’t included plans for SkyActiv-R technology or a rotary-powered sports car in its Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 plan, but then again, a confirmation is a confirmation. Speaking at the Mazda Tech Forum in Frankfurt, the managing executive officer of the automaker’s technical research center and integrated control system development laid it out, saying that SkyActiv-R is intended as a sports car engine. RX-9, anyone?
Speaking to Wheels Magazine, Mitsuo Hitomi added: “We’re still continuing development of the next-generation rotary engine,” admitting that Mazda “cannot improve the rotary engine to the current conventional engine emissions.” For this reason, the official confirmed that range extender technology is in the offing for the yet-unnamed model referred to as RX-9.
Hitomi further said that Mazda is ironing out know issues of the rotary engine, including apex seal wear and oil consumption. The focus is also on flame propagation and the emission system. Even though it’s not a money-bringing technology such as SkyActiv-X, “rotary is very important to Mazda” according to the Japanese official. Hitmo stressed: “It’s Mazda’s centenary in 2020.”
Don’t know about you, but the information offered by Mr. Hitomi to Wheels is virtually the confirmation that the RX-9 is on its way to a dealership near you by the end of the decade. Of course, it will be superseding the RX-8 and RX-7.
A patent for Aston Martin-like doors, one for a range-extended rotary, and one for a turbocharging and exhaust manifold of a rotary engine reassert that something exciting is coming our way. Something that will borrow the exterior styling of the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful 2015 RX-Vision concept.
Speaking to Wheels Magazine, Mitsuo Hitomi added: “We’re still continuing development of the next-generation rotary engine,” admitting that Mazda “cannot improve the rotary engine to the current conventional engine emissions.” For this reason, the official confirmed that range extender technology is in the offing for the yet-unnamed model referred to as RX-9.
Hitomi further said that Mazda is ironing out know issues of the rotary engine, including apex seal wear and oil consumption. The focus is also on flame propagation and the emission system. Even though it’s not a money-bringing technology such as SkyActiv-X, “rotary is very important to Mazda” according to the Japanese official. Hitmo stressed: “It’s Mazda’s centenary in 2020.”
Don’t know about you, but the information offered by Mr. Hitomi to Wheels is virtually the confirmation that the RX-9 is on its way to a dealership near you by the end of the decade. Of course, it will be superseding the RX-8 and RX-7.
A patent for Aston Martin-like doors, one for a range-extended rotary, and one for a turbocharging and exhaust manifold of a rotary engine reassert that something exciting is coming our way. Something that will borrow the exterior styling of the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful 2015 RX-Vision concept.
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