Photo: Mazda
If I had a nickel for every single time I heard Mazda was going to reimagine the rotary sports car, I wouldn’t be rich, but the pockets of my trousers would weigh a ton from all that copper. And yes, the inevitable happened once again, and here I am, waiting to receive yet another nickel from the God of Wankel.
There’s been talk for eons now, and the truth of the matter is, the spy photographers have yet to catch a rotary-powered test mule or prototype out in the open. Mazda is playing hooky in its own way, giving us the magnificent RX-Vision Concept but denying the possibility of turning that work of wonder into a full-blown production model. So what gives, then?
Japanese publication LeVolant Boost is the latest institution that took to fan the flames of the rumor mill, underlining that the RX-9 will surely happen in 2017. That’s right, ladies and gents! It appears that the successor of the RX-8 will make an appearance at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, but then again, this is not a perfect world we live in. Why’s that?
For starters, the write-up in question fails to mention on what it bases its claims. What’s more, Mazda president and chief exec Masamichi Kogai has made it clear that a rotary sports car won’t happen unless the technology isn’t developed to withstand the test of time. “We need it to meet future emissions regulations,” he commented, adding that Mazda is still conducting research & development activity on the next-gen rotary.
Instead of wishful thinking, it’s best to expect Mazda to bring Felix Wankel’s design back from the dead for a different purpose. According to a patent filing with the JPO, the Japanese automaker could be developing some sort of hybrid vehicle gifted with a rotary as the range extender.
Sure the fans want some sort of closure to all those RX-9 rumors, but instead of make-believe, it’s best to keep a leveled head and carry on with our lives. About that, it’s not an all-new rotary design we should be looking forward from Mazda, but a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine.
Japanese publication LeVolant Boost is the latest institution that took to fan the flames of the rumor mill, underlining that the RX-9 will surely happen in 2017. That’s right, ladies and gents! It appears that the successor of the RX-8 will make an appearance at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, but then again, this is not a perfect world we live in. Why’s that?
For starters, the write-up in question fails to mention on what it bases its claims. What’s more, Mazda president and chief exec Masamichi Kogai has made it clear that a rotary sports car won’t happen unless the technology isn’t developed to withstand the test of time. “We need it to meet future emissions regulations,” he commented, adding that Mazda is still conducting research & development activity on the next-gen rotary.
Instead of wishful thinking, it’s best to expect Mazda to bring Felix Wankel’s design back from the dead for a different purpose. According to a patent filing with the JPO, the Japanese automaker could be developing some sort of hybrid vehicle gifted with a rotary as the range extender.
Sure the fans want some sort of closure to all those RX-9 rumors, but instead of make-believe, it’s best to keep a leveled head and carry on with our lives. About that, it’s not an all-new rotary design we should be looking forward from Mazda, but a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine.
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