Photo: Mazda
After all the rumors and official confirmations of Mazda working to keep rotary power alive, we are pleased to give you the Skyactiv-R. This is the Japanese carmaker’s new Wankel engine, and it happens to be wrapped in a stunning modern-day interpretation of the RX-7, one that Mazda calls the RX-Vision Concept.
Before you call your financial adviser, you should know that, for the moment, Mazda hasn’t mentioned anything about a production version of either the engine or the car.
“RX-VISION represents a vision of the future that Mazda hopes to one day make into reality; a front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car with exquisite, KODO design-based proportions only Mazda could envision, and powered by the next-generation SKYACTIV-R rotary engine,” Mazda explains.
Still, 90 percent of the admittedly brief press release is focused on rotary power, with Mazda linking this to its prolific Skyactiv technology. However, the details on the Skyactiv-R are scarce, so we’re not even sure about the number of rotors it packs.
“While mass production is currently on hold, Mazda has never stopped research and development efforts towards the rotary engine. The next rotary engine has been named SKYACTIV-R, expressing the company's determination to take on challenges with convention-defying aspirations and the latest technology, just as it did when developing SKAYCTIV TECHNOLOGY.”
As for the car around the engine, the RX-Vision uses the classic sportscar proportions. This means we have a long hood, a compact passenger cell, and a short posterior.
There are plenty of details here that hint at a reinvention of the RX-7, from the roofline to the rear fascia.
The interior uses a minimalist approach, with a steering wheel that could just as well come from a retro machine, while that gear shifter (yes, it’s a manual) seems borrowed straight from the world of racing.
There are tons of clues here that point out to the vehicle using an extreme lightweight approach. How else could you call the leather straps used as door handles or the carbon fiber found all over the car (even on the wheels)?
We can’t wait for the Tokyo Motor Show to be over, so that we get closer to the moment when Mazda reveals its intentions.
“RX-VISION represents a vision of the future that Mazda hopes to one day make into reality; a front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car with exquisite, KODO design-based proportions only Mazda could envision, and powered by the next-generation SKYACTIV-R rotary engine,” Mazda explains.
Still, 90 percent of the admittedly brief press release is focused on rotary power, with Mazda linking this to its prolific Skyactiv technology. However, the details on the Skyactiv-R are scarce, so we’re not even sure about the number of rotors it packs.
“While mass production is currently on hold, Mazda has never stopped research and development efforts towards the rotary engine. The next rotary engine has been named SKYACTIV-R, expressing the company's determination to take on challenges with convention-defying aspirations and the latest technology, just as it did when developing SKAYCTIV TECHNOLOGY.”
As for the car around the engine, the RX-Vision uses the classic sportscar proportions. This means we have a long hood, a compact passenger cell, and a short posterior.
There are plenty of details here that hint at a reinvention of the RX-7, from the roofline to the rear fascia.
The interior uses a minimalist approach, with a steering wheel that could just as well come from a retro machine, while that gear shifter (yes, it’s a manual) seems borrowed straight from the world of racing.
There are tons of clues here that point out to the vehicle using an extreme lightweight approach. How else could you call the leather straps used as door handles or the carbon fiber found all over the car (even on the wheels)?
We can’t wait for the Tokyo Motor Show to be over, so that we get closer to the moment when Mazda reveals its intentions.
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