Toyota has a brand new sports coupe with a 2.0-liter Subaru-developed boxer engine, but where does that leave Mazda and its rotary fans, who have been hit hard by rumors of the hard revving setup’s demise.
At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Car Advice learned that the RX-8 Successor is indeed coming, and it will likely be derived from the platform for the next MX-5, which is supposed to be very light. But it might also be the case that the little Miata will also be a rotary-powered car.
“We need a measure a plan to upgrade the [fuel] efficiency and torque [of the engine] otherwise we don’t see much progress [from the current rotary in the RX-8],” said Takashi Yamanouchi, Mazda’s president and CEO.
“Production of the RX-8 does stop in 2012 but what comes after that I’m not in a position to say. But I have been saying everywhere that we will continue research on the rotary engine. We will not extinguish the flame of the rotary engine. That kind of product is iconic for our brand. So the current MX-5 or RX-8 we have decided in the future to maintain that type of [sports car] product. I can’t say, however, that they will be separate … they may be merged into one.[We] can’t rule out the possibility [of a rotary-powered MX-5],” he said about the RX-8 successor.
“We need a measure a plan to upgrade the [fuel] efficiency and torque [of the engine] otherwise we don’t see much progress [from the current rotary in the RX-8],” said Takashi Yamanouchi, Mazda’s president and CEO.
“Production of the RX-8 does stop in 2012 but what comes after that I’m not in a position to say. But I have been saying everywhere that we will continue research on the rotary engine. We will not extinguish the flame of the rotary engine. That kind of product is iconic for our brand. So the current MX-5 or RX-8 we have decided in the future to maintain that type of [sports car] product. I can’t say, however, that they will be separate … they may be merged into one.[We] can’t rule out the possibility [of a rotary-powered MX-5],” he said about the RX-8 successor.
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