I have a rumor from a fairly reliable source of an upcoming
direct injection Mazda 16B. Probably wider rotor housings and rotors.
The rotor housings will probably be around 98 mm wide instead
of 80 mm. This should not affect max RPM too much because rotor bearing
area and rotor weight should track rather closely.
Dont' expect the same ratio of additional HP with a side
port however as side port area will probably remain roughly the
same. Max HP will not be a whole lot more than 250 HP.
Maybe around 280 HP but not 300 HP. A P-port version on
the other hand you probably would be looking at about 360 HP
at 8000 RPM or so. Weight should also be up. Probably around
215 pounds instead of 190 pounds. Unless of course Mazda
does aluminum end housings while they are at it.

What Mazda may hope to buy is a slightly  better combustion chamber
shape and lots more torque down low. Very important for a car.
RX8 rear axle ratios should go down slightly for lower fuel burn at
freeway cruise speeds.

Now if they are successful with high pressure direct injection spark
assisted  stratified charge We could be looking at a significant
improvement  in BSFC. Perhaps as low as .35. Sounds too good to be true.

Supposedly John Deere achieved this back in 1987 on jet
or diesel fuels. SAE paper 871039. On the other hand by 1995 the best
BSFC RPI archived was about .453 with high pressure direct injection
spark assisted. SAE paper 950452

If by some miracle this low .35 BSFC number actually  happens it should
be all she  wrote for the gasoline piston engine in almost all
applications.

Paul Lamar

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