Mazda CEO shoots down new RX-7 RX-9 rotary sports car
http://autoweek.com/article/rumormill/mazda-rx-9-dead-new-rotary-might-still-be-coming
<http://autoweek.com/article/rumormill/mazda-rx-9-dead-new-rotary-might-still-be-coming>
Here's the article I hope it wrong but don't know I have several
projects in mind that range from 100 hp (your aircooled single rotor
would be perfect, I've been following that avidly) another that's 300 hp
and one that I would be curious if a three or 4 rotor could possibly
replace the 550hp flat rated turbine that the original aircraft used
thank you for your effort in all this I wish there was some way I could
contribute more

Rob Miller

The current CEO is basing his opinion on the current world market
which is in
the toilet for expensive sports cars Like the Porsche and the
Corvette.  The middle
class in the US is in a depression. Hopefully Trump will change that.

The CEO at Mazda changes every few years. There are anti rotary people
and pro rotary people at Mazda. The Wankel is the only thing that
differentiates
Mazda from the rest of the pack. The exceptional  power to weight
ratio and power
 to size ratio are too important to ignore. If the CEO does not
understand
that he should be fired. Any limitations it may know have can be
over come with
more R&D. One other thing they could do is make it optional in the
Miata.

IMHO they are going to have a hard time surviving without the
Wankel as they are a small
mostly family owned independent company. The RX9 at the same cost
as a Porsche
or Corvette would add mystic and  status to the company.

There are enough parts out there to supply the aviation
applications for years to come.

Paul Lamar

I think they would sell many rotaries if an option in a MX5 with a
selling price at say +5,000 over the boing boing engine.
Another thought would to enter the aviation market like Honda has, but
with a scaled 4 to 6 place Piaggio Avanti 2. Use 2 pusher engines turbo
normalized to 35,000 feet.
They could use essentially the same engines as the car but would have to
put in place the procedures to certify the AC engines. That would
involve serial numbers for tracking and compliance of AC engine parts.
Use of "precups" and ceramic glow plugs could allow use of jet fuel for
those markets. Engine life and fuel economy would be selling features.
Dale Davies
Merry Christmas


Perhaps a comparative test of a reciprocating engine vs rotary engine in same sports car won't be very good for the Wankel, the operation in applications such as airplanes, stationary engines,... are fully different from that of cars, Wankel is handicapped when used at part load/ low rpm, that is the most common regimen in street cars. Every application has its best engine; same as there were: 'Six characters in search of author', the Wankel may still be looking for the right hood to drop in.

Thanks, regards, + Salut †

Jose Gros-Aymerich

Madrid, Spain

All internal combustion engines are handicapped when used in light duty cars.
The same trick used to improve the MPG on piston engined cars  can be used with the
rotary. Mazda missed the boat with the RX8 :-)

Paul Lamar

I am sorry Paul...I guess I haven't been paying attention... What's the trick?

Michael Francisco

Napa, CA

Using a top gear that increases the manifold pressure and reduces
the cruise RPM.  The Corvette does 80 MPH at 1800 RPM.
My RX8 needs 3000 RPM.

Charles Lindberg taught P38 pilots the trick back in WW II and it increased
the range 30%. It wasn't applied to production  cars until about 10 years ago.

This moves the road load closer to the BSFC island.

Paul Lamar


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