Is Mazda's Rotary Engine Program Dead?

[daveb91]

http://images.thecarconnection.com/tmb/mazda_100166697_t.gif No automaker in history has done more to further the rotary-engine design of Felix Wankel than Mazda. Originally used by Mazda in the 1967 Mazda Cosmo, the rotary engine has powered numerous Mazda cars over the years, including the RX-2, RX-3, RX-7 and RX-8. Mazda even sold a rotary-powered pickup truck between 1974 and 1977. The company praised...http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/j_jpkurDUBq4sp2j_lQ39Ue8Uz8/0/di (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/j_jpkurDUBq4sp2j_lQ39Ue8Uz8/0/da)
http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/j_jpkurDUBq4sp2j_lQ39Ue8Uz8/1/di (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/j_jpkurDUBq4sp2j_lQ39Ue8Uz8/1/da)



More of this story for our MovFast members click here. (http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1064589_is-mazdas-rotary-engine-program-dead)

[Jay]

Emissions are what hurt this beast.
I know rotary's inside and out. I still have one completely disassembled at my dad's somewhere lol.

The RX8 was IMO a huge fuckpile, but none of their "advances" wit hthe rotary have been advances, they are steps back.
Take the Turbo2 for example and compare it to the 93+ models
Why go from maf to speed density? You can barely do anything to a 93+ model without blowing the motor lol.

I am a die hard rotary fan and I always will be, but it needs someone with a brain to lead the way for it's future.

A street port 3 rotor, and *drool* the 4 rotor setups sound absolutely sexy.

[daveb91]

The only advances that were done was to emissions and smoothness of the engine. When a engine has more in common with a two stroke than a 4 stroke emissions is gonna suck....hardly any movable parts though and a beefy apex seal would equal a damn badass engine.

[Jay]

The only advances that were done was to emissions and smoothness of the engine. When a engine has more in common with a two stroke than a 4 stroke emissions is gonna suck....hardly any movable parts though and a beefy apex seal would equal a damn badass engine.

Yea, when you can go aftermarket and buy apex seals ect. then why can the factory not do it?

Rotary's produce a mass amount of heat. Some older glasspack-type exhaust systems that were out years back would actually fail within a short period of time.
I have heard of "high flow cats" melting also.

While they do squirt oil into the housings to keep the apex seal lubed, which creates and keeps a "seal" on the seal, so to speak, against the housing.

I can honestly say when it comes to the RX8 my knowledge is a little limited. Mainly because I think they are junk and have little to no interest in them or how their powerplant is setup.

Yes they need an intense amount of emission control which hampers performance, but that being the case why not just up the ante to begin with?

Example;
On a Turbo2 changing the exhaust to a racing beat will give you somewhere around 60hp more. Granted yes, you will see more boost, but there is also far far less restriction, going from the 3 cat setup to a silencer into 2 muffler setup.

Ok, so let's look at it this way,
You want to crank out 400hp from your rotary monster. You know tht your 400hp beast is going to throw down somewhere in the 300 zone once emissions are tagged onto it, right? So start bigger.. make a more powerful motor, say in the 500hp range, then allow it to be choked down to 400hp after the emissions.

Honestly I think in order to get this done the exhaust will have to be a honeycomb nightmare, but it can be done none the less.
You need enough emission control to let it pass, while yet flowing enough to not literally cook the motor.

Keeping in mind flow restriction, I think stepping up to a 3-1/2" downpipe, into dual 3" would probably be ample sizing. However the design/size/shape of the converters would also need to be made to flow w/this setup.

A much larger, or perhaps even dual air pump setups to inject oxygen into the cats would also be a huge step in the right direction. Dual would allow the exhaust to split into duals sooner, and then run converters on each side vs paired in line before the split.

Again, yes this all adds up to a lot of hp robbing, but that is where those extra 100 ponies came into play, remember?

Things such as water/meth injection could be used to drastically lower temps, but in real-life this will not work nor even be considered. You have to make the car consumer friendly. It has to be able to put gas in it and go.

I'm sure there are many many things I could go on about, but the percoset is kicking in, and along with it goes any higher brain function I have.

[daveb91]

If the new diesels want you to refill the urea injection then why can't rotary owners be required to refill the w/m level.....? If not then the ecu can detune the shit out of itself until a level is maintained. Then again who many rotary owners killed their engines because the took it on short trips and didn't allow it to come up to temp andnget properly oil injected.....

[Jay]

If the new diesels want you to refill the urea injection then why can't rotary owners be required to refill the w/m level.....? If not then the ecu can detune the shit out of itself until a level is maintained. Then again who many rotary owners killed their engines because the took it on short trips and didn't allow it to come up to temp andnget properly oil injected.....


I think the new diesel setup is a crock of shit

And yes, like always, ppl just arent smart enough to own a rotary

[Racerx300zx]

People are stupid. Most japanese sports cars (and many other non sport) require some oil to be added. Still guys on the Z forum bitching and moaning that after 3-5k they have to add a quart of oil.

Check your shit foos!

But that's too much to ask of the common car owner.

[Jay]

After all the shit talking I have done on the RX8 I came across one hell of a deal on one.. so tempting of a deal that I am almost considering it

[Racerx300zx]

After all the shit talking I have done on the RX8 I came across one hell of a deal on one.. so tempting of a deal that I am almost considering it


Noooo! It's the devil!


LS swap?

[daveb91]

LS swap makes everything better.

[Jay]

Noooo! It's the devil!


LS swap?


No, but it has everything done to it imagineable, and I can get it for far far less than what they are selling for

[Racerx300zx]

If it's cheap enough I'd say go for it. Or wait till you're off the pain pills and see if it still seems like a good idea.

They are nice cars, just, meh. I suppose if the price were right and I needed a third vehicle I could only drive half a year I'd get one.

[daveb91]

It's yellow who buys a yellow car?

[Jay]

It's yellow who buys a yellow car?

He sold it.
Didn't get hsit out of it either. Kinda glad, cause I forsee me selling it soon after purchase

[m pwrd 3]

Speaking of rotaries, here is a nice FD I came across, well except for the auto tranny.

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/2549338788.html

[m pwrd 3]

And another super low miles http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/2548993968.html

[Jay]

Funny you post those, im on my way to go look at a black one.