The Mazda
RX-7 will be resurrected as a lightweight and agile two-seat coupé,
powered by a new-generation 250bhp rotary engine, with a launch date of
2015 to 2016 already pencilled in.The sporty coupé has yet to be
signed off, but its rotary engine is under development and the project
is being planned as a platform derivative of the new, lightweight MX-5, due in 2015.Officially,
Mazda’s line on the new RX-7 is “no concrete plans” but, privately,
executives admit that the car and a new rotary engine are under
development and that a launch date has been included in Mazda’s
long-term product plan, publicised at the Tokyo show as ‘five new cars by the end of FY [financial year] 2016’ ans see more here Best UK Used Cars
The
look of the RX-7 will follow the same simple design philosophy as the
new MX-5. Mazda sources confirm that RX-7 work is going on in advanced
design but the final shape has yet to be made into a production-ready
form.The work is being done under chief designer Ikuo Maeda,
whose father was head of design at Mazda in the 1970s when the original
RX-7 was created.Maeda says he doesn’t “yet know what a new coupé should look like”. But he jokes: “I want it built before I retire!” The
RX-7’s new rotary engine is being planned as a normally aspirated unit.
Mazda recently showed a new, compact 330cc single-chamber rotary engine
at a Tokyo technical event that showcased a Mazda 2 EV with a rotary range extender.
Autocar understands that a production RX-7 would feature a conventional powertrain to keep costs down.
According
to global marketing chief Masahiro Moro, finding the business case for a
new coupé is already proving tricky. “I just don’t see the right
numbers in the equation yet,” he said.Despite this, Mazda
continues to develop the rotary engine and Autocar understands that the
RX-7 engine’s capacity will be a more conventional size, possibly about
600cc per rotor, slightly smaller than the RX-8’s 654cc-per-rotor unit.It
is undecided yet whether the new RX-7 engine will be a twin or
triple-rotor, although one source suggests that a twin-rotor unit is
most likely also see more here Best UK Used Cars
That would give the new RX-7 a capacity of 1.2
litres, equivalent to about 2.4 litres of swept capacity in a
conventional combustion engine.Power output, fuel efficiency and
reliability are expected to be improved. Mazda engineers report that the
latest tip-sealing tech — historically, a tricky detail to get right —
is continuously improving.That will allow tighter clearances
between the rotor tip and housing, increasing the compression ratio,
with a welcome improvement in thermal efficiency.Sources suggest
that the power will be below 300bhp and that about 250bhp might be
expected. Given the potential rivals — such as the next-gen Toyota GT-86 and next-gen Nissan 370Z — the new RX-7 will have to deliver performance by blending a relatively low power output with a lightweight chassis.
The RX-7 will be helped by its lightweight rotary engine, which typically has a higher power density than in-line units and if need see more here Best UK Used Cars .
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