Hmm Skyactive-R you say? Rotory you say? Hmmm..

Rufledt wrote: BTW the videos posted above are now live

-and full of very schizophrenic audio.

What, they cant spring for a translator? I've seen introductions of plasma-cutters with more panache than this.

I'll be over here sitting in the corner waiting for a diesel Mazda6.

PRETTY

That's one looooonnnggg hood.

Kreb wrote: I hate to interrupt all the negativity, but Mazda is probably the most happening Japanese car company right now, so it's not like we're hearing this from Mitsubishi or Isuzu. Maybe, just maybe they've actually made a breakthrough or three. I for one find it amazing that nobody's improved on the reciprocating engine yet.

Direct injection, cold start reliability (reliability in general), increased efficiency and power, computer controls.

Yep, still wish we had those old Model T engines!

So more cosmo or RX-9? Still quite sexy though...

OK, Mazda. If I can't have an ND coupe, I'll settle for this. Please build it.

Looks like they could fit a 6-rotor in there.

It even has an interior, and amber indicators!

For those who don't click. And BTW, if you're wondering what the ND refresh will look like, here's a hint.

Holy hood, batman. If there's a rotary in there, it's probably under the dashboard. There's enough room for a V12 in that thing. Okay, maybe a flat 12.

Of all the styling cues to take from the RX-8, the taillights remained. Sigh.

Build it, sell it, race it, NOW! They need to replace that pathetic embarrassing diesel "race" engine with the next rotary

the RX8 has a pretty long hood, too. Weird thing is the engine is practically under the dash like Keith says... all the more room for awesome giant engine swaps

z31maniac wrote:

Kreb wrote: I hate to interrupt all the negativity, but Mazda is probably the most happening Japanese car company right now, so it's not like we're hearing this from Mitsubishi or Isuzu. Maybe, just maybe they've actually made a breakthrough or three. I for one find it amazing that nobody's improved on the reciprocating engine yet.

Direct injection, cold start reliability (reliability in general), increased efficiency and power, computer controls. Yep, still wish we had those old Model T engines!

You misunderstand me. Anybody with a double-digit IQ can see that piston engines have come an amazingly long way. I'm saying that an engine design that didn't require the constant acceleration and deceleration of major components (pistons) would intuitively seem preferable. But so far that hasn't been the case.

Beautiful but puzzling. Having all that underutilized hood volume rubs my "form follows function" preference the wrong way.

Hey, maybe they'll put another storage bin up there!

looks good from low angles ...but not production ready.

Nowhere near production ready, but I really like it. Hopefully something comes out of it other than just a pretty show car.

Somehow this thing makes me think of a 2 door Fisker Karma. Hopefully with less catching on fire.

an engine design that didn't require the constant acceleration and deceleration of major components (pistons) would intuitively seem preferable

All of them do that. Even rotors in a rotary reciprocate in their own way. Put something on the outside of a circle and spin it, and it is constantly having to change direction.

Vigo wrote:

an engine design that didn't require the constant acceleration and deceleration of major components (pistons) would intuitively seem preferable

All of them do t

g on the outside of a circle and spin it, and it is constantly having to change direction.

Thanks, captain science.

Hey, i'm fine with throwing any and all sacred cows under the bus as long as the argument... actually makes sense.

Fun fact, the original wankel design didn't have any orbiting a gear or anything, just simple spinning:

Unfortunately it wasn't exactly easy to work out. Where to you put a spark plug when the rotor AND the housing are both spinning? The rotor? Then how do you get power to it? There were LOTS of other problems. Wankel was PISSED when another engineer came up with the fixed gear, rotate and orbit idea that exists today, but it worked

Kreb wrote:

Vigo wrote:

an engine design that didn't require the constant acceleration and deceleration of major components (pistons) would intuitively seem preferable

All of them do t

g on the outside of a circle and spin it, and it is constantly having to change direction.

Thanks, captain science.

Something spinning around and around does not stop and reverse direction like a piston. Yes there is acceleration, but (assuming a constant engine rpm) is only caused by centripetal force and not nearly the same as what a piston sees as it starts and stops at the top and bottom of its stroke.

Vigo wrote:

an engine design that didn't require the constant stopping and starting of major components (pistons) would intuitively seem preferable

All of them do that. Even rotors in a rotary reciprocate in their own way. Put something on the outside of a circle and spin it, and it is constantly having to change direction.

FTFV...It doesn't take a very big leap to figure out the contextual intentions on this one.

Am I the only one who thinks that everything in front of the windshield looks like it's been stretched out way too much? If it could be ~6-12 inches shorter, I think it would look better.

It's a sweet looking car in my eyes. Has a lot of Nissan/Infiniti styling cues though. Looks really similar to the Infiniti vision Gran Turismo: http://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_1486904.html?t=@2014

11 inch wide rear wheels!

Also, the dual round tail lights date back to the 1989 RX7 refresh, carried through the FD, which I think these lights most resemble, and followed through to the RX8, so they're just keeping with RX tradition on those.