RX-9 Rotary Rumor Mill Churning Again

[Asterisked Accolade]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

I don't know why some of you guys are so turned off by hybrids. From an engineering perspective, they work, and can outperform traditional gasoline/petrol driven cars in some cases. The immediate torque of an electric engine is nothing to sneeze at, and if you couple it with a rotary engine, you may have a bit of a beast on your hands.

If the complaints are due to the fact that the batteries of a hybrid kill the car's ability to handle or accelerate, why is the Fisker Karma, albeit overpriced, still a decent-handling and accelerating machine?

Why the hate? Not all the hybrids out there are Priuses.

From my viewpoint, there is more fun to be had in a gas engine. The way it sounds, the way it feels-- it has soul and character. It isn't about instant torque to me at all.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Asterisked Accolade

From my viewpoint, there is more fun to be had in a gas engine. The way it sounds, the way it feels-- it has soul and character. It isn't about instant torque to me at all.

So what you are saying is that you are willing to sacrifice performance and improved technology just so you can hear the engine?

Eh, what the hell, I'm going to end up being nostalgic for that as well. Being an engineer, I like the improvements in technology we have seen in the past couple decades, but starting up my '73 stingray still gives me chills

[MmmHamSandwich]

300hp rotary + a Hybrid system. The writers of that article must be out of their minds if they think that kind of a car would become an RX. Price point would be near 40k.

[BRAWL]

Much as I hate hybrids (mostly due to cost and long term servicing), a hybrid electric with a rotary is an AWESOME idea! Would be great if you could retrofit something in the future to an RX8 to improve fuel economy and low end performance for a bit of weight gain.

A snag point I see is that a rotary could not be stopped and started as easily as a conventional engine and would therefore need to be at least idling hence using fuel

Want to see this car made!

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by Asterisked Accolade

From my viewpoint, there is more fun to be had in a gas engine. The way it sounds, the way it feels-- it has soul and character. It isn't about instant torque to me at all.

I feel like there's a way to preserve soul with increased engine electrification. Basically the point of all this electric motor this that is to reduce the amount of time the engine needs to run in an inefficient way, and I think that most of it is preservable.

I think the Honda CR-Z is sorta in the right direction. Have a start stop system that works seamlessly, use the electric motor to slow the idle down when it needs to run, have an ultracapacitor bank to handle transient electric motor operation and a small battery to optimize packaging, reliability, and mass. Keep the clutch pedal and manual transmission, because that's the only way you can really feel what the car is doing. Add driver involvement via the option for manually controlled electric "boost" and regeneration, the way 1st gen Insight owners did with the MIMA "hack".

Back on topic: This RX-9 rumor sounds like bullshit. They're not trying to adapt a full Toyota HSD drivetrain for a pure sports car, that would make no sense at all. If they're actually working on the rotary, then if it's ever released it'll be freaking amazing since the rotary's performance problems are closely tied with its emissions problems.

[Jordo!]

Originally Posted by Ae86

Mixed feelings on the front fascia, otherwise, I like!

[WingsofWar]

^ very old render back when Mazda was still in Nagare..Now Mazda is in Kodo. So no...

Did you know that the designer of the first gen rx7 Maeda was at the panel table with Tada during the unveiling of the GT86.

Maeda's son, Ikudo Maeda designer of the rx8 is also in charge of the rx9 design and says that he wants to return to his fathers roots and make it a true 2 door rotary sports car.

anyway..here is my reprise from i think 07 of Ian's Render

[WingsofWar]

also my mazda super coupe

[track_warrior]

I will only buy it if it is light weight and stays the hell away from anything electric. A simple , great handling car is all we need. If you are looking for fuel economy, make more money or buy a hybrid period we dont need stupid hybrid sport cars there is a market for everything i DD a Dodge 2500 and dont complain one bit about fuel economy, i love my truck and would not switch over to a hybrid even if diesel was 5 bucks a gallon.

[madfast]

Originally Posted by Asterisked Accolade

From my viewpoint, there is more fun to be had in a gas engine. The way it sounds, the way it feels-- it has soul and character. It isn't about instant torque to me at all.

the future generation will feel totally different. to them the whir/whine of a motor and the feel of the instant torque will be their definition of fun...

i personally embrace hybrids/EVs. a high performance hybrid at a reasonable price cant come soon enough imo.

[WingsofWar]

Originally Posted by pcasso87

I will only buy it if it is light weight and stays the hell away from anything electric. A simple , great handling car is all we need. If you are looking for fuel economy, make more money or buy a hybrid period we dont need stupid hybrid sport cars there is a market for everything i DD a Dodge 2500 and dont complain one bit about fuel economy, i love my truck and would not switch over to a hybrid even if diesel was 5 bucks a gallon.

not good thinking, a entry level sports car has to sustain itself on the market in multiple levels of performance including economy. If fuel economy wasn't an issue for sports cars, more people would buy sports car. It becomes such a blessing to be able to put down 300hp and still manage an average of 30mpg on spirited driving. But how many cars can actually do that? and at a affordable price range.

Face it electric hybrid power has too many perks to ignore, and if an automaker can successfully integrate the two for an affordable sports coupe, without numbing the driving experience then its a win.


Also in regards to this so called news of a hybrid rotary, Ikudo Maeda cheif designer of the next gen rx wants to keep it simple, and the SKY-R 1.6 Rotary engine with SKY active tech has still yet to be unveiled, even after knowing about it since 2011 during a press release. The Rotary development team has said they had several breakthroughs in the past 5 years, but was halted at the 2010 last quarter to prep itself from 1. Cutting ties with Ford, 2. Putting its efforts into SKY-G and SKY-D, 3. Miata + FIAT development team had priority.

So all this hybrid talk is only an idea, and not an idea thats well liked by the Chief Designer.

[Bounce]

KERS + V12 that's what it's all about!

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by WingsofWar

Also in regards to this so called news of a hybrid rotary, Ikudo Maeda cheif designer of the next gen rx wants to keep it simple, and the SKY-R 1.6 Rotary engine with SKY active tech has still yet to be unveiled, even after knowing about it since 2011 during a press release. The Rotary development team has said they had several breakthroughs in the past 5 years, but was halted at the 2010 last quarter to prep itself from 1. Cutting ties with Ford, 2. Putting its efforts into SKY-G and SKY-D, 3. Miata + FIAT development team had priority.

Wait where did you get all this news? :O
I was super curious about rotary development, but gave up looking because I didn't find anything credible looking.

All I can find is some really crap information about the 16x.

[madfast]

KERS by itself is not going to cut it. the future of hybrid sports cars is a 2 motor hybrid system that uses the motor as the primary means of propulsion, and a powerful engine to turn the second motor as a generator and to provide power to the wheels.

also, the battery has to be an integral part of the chassis, a stressed member. the tesla model s is a great example of this. the only thing about that car is that its physically large car and as a pure EV so it has to have a huge battery pack for range. however, even though it has a huge battery pack, because it is literally the floor of the vehicle, it doesnt affect the car's handling as much as you'd think.