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Rumor is Mitsubishi actively searched internet race results for their customers names as a reason to not honor warranty repairs. You race, your warranty is void.[/B]
People reflash their ECUs, blow their engines and ask for warranty repair from the dealer. This is why Mazda has not given out their language/coding to the aftermarket.
Actually that voids the warranty.
Actually, all those methods you list replace the stock ECU entirely and do not depend on knowing the factory ECU language/coding- only the stock sensor outputs/ solenoid inputs.
Yes they do. Its the starting point and it is built from there on up. I know this because I have spoken to apexi about this.
If I only had the choice between a locked-ECU Rx-7 and no Rx-7, it'd take me about 0.1 seconds to go with the locked ECU Rx-7
Sure, an open ECU would be even better, but it's as far from a requirement as it can get for me.
Personally I'm not interested in flashing ECUs, so a locked ECU doesn't bother me. If one wants more power he/she should have bought a more powerful car to begin with IMHO. Same if one does it to lower fuel consumption. And I'm fairly certain that most of the car owners out there are in the same category.
On a different topic, I just checked the latest Mazda financial results for FY2015. There was a decline in the last quarter, but the first three quarters were good enough to keep the full-year figures at the level that was forecast one year ago.
What's interesting, however, is the "Structural reform stage 2".
With the "Structural reform plan" basically complete (its target figures were revised after the recent exchange rate fluctuations and are well within reach for FY2016), Mazda is thinking about the next three years until FY2019. One of the goals is to strengthen the brand, and there is talk about 5 carlines, with 4 of these being new and one being a derivative of a current model. I wonder if one of these is the Rx-7...
Not to mention that the R&D allocation for FY2016 is up to 125 billions Yen from 108 in FY2015 and 99 in FY2014.
this is re the big heavy car vs the small light car. i learned something. we are running the Mazda race of NASA champions, as a sideshow to the IMSA race, at laguna (you can watch it on Mazda live, its going to be a close race, there is only 1.5 seconds between the pole sitter, and the 20th place car. and its a 45 minute race. and they are all rental cars)
anyways a friend of mine is driving one of the BMW's in ST class, and i was surprised to hear that he thought the Miatas would be dominate, and they are. so far.
the miatas sound mean, but its still an NA 2.3L 4 cylinder vs the 400+ hp of the BMW, and the vettes and the porsches. i'd bet the miata is like 500lbs lighter than everything else its running against, which is something they can't fix with HP.
so i think i'm in the small light car camp. as a bonus, we got to see the ND cup car, and its something like 2200lbs
Nissan and Hyundai will be selling their Hydrogen fuel cell cars this year and California is actually on track (from 2009 action plan) with building up its Hydrogen fill stations.
It is unbelievable but from a mere 193 Hydrogen vehicles operating in California in 2009 we have commited to and build 59 fueling stations in CA to date.
This is something that is actually happening!
What does all this eco-freako action have to do with the future of the Wankel?
Well, Mazda is ready for the Hydrogen infrastructure as it has already developed its Hydrogen RE in 2003 and proven the technology in test phases in Tokyo and Norway.
As usual, Mazda is waaaay ahead of the game and suffering for it, but we are ready to drink up all that Hydrogen with turbo rotary power that is slated for fuel cell cars.
Just need to jailbreak the Hydrogen RE from Mazda's Museum
Dumb question: is there any point at all in using a sequential turbo system for the rotary engine? I was wondering if Mazda or anyone else has experimented with a modernized, simplified system similar to the Toyota Supra's (detailed earlier in this thread, I think).
HiWire Dumb question: is there any point at all in using a sequential turbo system for the rotary engine? I was wondering if Mazda or anyone else has experimented with a modernized, simplified system similar to the Toyota Supra's (detailed earlier in this thread, I think).
Yes, the sequential turbo system worked very well on the 13BREW to provide more low end power and top end power over the previous single turbo 13BT engines.
The FD sequential system is better than the (slightly simpler) Supra one as the Supra one always has a dip in boost/torque on transition.
Mazda already had a "more simple" sequential turbo system on the JC Cosmo that had that same issue, so they wanted to fix it for the FD.
Where Mazda royally screwed up on the FD sequential system is that they made it completely closed loop (not referencing boost) so the moment you make a change to the intake or exhaust the boost levels and switchover get all screwed up.
If you just put MBC on the FDs WG and Pre-spool actuators the FD sequential system is seamless even with changes to intake/exhaust.
Later FDs had the sequential switchover solenoids converted into a single "blackbox" that greatly simplified the system, I do not know if they started referencing boost to adjust for changes in the system though.
The Supra style system wouldn't fit in the Mazda chassis. The valves take up more space. That being said, any new sequential turbo engine would most likely be similar to what diesels are using. Mazda has a sequential system in the Skyactive-D which is laid out like what BMW and Audi already have. One turbo feeds into another, also known as compound turbos, but with valves controlling them.
Modern single turbos have a lot better designs than they did back in the 80s when the FC and FD were designed. Piston engines also have variable valve timing now, which can help spool. Rotary 6 port systems are sort of like that but they don't help with turbos so much.
The Sept-2014 Australia edition of Top Gear Magazine had an artist rendition of the new Rx-7. I couldn't find a link anywhere, but here is a pic
of the cover...
Basically, exhaust all flows into the small turbo first. The compressor outlet of the small turbo flows into the compressor inlet of the big turbo. Then a valve begins to open in the exhaust and both turbos are fed at mid speed. At high speed, the exhaust valve opens fully and the compressor valve opens, and now the big turbo is doing all the work and not sending its air into the small turbo anymore.
Re: 2-Stage Variable Twin-turbo... so it's possible that Mazda might use a compound turbo system to boost low-end torque. I'm also interested in what Mazda would do to decrease emissions further from the Renesis and 16X designs.
At this point, Gran Turismo 6 is all I've got to go on (Mazda released rotary-derived Vision concept cars in the game). It's interesting to see how the 2010 Shinari concept car became the current Mazda 6.
Sequential turbos on a modern rotary would be a waste given the newer EFR turbo technology. If Mazda continues to develope the long stroke 16x variant of the rotary, the low end torque alone would be enough to satisfy anyone in the very low ranges until boost kicks in. The Renesis only makes about 100ft lbs off idle. A 20b starts at 150ft lbs off idle. I think the 16x will match the 20b's off idle torque of 150ft lbs. Now I know 150ft lbs isnt much but, it is plently to get a sub 3,000lb car moving effortlessly and will never feel like a dog like the older na 13b's do off idle.
i don't think that's just a vestigial side intake port, this is the new tiny 330cc engine not sharing any old parts so there's no reason to have a vestigial port. maybe they found a way to clean up emissions or reduce blow-by with that port?
i don't think that's just a vestigial side intake port, this is the new tiny 330cc engine not sharing any old parts so there's no reason to have a vestigial port. maybe they found a way to clean up emissions or reduce blow-by with that port?
all of the peripheral intake port engines Mazda has ever done have had a space there, it isn't well documented, but its nothing new.
it lets gasses that would otherwise be trapped on the side of the rotor exit, and get burned
Could be a question of outfoxing the competition and surprising the market.
Hitting the automotive world with a masterpiece like the FD (without the reliability problems, high yen, and global recession) could work for them this time. At this point, I don't think fuel economy or modest cargo storage are going to be problems for their core customers. Ideally, the car would be compelling enough to win customers from other brands.
Which makes me wonder – how many is the right number of "FF" rotary cars on the road? Obviously, Mazda would want to sell as many as possible, but selling them at a higher price would make them more profitable and rare on the street. Even a supercar like the Nissan GT-R is becoming relatively common in the richer neighborhoods around here.
Car and Driver called the RX-8 R3 "The Best-Handling Car in America for Less Than $100,000" so I don't have any doubts in that area:
gmonsen I will say this. If Mazda wanted us to be totally lost and confused about what they are or are not going to do, they have succeeded admirably.
G
I was going to reply to this and stopped.
I think emissions is more of a problem for the future rotary car than sales or profitability forecasts.
This sent me over the edge though.
In the development of the peripheral intake, side exhaust, direct injection rotary for the range extended EV Mazda has shown it can meet emissions.
What would you do once you developed this engine and met emissions?
Hint- Mazda is even more passionate about rotaries than you.
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Precisely timed/metered direct injection allows for fuel injection and combustion events being simultaneous (indeed combustion is dependent on injection).
No more fuel whetted engine internals.
Precisely timed/metered direct injection decreases the fuel in the exhaust (injection ends, combustion completes and very low amounts of fuel remain). This in turn drastically reduces/eliminates combustion in the exhaust manifold and exhaust gas temperatures and volume of exhaust are much lower (while allowing for overlap for power).
Precisely timed/metered direct injection means no throttle plate needed (extremely lean burn to reduce power output instead), which on a rotary with overlap means it is at "full load" and does not suffer from the driveability problems earlier high overlap rotaries have at part throttle.
Mazda's new lean burn NOx catalytic technology is there to back up the high Nox emissions produced by the rotary running lean.
The relocation of the intake ports/side seals, studies on component lubrication and lowering of EGTs will wipe out the reliability issues of the 13B Renesis while a revised geometry meets the torque requirements and efficiency of a larger modern car (versus 10A rotary which was ideal engine the 13B was based off).
The computing power and mechanical components to run a gasoline metered direct injection engine are now common and economical enough to be used in a 22Kw generator and the benefits will be seen in a prime motivator for a rotary production car.
The downside is it won't really spool a turbo any better than a piston engine due to lack of manifold combustion, but will still require a very large compressor to make power as the intake is still exiting the exhaust in overlap (unless Mazda gets tricky and puts the boost through an aux side port only- using the ideas developed in their Timed Induction Super Charged T.I.S.C. rotary).
Of course a few nudges of a keyboard extending injection timing will get it spooling the turbo just like an old side intake/peripheral exhaust rotary. It will be interesting to see if Mazda incorporates this into the production vehicle like Alfa did on the 4C.
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I am fairly convinced Mazda will release a new rotary engine sports car and even if they don't the new ND MX-5 is such a good chassis I can hack an old rotary into it and be quite happy.
I will just wait a few years and see which way I will go.
I am fairly convinced Mazda will release a new rotary engine sports car and even if they don't the new ND MX-5 is such a good chassis I can hack an old rotary into it and be quite happy.
I will just wait a few years and see which way I will go.
i hope you're right.
we got to look over the new Miata spec race car a couple weekends ago, and it looks good!
1. its 2200# in spec race form.
2. its got less power then the NC, but its already faster around laguna, by a LOT
3. there is going to be a 1.5L and a 2.0L version, not sure why, but there will be a cheap one...
4. trans is a 6 speed manual with a 1:1 top gear, this makes the diff like a 2.8 or something.
5. they already need diff coolers.
6. they are still working on the final spec, but the datalogging rig was really intense.*
7. the car is actually a global spec, so the only difference in spec miata is that the RHD cars have a roll cage bar that goes the opposite way.
8. suspension looks like the Rx8/NC although it probably doesn't share much.
9. its a 4 lug.
10. Gert Frobe.
compared to the NC, Mazda totally went in the right direction with the ND, its smaller, lighter, faster, and it even looks better.
they were looking at brake temp, at each wheel, brake pressure, again at each wheel, wheel hub temp, shock position and speed, before and after coolant, and then the stuff you'd expect, Rpm, steering angle, etc
I believe the 1.5l ND is for foreign markets from what I have read.
I found the spec sheets on the ND release.
6 speed manual gear ratios
1st- 5.087
2nd- 2.991
3rd- 2.035
4th- 1.594
5th- 1.286
6th- 1
final- 2.866
Auto rear final- 3.454
So if you put auto rear final drive in manual ND and an engine *cough rotary* that revs on 275/35-15 Hoosiers you get some workable ratios.
10,000rpm redline gets you a workable-
1st to 39mph, 2nd to 66mph(enter @5,900rpm), 3rd to 97mph(enter @6,800rpm), 4th to 24mph(enter @7,800rrpm), 5th to154mph(enter @8,050rpm), 6th to198mph(enter @7,750rpm *boo we were doing so well Mazda*
I believe the 1.5l ND is for foreign markets from what I have read.
the Mazda competition people think its coming here too. reading between the lines, Mazda Japan offers it, and Mazda USA hasn't decided yet.
kind of like the FC, Mazda USA was offered the full range of T2 models, and initially it was going to come two models, a stripped one, and a fully loaded one. they decided to offer it with everything, and the only legacy of this is the optional power steering, and a small run of GT badges
04-24-15, 03:44 PM
TopGear
330cc RE range extender
