My mistake . An 8 litre 2v/cyl pushrod v10 with a whack crankshaft is the pinnacle of automotive engineering. I bow to its supremacy.

 

He's doesn't care about facts. Just some 16 year old kid trolling the forums.

 

Why all the hate and bickering? Can't we all be excited for now that our cars are coming back?! Who cares if it isn't just like the FD?! Each Generation of RX7's seem to have a little bit different flavor, hopefully this one is just that much better than the previous! Once it actually comes out then bicker about how much it sucks or how much you love it. Still have 4 years!

 

that is actually what i've heard, the 3 plug adds a small amount of power, and fuel economy, but the reduction in emissions is fairly large.

the new engine is supposed to be 3 plug as well.

the only advantage to having to smog every car i've ever owned, is that i have a lot of data!

my 04 Rx8 with 74k on it, did ZERO HC and Nox at 15 and 25mph, the co @15 was 0.04 and 25mph it was 0.10

a friend of mine has an FD running on a 99 JDM ecu and it is almost as clean, HC and Nox are single digit.

however, the Rx8 is much cleaner on all the transitions between the steady speeds, so the Rx8 is a bunch cleaner on acceleration and deceleration.

of course the Rx8 is using a faster ECU and a wideband, which we also have access to

 

I don't think inflations figures are gonna be as drastic as everyone keeps bringing up. Technology and manufacturing efficiencies are much better than they were 20yrs ago. The exchange rate is a different story. Look at the Corvette as an example. In early 90's they were still lower to mid level 40k cars. The new c7 starts in the mid 40's and is a million times more advanced than the C4. Look at the Nissan 370z! It's even cheaper now than the 300zx was 20yrs ago. I strongly feel the next Rx7 will start in the mid to upper 30k range.

 

Ooops I meant low 50's for the C7.

 

Heh, cheers for the heads up. I have no problem with Americans themselves. I find the fascination with straight line speed amusing, but that's of no issue. What I do find annoying is the arrogance that says a real motor must be the biggest displacement, heaviest, most wasteful, completely unoptimised, and tech that is unchanged from the 60's and earlier. No joke, gen III is effectively a 1950's design that was only making 220-250kW in 97 through naughties whereas the m3 was already making 210kW in 92 with an engine half the size. By 2000 the m3 had 250kW and it took callaway sending engines to Australia to get 300kW out of the ls1. I truly don't understand the insistence of American designers to continue with a thoroughly outdated, low-tech design for their flagship cars stamping the mantra that there is no replacement for displacement. And that's before I move on to chassis... And the Viper was all of that taken to extremes.

There's no doubt that the z06 has become quite the sports car - with respect to handling too - but it's not world beating. Any touge comparison should quickly convince people that power to weight in not the only performance standard in the world.

Let's move on eh?

 

Yep, while I can't speak for the top tier of supercars cars available today, everything from the flagship cars to bottom rung city crawlers are comparatively cheaper today than they were 20-25 years ago. Same goes for bikes.

 

As long as the 4th gen's platform isn't shared with a sedan/truck/minivan ( a la current Nissan Z) that'll be the first clue that they're serious about the FD's legacy.

 

Give Mazda some credit guys. You can't build a PURE sports car off a modified sedan platform. Mazda knows this and would never sacrifice it's winning racing heritage with a bastard chassis design! I mean this is post Ford Mazda now so there's no telling what were going to get since they now have Ultimate say so. The fd had it's own chassis. The Rx8 and Miata shared (which is not a bad thing because it kept cost down). Plus that chassis is more stiff than the Fd's. The new Rx7 is suppose to use a modified new Miata platform (which from what I've heard could be a great thing because it's so light and strong).

 

The track times and performance stats says it all.

 

Power to weight is brought up so I point out the superior power to weight the Viper and the ZR1 Corvette have over the 4 seat grocery getters, it's not even close. You then brought up handling and I post TRACK times, ie, HANDLING and the ZR1 and the Viper again are on top.

What do you do? Ignore the track times and start talking about handling.

 

Inflation Calculator | Find US Dollar's Value from 1913-2013

$35,000 in 1993 is $56,381 in todays dollars.

 

If you take into perspective the amount of time nissan and toyota used on their latest cars (GT-R and LF-A) its not surprising that mazda is taking their time with the project. The 16x is a completely redesigned motor using technologies that have never been used on previous rotaries. They should take all the time to get it right and if not offering a turbo option at least attempt to engineer an engine worthy of it as it will be expected that enthusiasts will use forced induction. The chassis is an even bigger can of worms with the vast options of composite materials that can be used as we have seen recently from many manufacturers as lexus with the carbon tub based cabin. And the new C7 corvette shedding serious weight with its crazy alloys and many different CFRP and carbon fiber parts. The rx7 is a FLAGSHIP model and im afraid for those wanting a brz/frs competitor it will entirely outclass them. Don't forget that mazda even though as of late wouldn't appear to knows what the fan base wants and im willing to patiently wait for them to show up to the game fashionably late and turn the tide.

 

My apologies, I did not see the posts on the previous page. The first response I saw was montego's, so I wasn't ignoring them out of bullheadedness. Those stats are quite interesting, I have to say I'm impressed. Things certainly have changed while I've been in the world of bikes. I wonder what they would be capable of if they put some time in getting the engines out of the stone ages.

One point though, when I said touge, I did mean tight road courses. I've seen the odd comparison and the japanese drivers weren't overly complementary of it.

Why do you think neither the z06 or viper really make a presence at the international timeattack events?

 

Before you post anything else please at the very least read some current car magazines because calling engines that make 600 plus HP and get 14 plus mpg stone age engines is as stupid as saying corvettes and vipers can't go around corners

We don't live in or drive in time attachs in Japan but in america it's not the japanese cars I'm worried about it is the corvette tire tracks all over my back that worry me and I need Mazda to build a car that will give me a fighting chance because my FD is at the end of it's rope trying to compete. OH wait I can put one of those stone age engines in it and then I'll have a fighting chance after I add a wide body kit, bigger brakes etc...etc..............no thanks because I'd rather just drive the car that owns that sound and is already equipped to deal with the sort of power it provides.

Maybe I've spent too much time behind the wheel of a rotary FD to equate any other engine tone with it's power delivery but it's all the little things that also go along with that sound that make it special to me. The pops, the blow off valve, the turbo spooling, the flames, the back fires, etc.... hell at this point I'd probably miss the gas and oil smell LOL. It would be too difficult to separate the engine from this car and still feel as though I was driving an FD. I'd just move straight to a viper or corvette because if I'm going to talk the talk I'm also going to walk the walk In other words if I'm going to sound like a big block I'm going to act like a big block and you can't do that in an FD because the car doesn't belong to that sound and that sound doesn't belong any where near an FD.

Sorry to go off on the beaten to death v8 vs rotary thing but Mazda has driven many of us to the dark side because they haven't given us a way out. SO PLEASE MAZDA......................HELP!!!!!!!!!!

 

PS Also Mazda please GO FOR IT and that's not going to happen with 2 rotors especially in 4 years so continue working on the Furai concept because that's what it will take

 

Music to my ears Fritz...... refreshing to hear from someone who really gets it

 

Yep the rotary has you and me wrapped around it's eccentric shaft for sure

 

i think this is very logical, sharing the suspension with the miata, made the Rx8 possible. its a little bit of an aside, but the Rx8 suspension/brakes are a huge step ahead of the FD's, its almost magic. its more intuitive, rides better, and its quick.

it makes a lot of sense to do the same with the miata/alfa spider too. in fact it might be good.

not having to come up with a completely new chassis and suspension leaves them engineering time to work on other things like getting it to start...

 

 

What I have heard was that its more advantageous for mid to high RPM and provides not much of a difference in low RPM. And unless racing (max. HP) and fuel consumption is an issue, not sure what its benefit might be except to create more heat. And not having another water passage way blocked and others showing importance of spark plug hole and its temp control, I think its more for race application than street application. Also cost/gain, is questionable.

 

Guess what? Don't **** with the car and it will start each and every time. As I said earlier it's the owners that give the rotary a bad reputation. They go ahead thinking they can re-engineer the car, but end up screwing things up so they turn around and blame the car.

I bought my FD with 54K out of a dealership. I put another 54K in it before my engine seized due to carbon build up, I was completely stock, no downpipe, no aftermarket AST, NOTHING. Funny my car started each and everytime, no fear of a bad tank of gas, WOT every chance I got, car was a blast (slow tho )... The next 50K my mods were just bolt ons, PFC stock fuel, 12 psi. Funny.. again my car started each and everytime. Engine was strong as it pulled 16 Hg in vacuum same as the day that I had it rebuilt. Too bad the engine died because my wastegate popped off and I overboosted to 23 psi. Then I went single, fucked with the fuel, relocated battery, converted to a small battery... Oh wow... guess what I get starting issues... Yeah it must be the car

 

I am all for an RX that's $50k+ They need to make another masterpiece not something else to compete with BRZs and 370s. Mazda claims to be "sporty" they need to step it up. I concur, 3 rotor is the way to go, they can figure out a way to make it pass emissions. Agility, power to go with it, and timeless looks. And a design that isn't smiling... Those are my wants.

 

Mazda doesn't HAVE to go higher end. It can keep building "sporty" econoboxes and mini SUVs, and Miatas, and even a BRZ competitor...

... but it doesn't need to bother with a rotary engine for any of that. There's none of the above that aren't BETTER really with just a piston motor or skyactive diesel, or hybrid.

IF you go rotary, it's gotta be a game changer. Otherwise, why bother?