Nice stuff

But not exactly fast laps or in other words a corvette, GT3, GTR, viper etc... would chew up the little RX3 and spit it out and they are factory cars not tube frame race cars.

However that's probably an extremely FUN car to drive.

 

 

i know its a "race" and not a race, but that thing seems to be faster in a straight line than everything else...

 

the thing about the BRZ is that its supposed be ok out of the box, but its also supposed to be kind of a blank canvas for the aftermarket.

its meant to attract people who think that they can buy the BRZ, throw some mods at it and keep up with more expensive crap, or people who buy the car and put some neat wheels on it, and look cool.

this is one of the big problems with the Rx8, mods are useless, so its boring, same with the miata. the FD though was different, you put a DP on it, and its +20hp, then you do the next mod, and its another 20hp, and the next, and you're suddenly running with a really fast crowd... the FD has got to be one of the best tuner cars ever, and the Rx8/NC miata are just about the worst.

 

The modern day sports cars are simply stupid fast. A competent driver in a track modded GTR will run sub 1.30s there. The TTS/TT2 record is a 1.29 etc....... time trial group I drive my FD in.

I can't remember for sure but I think Brent has run 34s to 35s at RA or would give that RX3 hell. Hard to get a handle on lap times because of all the mixed in laps but he certainly wasn't running 35s, more like 36 to 37 on the clean laps.



In general turbo cars are easy to mod but bolting up a turbo to the BRZ won't be easy. It would be similar to putting a single on an FD in other words basically rebuilding the car LOL. And adding exhaust and intake won't do much. Once the STI comes out that will be a tuner car for sure though and I look forward to seeing those at the track

The FD is a super cool car to mod. However the corvettes are the BOMB when it comes to building a track car.

 

Light, fast, and no carpets...

 

Agreed, forced induction always makes modding easier—especially with smaller motors. The exception might be V8 pushrod motors (LSs), you can get a fair amount out of those.

The FD was mod-able, but with significant danger—the all time champ HAS to be the MK IV Supra. You re-tee'd some vacuum hoses and got 50 hp.

With Miata's, that Jackson Racing supercharger kit was practically an OEM solution. THAT should have been the Mazdaspeed version. I've driven my buddies with the small pully and no IC, and it's a vast improvement over stock.

 

that is the trick, they want you to mod the car, but within some boundaries. shiny muffler? yes adjustable suspension and wheels? yes turbo? no.

one of my old bosses has a really nice yellow miata with that supercharger, and we pulled up to a redlight, and i was so far ahead by the time we got out of second it was embarrassing. i had a stock GSL-SE with an RB exhaust. huge fun, and it took a beating from a really long list of people*, but i don't think it would qualify as fast....




*it was purchased new by an Rx7 club person, and passed down, by the time i got it, it was 180k in, i took it to the track for 3 years, sold it, to someone who took it to the track for 3 years, and then he sold it and its STILL going.

 

I can vouch for this. I've been to the sema show the last 3 years and have maybe seen 5 total rx8s. Maybe in the early days, they were heavy in attendance. This year, you couldn't walk anywhere and not see a moded Brz. They were all over the place.

Now that I think about it, I can almost see the reason why some of you think an entry level rotary is needed. I just wouldn't call it an rx7. The Miata will always be a convertible. So maybe Mazda could stick in an Rx5 in the middle or something?

 

Here we go again with those old 3mm apex sealed rotarys lasting forever.

 

Oh I didn't say it was fast. It just wasn't exasperating.

 

Agree. New RX-7 should *not* be as big/heavy as the GTR (of course!), Corvette, or even the smallest/lightest 911. Nor should it be as diminutive as the Elise/Exige.

What? Name another $25-$30k 2750 lb. rwd 2+2 on the market...

FWIW, I'm not saying make the RX-7 the same as the BRZ, I'm saying to follow the same approach: conventional construction, kept small and minimalist and as lightweight as possible.

That's the delta between the U.S. version of the 4C, an Elise/Exige-size carbon-tub car and the much bigger steel-construction FR-S/BRZ.

My RX-7 would be bigger than the 4C, but *smaller* and on a shorter wheelbase than the BRZ, with smaller cabin (2-seat only). Should easily be 2600 lb. with steel construction, only 100 lb. more than the U.S. 4C's estimated weight.

I'm all for 350hp, but IMO a 250hp base model 2-rotor is a DAMN good idea. Most people (including myself) don't need more than that for their street car, and the vast majority *would* be street cars.
350hp-375 would be easy enough with a 3-rotor or turbo version.
And why not a super-exotic 450+hp version with 3-rotor turbo or 4-rotor, with carbon fiber parts and perhaps other big changes to keep weight down?

T-Von's proposed model lineup

Same here. Which is why I'm not suggesting a BRZ. I'm suggesting BRZ type of construction to keep costs *and* weight down.

2600 lb., 250hp base model, with 50/50 or more rearward weight distribution would be a *brilliant* base model, that would of course kick a BRZ's **** all over the place, and would also be quicker/faster than a stock FD.

From that basis, Corvette power/weight ratio turbo or 3-rotor isn't much of a stretch. And/or a superexotic 450+hp version.

But chrissakes, start with a simple and reasonably-priced base version. Sick to death of all the oversized/overweight/overwrought/overPRICED superultramegacars. That's not what an RX-7 should be IMO...

 

LOL

I think it's unanimous, we all want the same damn thing but it's a shame that mazda doesn't want to build it

Fingers crossed that some effing car company gets a clue and builds a really basic high powered (7 to 1 min) light weight sports car that is able to compete against the big dogs.

For Dan's sake I hope a car company will also build a 250 HP car cough cough BRZ STI will be here soon Mazda could of beat them to the punch long ago with a hard top miata type coupe powered with a 2 rotor. IDIOTS!!!!!!

 

Yeah, I've been waiting for the rotary Miata from the time it first came out! WTF, Mazda?! RX-5!!! Fixed-roof (not PRHT) version, too, of course!

 

actually the original engine died really early, i think it was overheated, and it had an FC engine in it the whole time.

not that i'm disagreeing with you, one of my high school friends has 258k on his, and the most durable car ever was another GSL-SE that had 320k on it, and the clutch, and the trans... so basically in 320K it had had some front brake pads and a water pump...

i've seen FC's with 200k on them, but they are usually dead.

i've even seen an FD with that kind of mileage, anyone remember BATMAN? he could have been on engine 2, but it was engine 5 due to a collection of funny stories.

 

you know the Renesis either bolts right into the miata, or is a subframe sway away from it, right? the 09-11 Rx8 uses the same basic 6 speed too

the CAN network compatibility between the NC and the 8 is the only real problem, well if its different its a problem, if its not different then its just spaghetti while you wire it up.

the 13B-MSP was even made until 2011, so even in California it could be smog legal...

 

i could agree, a hardtop miata would have been perfect for the rotary engine.

less stress on the engine from a lighter car would probably help longevity as well.

 

News from today's results at the 24 Hours of Daytona....

...Both debuting Mazda SKYACTIV-D powered diesel prototypes failed to finish after overheating and intercooler issues...

Hmmm.... back to the drawing board...

 

I'm all for the expanded lineup. Build the 250hp, 2700 lbs BRZ smoking "RX5", that's fine if you feel you need to... but don't call it an RX7 or expect me to buy it. I don't understand why they didn't make that car 10 years ago.

But make my 7 lbs/hp "RX7".... I wouldn't do the whole "base model" thing. They can share plenty of architecture (down to the Miata as well), but make it a different car, otherwise you have an expensive "cheap car".

 

the original cosmo is already termed the RX5, RX9 would be the most likely new candidate but not like it will happen.

the RX6 is the only acronym that never existed anywhere in the middle, but i'm not a fan of using older terminology.

i would rather they actually name it, if it isn't a pipe dream and makes it into reality.

 

So, EVEN IF you got your 450+hp superexpensive rX7 just like you wanted, you wouldn't want us lowlife plebs to get our 250hp more reasonably-priced base version.

WTF?!

 

or make both, a 2 rotor that shares many features of the NB/NC platform and a newer version of the FD with a larger displacement engine/turbo. having 2 engines in the fire at the same time is also probably not going to happen like when the cosmo was around. perhaps the smaller car could be n/a and have a turbo option, the larger version have the turbo standard.

the main issue is going to be reliability, they can't make the same mistakes they made with the early RX8's and have handfuls of engine failures which virtually required them to extend the warranty. on the 8 forum someone mentioned getting a class action suit form against mazda, even with the 8 year/100k warranty out of expiration due to the reliability issues with the engines. not that it will happen but attorneys don't necessarily go out of their way to take just any job, it has to have some sort of merit/basis, even though it will fail.

making a modular engine design would be awesome though. it would give me hope for mazda and give the option of expanding the engine size within limitation. it is something i am working on in my spare time(not much of it so it's a multi year project) to turn a 2 rotor engine into a 3 or 4 rotor with just a few parts changes... now that would be cool. it is something mazda never implemented but it could be done.

 

You miss quoted his post. He's all for the cheaper entry level Brz type car. He just doesn't want it called an Rx7.

 

No! You got it.

I just wouldn't call it an RX7, and I get mine first, damnit.

 

I don't think I misread it. I think there should be a rotary RX-5 Miata. Maybe even a fixed-roof Miata.
I'd also like a differently-styled, wider, fixed-roof RX-7 coupe. With a reasonably-priced BASE version.