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It looks awesome, it generated a ton of interest, but I just don't get excited any more until there is something concrete. There have been SO many teases of future rotaries that haven't panned out.
the way things are going you’ll need to budget for what the full scale one cost back in the day, but maybe they can put a speaker at the back with a recording in the ecu that makes 787 race sounds …
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Mazda already has this on the new CX SUVs, longitudinal i6T with 8-speed multiclutch AT with integrated electric motor (no torque converter), they could offer it for a performance car and also they can design a manual with similar layout.
They had a similar system design in the 16X prototypes back when the RX-8 came out.
In the current 48V system the electric motor contributes 17 hp (12.4 kW / 17 PS) of power and 153 Nm (113 lb-ft) of torque, with a much smaller and lighter Li battery. This would work wonders for torque fill wherever the Rotary could use it.
Replace the i6 with a new Rotary and voila!
RX-VISION for top dog Rotary (400Z, Mustang GT, Supra, Corvette)
ICONIC SP for affordable option (FRS GT86 BRZ)
For a sportscar, I'm not sure the range extender is really that relevant.
If it was a hybrid, OK, that's NA rotary + electric "boost". Great.
if not, I'd rather just go pure electric and save all the weight of the ICE infrastructure.
I've spent some time learning about EVs lately, and the main problem as far as I can tell is battery technology. If you happen to find datalogs showing a Tesla doing a 1/4 mile pass, you'll usually find that the battery pack voltage is dropping by at least a few percent when the driver is at full throttle and then it recovers by that few percent again when there is less demand on the battery. You can see the same phenomenon on a regular 12V car battery, the voltage drops by quite a lot when the starter engages. For both the regular 12V battery and the EV's battery pack, voltage dropping means the motor could be making more power if the battery was magically better at delivering energy without internal losses, or if something else like a generator was supplementing the battery to power the motor. I suspect there is some combination of generator output and battery size that would make for a better sportscar than a battery-only EV, even if it's just getting similar performance with less weight and the ability to refill the gas tank in places where charging stations aren't available.
I think a generator could be a good application for a rotary, since the engine can operate in a narrow powerband without needing to have good throttle response or low-RPM manners. My main concern is how reliable they can make the rotary engine in a use case that may involve starting and immediately making a lot of power without much time to warm up, my best guess is they may use battery power to preheat the engine oil or coolant.
Last edited by scotty305; Feb 27, 2024 at 12:40 AM.
my best guess is they may use battery power to preheat the engine oil or coolant.
the cooling systems in an EV are pretty different. its worth reading about if you haven't.
basically the whole system runs at a much lower temp, and then there is a lot of effort to keep the battery at the right temp
Tesla uses something called an Octovalve, its where the heat pumps and ac systems meet
I've spent some time learning about EVs lately, and the main problem as far as I can tell is battery technology. If you happen to find datalogs showing a Tesla doing a 1/4 mile pass, you'll usually find that the battery pack voltage is dropping by at least a few percent when the driver is at full throttle and then it recovers by that few percent again when there is less demand on the battery. You can see the same phenomenon on a regular 12V car battery, the voltage drops by quite a lot when the starter engages. For both the regular 12V battery and the EV's battery pack, voltage dropping means the motor could be making more power if the battery was magically better at delivering energy without internal losses, or if something else like a generator was supplementing the battery to power the motor. I suspect there is some combination of generator output and battery size that would make for a better sportscar than a battery-only EV, even if it's just getting similar performance with less weight and the ability to refill the gas tank in places where charging stations aren't available.
I think a generator could be a good application for a rotary, since the engine can operate in a narrow powerband without needing to have good throttle response or low-RPM manners. My main concern is how reliable they can make the rotary engine in a use case that may involve starting and immediately making a lot of power without much time to warm up, my best guess is they may use battery power to preheat the engine oil or coolant.
Great points. I don't think they'll have a lot of trouble making a rotary reliable if it isn't turbocharged. I know the RX8 would seem to contradict that, but I think that was down to some of the compromises they made that wouldn't necessarily be made here.
I always wondered why no company has just made the TB. intake systems, ...
if i'm not mistaken, i think Logan (Defined Autoworks) already has built a few of those slide throttle systems. as far as the rest of the engine goes, i think i heard him say the R26B was unique in the sense that it did not use standard parts like housings (side or rotor) because they had to move dowel locations for the far trailing plugs and something else. so in terms of engines, i think his (Logan's) is probably as close as we have gotten to the R26B.
as for the rest of the car, i think probably too much time has passed for someone to put an effort into building a 787B replica. i remember in the 90s, a company called Dauer (sp?) built some Porsche 962s for the street. good times ....
as for the rest of the car, i think probably too much time has passed for someone to put an effort into building a 787B replica. i remember in the 90s, a company called Dauer (sp?) built some Porsche 962s for the street. good times ....
Biggest hurdle is the carbon tub, there's a bigger market for people wanting to spend a million on a street legal Porsche 962.
Defined Autoworks acquired lots of bits for an RX-792P GTP car, just not the carbon chassis so they're modifying a tube frame (I think a Daytona Prototype).
