I'm disappointed by the fact that pics of these cars are not included in the Heritage section of the new RX-8 website. They show the R-100, RX-2, and RX-3...why skip over the others? Are they ashamed of them? The early RX-4 coupes (talking about in the US) with the small bumpers are just as cool looking as RX-3s in my opinion, maybe better.
Oh well, just thought I'd mention I was upset with that.

 

I was also dissappointed in the fact that when they kept talking about teh first 13b they did not mention that it came to the US in 2 vehicles, the REPU and the RX 4. They never once mentioned the repu. it was always rx4, and thats not exactly accurate because the 13b was released in BOTH not just the one, and they refused to clarify that. Who do we call to get these things accross to?

CJG

 

They did mention the REPU on the web site. If you read all the text on the site there is one spot where it says something about how they even put a rotary engine in a truck. Still disappointing, but at least there is a big pic of it on the rx7 CD.

 

Ya but they failed to make the point that when the 13b which was used in all the 2ng gens and 3rd gens was originall released in the rx4 AND the truck. Its just sad they cant keep their own history streight.

CJG

 

Well one thing is for sure, and that is that they MUST have a reason for excluding those cars from the site. It's obvious that they aren't concerned about conserving bandwidth.
Many of the people who remember or even own the older rotary cars are the same people who have been following the progress of the RX-8 from the very beginning. When Mazda pretends like certain cars never existed, it's seems like an insult to our intellegence.
Do you think that if they showed the RX-5 Cosmo on their site, some people would think it was ugly and would no longer want to buy an RX-8? I don't think that would happen...If anyone reacted that way then they are a dumbass.

 

can i have the link to that site?

 

http://www.mazdausa.com/rx8/home/default.asp?sniffer=1

 

umm, not sure if you guys realise, the REPU was something ONLU sold in America AFAIK, maybe thats why they didnt mention it?

and RX-4 and RX-5 wrre kinda big and bulky, the rotarys they did mention were the ones that won the races.

 

Ya i realize that the repu was only offered in the us. But none the less over 15000 units were sold in the us and canada, doesnt that warrent mentioning in their history? By simply saything that the 13b was originally introduced in the rx4 is not true. Thats only part of the truth. The truth is that the 13b was orignall fitted into rx4 and repu in 1974...

CJG

 

Mazda probably selected a few of the best selling cars in its world wide market and made room for them.
Chevy doesn't talk about the Vega much anymore and alot of people loved those. Really.
The point I am trying to make is that Mazda is appealing to the guy who types in mazda.com. All he needs to know is a little bit of history and alot of what they are doing now.
They know we are here, still putting miles on the 4,Cosmos, and REPU's. But most of us don't buy new Mazda's. And that is what counts for the bottom line.
They aren't trying to appeal to us. They have us already.
But if most are like me its the motor not the maker thats appealing.

 

In 1976 a Cosmso finished the 24 Hours of Daytona, eighteenth overall and first in class. It was stock right off a showroom floor with the exception of safety mods.

 

Not bad.

 

Rotary truck won mazdas first pro rally in i think it was 76.

cjg

 

Really? That is news to me. Can you point me in the direction of where you got that info?

-Error402

 

The Cosmo isn't an embarassment to Mazda as it was voted Car of the Year in Japan in 1975. It came out a year earlier there. The first 1308 engine traces back to the Luce Rotary Coupe of 1969. The Roadpacer of 1976 also had the 1308 engine (13B). Looks like to me whom ever put this part of the website together is ignorant of the history.

 

Someone should email them about it..

 

The first Mazda RX models appeared in the late 1960s as prototype vehicles. Sales in Japan began in 1968 and sales in the U.S. began in 1970 with the rotary powered R100. Later that year the RX-2 was introduced as a 1971 model. Road Test, a popular automotive magazine at the time, named the RX-2 the 1972 Import Car-of-the-Year. The next RX model the RX-3 debuted in 1972, available as a sedan, coupe and wagon. For 1974 Mazda debuted the RX-4 as a sedan and wagon followed by the Rotary Pickup. In 1975, Mazda introduced the Cosmo, named after the 1967 Cosmo Sport, Mazda's first commercialized rotary engine car.

-- From the site mentioned by antiSUV

Looks as if they mentioned the REPU to me...

Ren

 

Sorry but some of that is wrong.

Luce (69-72) was a 1310cc, 13A engine (655x2) Dimensionally it was nothing like the 13B. Its rotor width was 60mm (10A sized) but with 2.5mm extra eccentricity (stroke). It was also physically taller than the 13B.

Roadpacer was 1975 - 1978 but "yes" it did use the 13B engine (1308cc)

The Cosmo/RX-5 + Familia/323 saved Mazda's **** financially back then. Mazda sold 55,000 Cosmo's in 1975 alone. Such was its domestic market success.

But I agree that the people that did the rotary history web section didn't research too hard

 

77 cosmo FS... https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...hreadid=141454

 

Thanks for the correction on the Luce/R130. It is true the 323/Familia (GLC in North America) saved the hide of Mazda. The Cosmo was a hit in Japan but a failure in the U.S. It was a good thing Mazda didn't import the Cosmo L (Landau) ........puke!

 

Well, with all this Cosmo speak, I figured this would be a good thread to get your opinions on whether I should install a 20B in my '76 Cosmo or not. I've tossed the idea around in the past, and I think the engine bay is one of the easiest to fit a 20B into, compared to some others I've measured. The car itself is in good shape. Only the AC doesn't work, which I've already removed most of components. Man, the compressors back then sure were heavy! I think the weight of the car after a 20B install will rival the car's stock weight. Won't that be a trick!