Looks like (thankfully IMO) that MAZDA is dumping the "Smiley Face" (Nagare) look. Here is some related opinion/info from Rotarynews.com......note too that the dates of the OP's linked article and this one are only a day apart:
Latest RX-7 News - Debunking Dates, Nagare Design, Flex Fuel Rumors
Submitted by Dan Mazzella on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 11:59am
It seems every week there is a new article out there from some website or magazine that claims to have the inside line on the next RX-Series car. Most of the recent rumors are laughable to those in the know, yet there isn't a good source to debunk these rumors, such as the recent AutoCar.co.uk article about the RX-7/RX-9. The problem with the rumors is they raise enthusiast's expectations, but also pacifies them just enough to keep them from contacting the manufacturer or dealers about their desire for a new car. When the manufacturer sees they are no longer being contacted by enthusiasts, other projects are then put ahead of the halo cars like the RX-7. There are other consequences, such as the research and market testing departments conducting surveys about what the features next cars should have. The responses can be tainted by the un-true circulating rumors. ... Well... there are a ton of these rumors going around. We'll give our take on some them.
1. RX-7/RX-9 will be shipping in 2013. In order for this to happen, the a RX-7 concept would need to be shown very, very soon. It may not be the same four+ year process as the RX-Evolv-to-RX-8 went through, but two years is pushing it. The concept of a sports car is fairly standard. The RX-8's concept of a 4-door-sports-car was a new one for the RX-Evolv in 1999, it took over 4 years to bring that to market after the concept was accepted. Since there will be no Tokyo Autoshow in 2010 (it is a commercial truck show every even year, and a passenger car show every odd year) the time-line to produce a RX-7 becomes even more compressed. Tokyo is more than likely where the concept car would debut, however there are other choices...
2. NAGARE Design Mazda has retired their 'flow' design, Nagare. It is now aiming to rediscover it is a premium and sporty brand, they call it the Japanese Alfa Romeo. According to Mazda Europe's Design Directory Peter Birtwhistle in an interview with Auto Express, Mazda will present a new Concept Car at the next 2010 Paris Motor Show. Typically concepts shown at Eurpoean autoshows have been small-city type vehicles. Look for more concepts at the LA Autoshow this December, or Detroit Autoshow in January 2011. However our money is on the 2011 Tokyo Autoshow for a concept RX-7. But is two years from concept to production enough time for the next generation RX-7? There are many unanswered questions... The concept image shown on the right here could have been a design direction the RX-7 took if they didn't kill the Nagare design language. Since no production car after the Mazda 5 will have the design language, any past concepts are out the window.
3. The next generation rotary will run Diesel and Gasoline, and be a two-stroke ... um .. where to begin with this one... First off, the 16x is being developed as a FLEX fuel engine, meaning Ethanol + Gasoline mixture, not a Diesel and Gas mix. We at RotaryNews think someone was told it would be flex fuel, and they in turn though it meant "Diesel and Gas' ... but that is not the definition of Flex-Fuel in the American Automotive Lexicon. Second, we think that same person may be hard of hearing. The 16x is referred to as a "LONG STROKE" engine, not "TWO STROKE". The dimensions, when compared to the current 13b based RENESIS are 'stroked out' like a piston engine would be stroked. In other words, Mazda completely changed the engine dimensions such as the Trochoid shape and width of the Rotor Housings.
There are other reasons to take these rumors with large grains of salt. The economy is still very fragile, and while Mazda is in a relatively solid financial position, they are not about to blow a ton of money on concept designs and prototypes on a low-volume halo car. If the economy improves in 2011 and 2012, they could be willing to give it a shot. Lastly, the Oil shock of 2008 is still in the minds of Mazda. They do not want to negatively impact the overall fuel economy of their fleet. The next generation must be more efficient than the RX-8 and previous RX-7 generations, or else it will not be built.
