makeminemazda
Member
Hey all,
Thought some of you rotor-heads might be interested in this. My September issue of Road & Track arrived today (which, by fate or coincidence is Felix Wankel's birthday). If you don't know who he is you should be browsing a different forum.
Page 63 - 4 paragraphs I will quote for all of you entitled "Mazda mulls RX-7 rebirth, Miata makeover"
"Although the last (Japan-only) RX-7 is scheduled to come off the assembly line this month, plans are underway at Mazda to create a replacement, so says a source close to the company. The future 2-seater, which may go by a new name, will be built on the RX-8's platform and make 280 bhp from the Renesis rotary engine without the help of forced induction.
With this new entry, Mazda will have a three-tier sports-car lineup, something that the company has long wanted. But the fate of this 2-seater rests largely on the success of the RX-8, the company's 4-door sports car due out in February. If the RX-8 falls flat on its face, don't expect a new RX-7 or any other sports car, with the exception of the Miata, any time soon.
And for those who have been waiting for Mazda to build a rotary-powered Miata, you'll have to wait a little longer. Although Mazda will build an MPS (Mazda Performance Series) version of the current Miata for the Japan market only, that car will be powered by a 180- to 200-bhp 1.8 liter inline-4.
But the next generation Miata, due in 2004 or 2005, will have a rotary option. Look for power to be about 200 to 250 bhp, giving the roadster 0-60 mph times in the 5.0-second range. The car will be built on a shortened version of the RX-8's platform, and may come in both coupe and convertible forms."
Keep those rotary powered cars coming...note to self: start saving for a new car.
Thought some of you rotor-heads might be interested in this. My September issue of Road & Track arrived today (which, by fate or coincidence is Felix Wankel's birthday). If you don't know who he is you should be browsing a different forum.
Page 63 - 4 paragraphs I will quote for all of you entitled "Mazda mulls RX-7 rebirth, Miata makeover"
"Although the last (Japan-only) RX-7 is scheduled to come off the assembly line this month, plans are underway at Mazda to create a replacement, so says a source close to the company. The future 2-seater, which may go by a new name, will be built on the RX-8's platform and make 280 bhp from the Renesis rotary engine without the help of forced induction.
With this new entry, Mazda will have a three-tier sports-car lineup, something that the company has long wanted. But the fate of this 2-seater rests largely on the success of the RX-8, the company's 4-door sports car due out in February. If the RX-8 falls flat on its face, don't expect a new RX-7 or any other sports car, with the exception of the Miata, any time soon.
And for those who have been waiting for Mazda to build a rotary-powered Miata, you'll have to wait a little longer. Although Mazda will build an MPS (Mazda Performance Series) version of the current Miata for the Japan market only, that car will be powered by a 180- to 200-bhp 1.8 liter inline-4.
But the next generation Miata, due in 2004 or 2005, will have a rotary option. Look for power to be about 200 to 250 bhp, giving the roadster 0-60 mph times in the 5.0-second range. The car will be built on a shortened version of the RX-8's platform, and may come in both coupe and convertible forms."
Keep those rotary powered cars coming...note to self: start saving for a new car.