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I personally think that car would be great with the rotary, the nature of the car and the motor are similar. Would be fun ringing out a miata at 9 grand up and down country road.
If it weren't for a niche following, there probably wouldn't be a rotary in any car. I doubt we'll see one in a Miata any time soon unless maybe they've made huge strides in durability and fuel economy.
If I were more ambitious I'd go back through the Autoblog archives and see if they've ever been right about any of their seemingly implausible claims.
If it weren't for a niche following, there probably wouldn't be a rotary in any car. I doubt we'll see one in a Miata any time soon unless maybe they've made huge strides in durability and fuel economy.
If I were more ambitious I'd go back through the Autoblog archives and see if they've ever been right about any of their seemingly implausible claims.
I don't think you really know anything about rotary engines. The core rotary since the original RX7 has been very reliable. The problems with the apex seals in the early engines was solved in the RX7. The 3rd generation twin turbo RX7 had some reliability issues - primarily related to heat. The current RX8 is considered a reliable car.
I owned a 1974 RX4 and a 1981 RX7. The RX4 essentially failed with typical rotary problems at about 80K miles. The RX7 on the other hand ran well to 120K miles when I sold it. The rotary consumes a bit of oil. And fuel economy is not competitive with conventional engines of similar power. But the rotary is a terrific sports car engine. Revs very well and the sound changes from a burble to a turbine sound at high revs. I think it would be fantastic combination with a MX-5.
I think the major downside to the roatary is they have no torque down low and their fuel mileage was that of a big V6 or small V8 and that is one reason the RX-8 is not very popular as they had hoped.
I would like to see the mazda speed 3's motor. the MZR 2.3L Mazda L3-VDT direct injected turbo engine with 263 bhp and 280 lb·ft put in the next gen miata and still keep it's 50/50 weight distribution.
Wankels are junk. Sure they make good top end power (especially considering their diminutive displacement), but theyre torqueless, bad sounding, and unreliable. I just had a friend ditch his RX-8, that thing was in the shop every few months with problems. His trans (6 sp manual) just was on its last leg, so he traded it in.... for a Super Duty (gas). Wise choice, my friend!
I don't think you really know anything about rotary engines. The core rotary since the original RX7 has been very reliable. The problems with the apex seals in the early engines was solved in the RX7. The 3rd generation twin turbo RX7 had some reliability issues - primarily related to heat. The current RX8 is considered a reliable car.
I'm sure the people who already lost Renesis engines to inadequate lubrication (thanks to trying to cut back on emissions) are quite relieved to hear it. And heat is still an issue, particularly. in stop-and-go traffic. Heat and durability do not typically go hand-in-hand.
It may be that the current RX-8 is considered a reliable car -- for now. Who knows, with any luck maybe Mazda won't have to extend the warranty on the engine like they did on the 2004-2008 model years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
I owned a 1974 RX4 and a 1981 RX7. The RX4 essentially failed with typical rotary problems at about 80K miles. The RX7 on the other hand ran well to 120K miles when I sold it. The rotary consumes a bit of oil. And fuel economy is not competitive with conventional engines of similar power. But the rotary is a terrific sports car engine. Revs very well and the sound changes from a burble to a turbine sound at high revs. I think it would be fantastic combination with a MX-5.
Look, I like the fundamental concept behind the rotary engine. I'm just not so keen on the execution. Rotaries simply have not benefited from anywhere near the R&D resources that conventional piston engines have, and it shows. So yeah, I like the idea of a rotary... I just wouldn't want one in my car.
I think it'd be kind of cool for them to offer the rotary in a Miata - people have already done the 13B swap into them for some time now with some cool results.
That said, I'd rather see them make a new RX that's more in line with the final-generation RX7: a technical showcase halo sports car. The RX8 was a step backwards, imho.
Wankels are junk. Sure they make good top end power (especially considering their diminutive displacement), but theyre torqueless, bad sounding, and unreliable. I just had a friend ditch his RX-8, that thing was in the shop every few months with problems. His trans (6 sp manual) just was on its last leg, so he traded it in.... for a Super Duty (gas). Wise choice, my friend!
Your friend's experience seems to be in the minority. The vast majority of RX8 owners seem very satisfied with their cars. The #1 complaint is gas mileage.
I think the rotary engine itself has proven to be very reliable over time. It consumes oil. Yup it doesn't have much torque. So you need to shift more often. Many people like that involvement with their car.
Kinda hard to imagine changing from nimble high RPM sports car to a super duty truck.
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