Rotary Far From Dead but V6 Development on Hold, Mazda Says
Talking to Car and Driver, head of Mazda's U.S. operations gives glimpse into future of the brand.
Since the recent demise of the RX-8, Mazda no longer offers any form of rotary engine in the U.S., though the manufacturer has maintained that the Wankel is the heart of the brand. Recently, the company reiterated that point, and quite specifically, when talking to Car and Driver. During a conversation with Mazda U.S. operations chief Robert Davis, a whole host of zoom-zoom-related news and strategy popped up -- much of it quite promising for fans of the badge. First, it looks as if the rotary will re-emerge not only for gas-powered machines, but also in applications where it drives an electric generator. The Skyactiv suite of engineering breakthroughs would be applied to the rotary in the form of less internal friction, reduced rotating mass and more-efficient transmissions, and the article goes on to note that the "smoothness of a rotary and its low weight are advantages for [the hybrid] role, while its relative lack of torque wouldn’t be a problem."
The further development of the rotary, as well as a number of boosted four cylinders, comes at the expense of the V6: while the Mazda6 and CX-9 currently offer 6-cylinder mills, future models will most likely come equipped as 4-bangers, Davis said.
Davis also noted that the new CX-5, more fuel- and space-efficient than the now-discontinued-for-the-U.S.-market CX-7, was originally meant to replace the latter vehicle. Due to an overlap in production contracts, that turned out not to be the case, which C/D says means that "for the foreseeable future, Mazda will have a size-four gap between the CX-5 and CX-9."
That sums up the gist of the information, though there's an interesting bit of speculation as to what a new Miata may look like (non-hint: Davis mostly tries to dodge these questions). You can read David Gluckman's full piece here.
Yes, it's old new, but the sad thing is that it still isn't here.
Really, are you sad? I would not buy an SUV, not even if it had a Sky-D in it, not even if it had a manual transmission, not even if it came from mazda. I think that is saying a lot coming from a self-proclaimed mazda for life fanatic.In my book, that is just a bad as any company who simply refuses to offer diesels here (Ford). At least with Ford, we know where they stand.
No, no we do not. There is a lot of political preturbance and games being played behind the scenes in boardrooms at Ford, and we have no idea what kind of political wrangling is going on behind the scenes, nor who is actively sabotaging Ford's clean diesel models in the United States, nor do we know what that person's or persons' agenda is.What we can conclude though, is that it is personally motivated. There are people within Ford who are personally motivated one way or another to prevent sales of Ford's diesel models on the U.S. market, and that is currently of severe detriment to the Ford motor company.
From experience, having lived through these games myself, someone at Ford got a budget to head hybrid and electric research, and that someone sees clean diesel as a threat to their yearly budget, so that someone is therefore actively preventing the introduction of Ford diesels to the U.S. market, instead of embracing the technology and doing what Citroen and Peugeot did with diesel hybrids.
I know how those games go; that is why I left it all behind. I refused to play those games myself, because the way I saw it, I was hired to do specific, specialized work, not run a daycare facility like a kindergarten for adults.
That is old news.
Yes, it's old new, but the sad thing is that it still isn't here. Mazda has been promising a diesel for years now and still nothing.
In my book, that is just a bad as any company who simply refuses to offer diesels here (Ford). At least with Ford, we know where they stand.
i wouldn't wait. i would have been the first to throw my money on the table that it was mitsubishi that was going to fold first!?
kind of sad that mazda will be no more. they did make some pretty good small cars (piston only). but i see for fact they are down the wrong path. wish i had the money to buy them, it is so sad they could be easily saved.
yes yes i knew it; mazda will not stop pumping money into the losing rotary.
they always lost on it and looks like mazda will be gone soon.
they also have to blow money down the drain to develop a transmissions for the loser rotary. (a doulble loss)
a V-6!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????? who would be thinking of a v6 at this point and time when they should be developing a three cylinder turbo!!??
How about scheduling an interview with Mr. Davis and asking him about it? Investigative journalism, yes?
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