V6 Dropped for Redesigned Mazda 6 Sedan
By Jake Lingeman
Mazda will drop the V6 engine from the Mazda 6 lineup, the company told Automotive News.
Instead, the redesigned Mazda 6 will use powertrains from Mazda's Skyactiv technology bin, including direct-injection four-cylinder engines and ultra-efficient transmissions.
“We believe that the balance of fuel economy and power that Skyactiv offers is what customers want,” a Mazda spokesman said.
The Skyactiv four-cylinder engine produces 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque in the CX-5 crossover.
The new Mazda 6 is based on the Takeri concept, which we first saw at the Detroit auto show in January. It uses the company's “Kodo” design language, which means “soul of motion.”
The car will arrive on our shores during the first quarter of 2013 and will be built in Hiroshima, Japan. The current Mazda 6 is built in Flat Rock, Mich.
When asked about a Skyactiv V6, Mazda said it wouldn't rule out such an engine but that there is no plan to offer one at this time.
The Mazda 6 is seeing a bit of a sales rebound as the current model nears its end. Sales for the first three months of this year are up 93.7 percent from a year ago, to 17,885 units. In 2011, Mazda sold 35,711 copies of the Mazda 6, up 0.1 percent from 2010.
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Still, patiently waiting for word on further developments of the 16-X rotary engine (I think it was going to be called SkyActiv-R?).
Aren't the rotaries ralative gas hogs? Doesn't seem like there would be much of a place for one in today's marketplace, outside of a low volume sportscar..... which I'm sure that's what you're thinking of.
But even then, it really doesn't make sense to dump alot of money into a powerplant that will only see use in one vehicle.
Now the D on the other hand, that wold be great to see here.
And I agree about a turbo version, it seems that 150hp/150tq is pretty low for a car of the 6's size, no matter what transmission it's running.
Ford Mustang GT
I must ask but would you be going for the 4.6 or the 5.0 engine? All in all, a good selection of vehicles you have picked yourself, for your future car. I'd almost think you would gravitate towards the RX-8 as it has your beloved Rotary and is from, what appears to be, your favorite of the automakers (Looks dang sexy too). That rear door could be useful as well as you have mentioned you plan on using the back seats for your child. I wish you luck in whichever your choice is though.
It seems like trying to further improve the rotary is like beating a dead horse for Mazda. They'be been working on it over 40 years now, and it's still not optimized. I understand piston powered engines are still improving as well, however the rotary seems behind the curve, at least mileage-wise.
If they made more power, that would be one thing, but they never broke the 250hp mark from the factory, right? 4cylinder power with V8 gas mileage isn't that impressive to me. Actually,. less than V8 mileage. I did some research on RX8's a while ago,and found that my 5.7L LS1 gets consistantly better mileage than most RX8's do. (23.7mpg my last tank, btw)
As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of rotaries, however I've always thought they were kind of cool in an abstract way, since they were different... kind of a novelty. Although different isn't necessary "better".
From what I've been reading, Mazda doesn't seem to be in any financial position to be spending any development money on novelties. Maybe it's time to hang it up for a while and focus on their mainstream engines, which could use improving as well.
I recently read an article in an unspecified publication of an unspecified date where there was an interview with a lead engineer at Mazda. Without going in to too many details, they had some pretty good ideas on how to improve the gas mileage of their rotary engine. These changes to the design plus new direct injection just might slay the gas mileage dragon. However, Mazda has promised the moon before on rotaries and gas mileage so I will just have to wait to see what the real results are.
Mustang SVO, or the GM F-bodies
The second that the '05 Mustang hit the showroom floor I lost all interest in GM F-bodys and Fox Body Mustangs (no offense whatsoever to anyone who is into those models).
Besides, an '07 Mustang GT manual with over 100k miles shouldn't be more then $10k. Finding one in good condition for that price might be difficult, but since I am in no hurry, I can wait until I find the perfect one. No rush.
On second thought, since the new generation Mustang should hit in 2014, that should make the generation I am looking at even more affordable. I can wait that long.
My experience with the current Mustang platform is with a few '07 models and one '09 model and I have never seen a single issue with any of them.
I have the same thinking as you because the 4.6 is fast enough to have fun in, but since the 5.0 makes the older model less desirable, you can get a good deal on one as well. I'm actually looking for a GT (2005 through 2009) in good condition with over 100k miles on it so I can get it for a steal (manual of course) The hard part is finding one with that many miles that isn't dented and scratched up. I take good care of my cars no matter how many miles are on them and I always park in the last parking spot as far away from the building as I can to save myself from the small damage. Unfortunately, it's hard to find other people who do the same.
The high mileage won't be a concern for me because I plan to use it similar to how you plan to use your RX-7. In other words, for fuel mileage reasons, it won't be my daily driver. Just something to have fun in on the weekends.
Still, patiently waiting for word on further developments of the 16-X rotary engine (I think it was going to be called SkyActiv-R?).
Like I have said repeatedly, now that my cursed Cobalt is finally gone, I hope to be in a new car later this year. If I hear today that a new rotary is forthcoming, I will probably scrap those plans and wait a few years for the new rotary instead. I can drive my track-toy RX-7 (in all of its not air conditioned glory) to work while I wait.
FYI: I have narrowed down my shopping list to a few choices. For new, either a Scion FR-S, a Hyundai Genesis Coupe if the FR-S is unavailable, a MINI Cooper S, or a FIAT 500 Abarth. I have also decided to consider used cars: Possibly a used Ford Mustang GT** or a used RX-8 or a used Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
* 276hp reported, probably closer to 300hp in reality. Maybe even over 300hp. There were regulatory issues in Japan where cars weren't supposed to produce more than about 276hp (200kW). However, like the muscle car days here, hp numbers were often fudged in Japan to get over this limit.
**May the Lord save me from making the mistake of buying yet another domestic, but the Mustang sure does look cool.
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