It’s no secret Mazda has been mulling over a successor to the RX-8 sports cars and truck for several years – as well as our exclusive picture shows exactly how the cars and truck might look – however which engine it will use has been a hot topic of debate. However, one of the brand’s top powertrain engineers has let slip that the much-loved is a Wankel rotary engine, boosted by an electric hybrid.
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Florian Callies told us: “There’s still enthusiasm for rotary tech at Mazda. If we bring [rotary hybrid], it has to be something special. We can’t just decrease it into a 6. We’d requirement to integrate these special technologies in a special car.”
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When pushed about whether this indicates Mazda’s fastest cars and truck might likewise be its a lot of efficient, Callies said: “Yes, something like that.” Although rotary engines make exceptional range-extenders, a pure electric set-up with an engine to only fee the batteries is unlikely, due to the weight of big battery packs.
More sensible is a new twin-rotor Wankel engine producing around 250bhp, with a 50bhp improve from a single electric motor. That’d provide the rear-drive coupe far a lot more power than the MX-5, with which it might share a modified chassis. Callies refused to be drawn on timescale, however a 2017 launch is rumoured – two years after the MX-5.
Mazda 6 facelift leaked online
As Mazda gears up to to reveal the revised 6 at the LA motor Show, this leaked picture of a Japanese-market cars and truck gives a very first look at the sharper look of the updated model. We’ll have full details on its debut later this month.
Check out our LA motor show preview here…