For years, we’ve heard rumors that Mazda was going to carry again the rotary engine and provides us a brand new sports activities automotive as a successor to the RX-7 and RX-8. And but, arguably unsurprisingly, it hasn’t occurred. Properly, technically, Mazda did carry again the rotary engine, but it surely serves as a variety extender on the MX-30, which is unquestionably not a sports activities automotive. However perhaps, simply perhaps, that’s about to vary.
CarBuzz discovered that Mazda filed six patents with the Japanese Patent Workplace, all of that are associated to a brand new two-rotor rotary engine. Not like the single-rotor engine used within the MX-30, this two-rotor design seems to be designed to energy a automotive as an alternative of serving as a variety extender.
What automotive? We are able to’t say for certain, but it surely’s positively the RX-9 (or no matter Mazda decides to name its follow-up to the RX-8), proper? It needs to be. Why else would Mazda develop a brand new rotary engine? Simply to tease us with the potential to lastly get what we actually need, solely to by no means put it into manufacturing? Really, that is likely to be what finally ends up occurring. We’ve been burned earlier than, and we don’t need to get our hopes up till there’s an precise automotive in entrance of us that we are able to drive.
If the RX-9 really does make it to manufacturing, it’ll have to be much more gas environment friendly than the RX-8’s 16 mpg metropolis and 22 mpg freeway ranking. (Technically, the automated bought barely higher fuel mileage, however we don’t prefer to acknowledge that it got here with something however a guide.) And that’s precisely what three of the patents concentrate on: modifications to the rotor design that may enhance gas effectivity. So perhaps there actually is a few potential right here.
CarBuzz has a fantastic, in-depth breakdown of every of the patents, so when you’re inquisitive about studying extra, positively try the unique article. And perhaps, simply perhaps let your self really feel the tiniest little bit of hope that we’ll get another rotary-powered sports activities automotive from Mazda at the start goes electrical.