It turns out the rotary engine really isn’t dead. Though Mazda has tried and failed twice, we will see a new one in the upcoming 2017 RX-7. This is according to MX-5 program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto. The new rotary is the 16x, which Yamamoto says will produce 300 naturally aspirated ponies. Sorry turbo fans, no boost for now.
Yamamoto also says it will not use hybrid technology, but will utilize some of Mazda’s SkyActive technology, catalytic converters, and probably witchcraft to meet worldwide emissions standards and achieve improved fuel economy. We have heard this before from Mazda’s rotary department and they failed to deliver. For now, we will give them the benefit of doubt.
The target weight is around 2800 pounds, and the target price is somewhere between the cost of a 350z and a GT-R. This means somewhere between $35,000 and $135,000. That doesn’t tell us much. The GT-R isn’t at $135,000 yet, but with its nearly monthly price increases it won’t take long. I think Mazda better shoot for the lower end of their price target, because a 300 horsepower, 2800 pound, $100,000 car sounds like it would be hard to sell. Just ask Honda how well the NSX sold for that last five or six years of its life. Cars in that price range bring damn near double that horsepower these days. I know horsepower isn’t everything but the only slightly lower weight vs. a Z06, 911, GT-R, etc. sure as hell isn’t enough to make up the horsepower gap.
As always, we will keep you up to date when details emerge.