We’ve been hearing about it for nearly a year now but the rumours are still persistent and the latest gossips are yet again saying the same thing; the RX-8 is about to phased out to make way for the revival of the RX-7. The relatively more expensive and slow-selling RX-8 never really went down well with Mazda fans and the bosses at the Japanese car-maker realise this and that’s exactly what the next generation RX-7 is looking at rectifying.
According to Japan based Mak Tokuyama who writes for Inside Line, the next RX-7 will use Mazda’s new-generation Renesis 16X rotary engine which debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show in the Taiki concept. This 1,600cc, two-rotor Wankel engine has a 800cc x 2 configuration versus the 654cc x 2 configuration in the current RX-8. The upshot of the extra displacement should be better performance, as the 16X is said to be capable of up to 350 horsepower
and 215 pound-feet of torque versus the RX-8’s paltry 232 hp and 159 lb-ft.
There have also been reports that Mazda could just take advantage of such power potential and build a more formidable 300hp RX-8 with styling cues from the Mazda Furai concept. But sources close to Mazda are suggesting that the company is more interested in creating a car that evokes the character of the original RX-7. And if that does happen, power is expected to be in the 200-250 range and the pricetag will be about US25,000.
Personally, I’m more in favour of a revival of the legendary RX-7 and with the current economic conditions, a low-priced sports car seems to be the way to go. But rotaries have been known to guzzle fuel, so to fix this, Mazda is currently working on engine weight reduction and lowering fuel consumption of the Wankel engine. If the rumours are true, expect Mazda to introduce the new RX-7 as a 2011 or a 2012 model and expect the RX-7 to revolutionize the small car segment which includes the Hyundai Genesis coupe
and the Toyota FT-86.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Rumours On The Return Of The Mazda RX-7
Friday, June 12, 2009
Mazda Axela - Mazda3 Goes on Sale in Japan
Finally Mazda has announced the domestic market launch of its all-new Axela which is known elsewhere as the Mazda3. In Japan, the newest version of the '3' is offered with two body styles, a four door sedan and a five-door hatchback powered by 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter four cylinder gasoline engines that can be hooked up to a CVT or 4/5-speed automatic transmissions (depending on the version). Nothing exciting here, but unlike Western markets where the Mazda3 is offered exclusively with front-wheel drive, Japanese buyers can opt for an all-wheel drive system.
For the top range which called Mazda Axela, it is equipped with with a 2.3-liter turbocharged four with power being transferred to the front-wheels (no AWD option here) through a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Japanese automaker said that suggested retail prices including sales tax for the new Axela range from 1,660,000 to 2,678,000 yen or about $17k to $27.5k at today's exchange rates. Mazda's target sales volume for the Japanese market is around 2,000 units per month.
Friday, February 13, 2009
2010 Mazda CX-7 Facelifted and New 160HP 2.5-Liter Engine
Mazda decided to present a new entry-level version of the CX-7 equipped with the same 160-horsepower 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder that we find in the Mazda6 and Mazda3. There's no official press release as we speak, so it remains to be seen if this version will come to the States. Just for the record, the 2010 CX-7 will continue to be offered with Mazda's 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 244-horsepower.
Powertrains aside, Mazda's designers updated the CX-7 exterior styling with a new front bumper, clear crystal tail lights and a new rear apron. In the cabin, changes include the restyled gauges on the instrument panel, newly designed center air-vents that look like they came from an Audi parts bin and a 4.1-inch color TFT information display.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
2010 Mazda3 MPS MAZDASPEED3
Finally Mazda has released first official photos of the all-new Mazda3 MPS. The car will be in hatchback form and will continue to use the outgoing model's turbocharged 2.3-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine. However there is no performance figures were released, but the current MPS's MZR 2.3 DISI Turbo engine produces (in European-spec) 260HP at 5500 rpm and 380 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm launching the car to 100km/h (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 250 km/h (154 mph).
From the photos, clearly show that the Mazda3 MPS/Mazdaspeed3 is fitted with a wide hood scoop, different lower grille trim, large rear wing, twin tailpipes, side sills and a set of newly designed alloy wheels.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mazda MX-5 / Miata new photo gallery
Mazda has unveiled their MX-5/Miata during the Paris Motor Show and now the car has finally reached the firm's Japanese dealerships. The open-top sportscar is priced in its domestic market from 2,330,000 to 2,600,000 yen ($25,100 - $28,000) for the soft top models, and from 2,680,000 to 2,950,000 yen ($28,900 - $31,800) for the Power Retractable Hard Top (RHT). The car is powered by a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine with 5 speeds or 6 speed transmission. For hardtop model, a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Mazda 3 Hatch unveiled by Mazda
HIROSHIMA, Japan: Mazda Motor Corporation will hold the world premiere of the new-generation Mazda3 five-door hatchback at the Bologna Motor Show on December 3, 2008. The second generation Mazda3 five-door hatchback follows on the heels of the four-door sedan revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The new-generation Mazda3 five-door hatchback adopts the same characteristics as its sedan counterpart, offering sporty driving and a dynamic design, together with top class environmental and safety performance.
Environmental-friendly qualities were top of mind during development, including efficient powertrains, Mazda typical lightweight engineering and amongst the best-in-class aerodynamics. All petrol engine versions of the new-generation Mazda3 will offer even further advanced environmental performance, including the world's first vehicle catalyst to be constructed with single nanotechnology. This new development enables Mazda to reduce its use of scarce resources such as platinum and palladium. The new engine lineup has been tailored for European customers and now includes the newly developed 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, just launched in the Mazda6. The new 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine is a high-performance clean diesel powerplant with top class output, fuel economy and refinement. This new-generation diesel engine has outstanding emissions performance and complies with Euro Stage5 regulations. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are also greatly improved compared to the current 2.0-litre version. The all-new Mazda3 five-door hatchback will be revealed during Mazda's press conference at 09:00am on December 3, 2008 (local time).
Friday, October 10, 2008
2010 Mazda 3
Mazda will unveiled their all new 2010 Mazda 3 during LA Auto Show. The new 3 retains a similar shape as the current model with a high beltline and rear decklid, the new car sports a much more expressive face with a "smile" grille positioned low up front that's flanked by vertical air intake/fog light combos. The front fenders are more distinct from the elevated hood and roll nicely back into the car's forward canted character line. For the rear taillights, it is bigger and embedded in above the dual exhaust tips. The overall shape is a logical evolution of the current car that combines current Mazda design elements already found on the RX-8, Mazda6 and recently refreshed MX-5. The car will be powered by 2 types of engines which are the 2.0L four cylinder, and also a 2.5L engine that going to replace the current 2.3L.
Monday, September 29, 2008
2009 Mazda AZ-Wagon
Mazda has unveiled the fully redesigned AZ-Wagon is a rebadged version of Suzuki’s kei car. As with the donor vehicle, the AZ-Wagon is offered in two flavours, the standard car and the ‘sportier’ looking Custom Style which is the equivalent of the Suzuki Wagon-R Stingray.
The car is either powered by a naturally aspirated or turbocharged 660cc engines, matted to a 4-speed automatic, a 5-speed manual or a CVT transmission with seven-speed manual mode as well as between FWD and AWD versions.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Mazda Kiyora Concept
Mazda had announced that the Kiyora concept will be their show car for Paris Motor Show. The small city car is based on an all-new platform designed to maximize weight reduction and at the same time, offer high levels of safety. The Mazda Kiyora is equipped with a next generation 4 cylinder direct injection engine and it features the company’s Smart Idle Stop System helping reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The car supposed to be lightweight and efficient, in keeping with Mazda's "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" approach.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Mazda Kazamai Crossover Concept
The new Mazda Kazamai has a length of 4,520mm and a width of 1,930mm, the Kazamai Concept is slightly larger than the current Mazda3. With the new lightweight materials and new processing/joining technologies, the Kazamai is about 100kg or 220 lbs lighter. This contributes to better handling and improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions. -Continued
A 2.0 liter direct injection petrol engine with combustion control technology and variable valve control will powered the Kazamai. The 2.0-liter DISI petrol engine is coupled to a lightweight, next-generation compact 6-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system.
According to the Japanese automaker, in combination with the Kazamai’s aerodynamics and its lightweight body, the powertrain would deliver an estimated 30 percent improvement in fuel consumption and emissions versus the current MZR 2.0-litre petrol engine.
