We have instinctively said fifty times in the past eight years that the Wankel engine will return and that the RX-7 (or the RX-8) will get a sequel, but this time a new RX seems closer than ever. Not only can you now actually buy a rotary engine (even if it is a range extender), Mazda now confirms that it is working on a production version of the SP Iconic.
Mazda CEO Katsuhiro Moro says at the Tokyo Auto Salon that they are very happy with all the support and encouragement they received for the SP Iconic. This study model is also called (by the designer) the successor to the RX-7. “With this encouragement, we will launch a Wankel engine development team on February 1 to get closer to this dream,” he said.
The CEO immediately says that it will not be easy to introduce a Wankel engine in an era where everyone must be climate neutral. The Wankel engine is also not known for being an economy miracle. When unveiling the SP Iconic, Mazda revealed that the concept can in principle run on hydrogen. And otherwise on climate-neutral eFuels.
What will the successor to the RX-7 look like?
Mazda does not want to say anything about what the new car with a rotary engine looks like. In any case, the SP Iconic had a 'two-rotor' Wankel engine, or one with two discs. The MX-30 only gets one rotor. The rotary engine works as a generator in the SP Iconic to generate power for the electric motors. The power of the study model is 370 hp.
The Mazda Iconic SP is wider, lower and longer than an MX-5. The total length is 4.18 meters, the width is 1.85 meters and the height is only 1.15 meters. The wheelbase is quite large at 2.59 meters. Good news for tall people, hopefully. The RX-8 is slightly longer, but less wide and less high. For now, the team has to get to work, so it may be a while before we see anything concrete.
#Mazda #confirms #working #successor #RX7 #Wankel #engine
