Mazda to Reintroduce
More Efficient Rotary Engine?
For all you rotorheads, this has the potential to be very big news.
Left Lane reports:
According to Mitsuo Hitomi, the general manager of Mazda’s powertrain development department, the company is about to put the final touches on an entirely new rotary engine that will easily comply with upcoming fuel economy and emissions standards.
The new engine is likely the long-awaited 16X. According to the report, Mazda engineers altered the shape of the rotor housing, and modified the intake manifold and ignition sequencing in order to dramatically improve the rotary’s efficiency, always and ever its Achilles heel, and more important than ever given the priority placed in recent years on mileage and frugality.
It’s interesting the revelation that a new rotary is so close to completion comes hard on the heels of another recent report of Mazda’s somewhat perilous financial condition. If nothing else, it’s a sign of the engine’s vital importance to Mazda’s brand identity that development continues, even at such a low level, given that there’s likely very little money in the automaker’s coffers for anything else. As enthusiasts, we can only be thankful for Mazda’s devotion to the design, and wait with bated breath to see what makes its way to the auto show circuit, or even better, the showroom floor.