When Mazda decided to discontinue the production of the rotary engine powered RX-8 a few years ago, a lot of people were heartbroken. A year ago, Mazda has renewed the hopes of many enthusiasts when it showed a concept of an RX-Vision. The renewed hope however, was short-lived as Mazda says there will be no more rotary engines.
The RX-9 Hope Is Lost
Mazda fans and enthusiasts have waited for about four years to see another rotary engine but it appears that they ended up waiting in vain. According to Driving, Masamichi Kogai, CEO of Mazda stated in an interview that the automaker does not have any plans of building any sports car bigger than the MX-5. This may be the best news for those that love the Miata but for those that have been looking forward to the RX-9, this would be like a dagger to the chest.
Rotary Engine May Still Be Resurrected
While all hope for the RX-9 is lost, there was no actual declaration that the rotary engine is completely out of the picture. In fact, there is still hope that the rotary engine may still be resurrected. "If we were to restart production of the rotary engine again, we need to make sure it wouldn't be just short-lived. We need it to meet future emissions regulations. We are still conducting our R&D activity to overcome any issues we have with emissions and fuel efficiency," said Kogai in a report from Road and Track. In the same report, Kogai stated that the rotary engine will likely be used as a range extender for electric cars in the future. However, he also clarified that people should not expect an electric sports car to be coming out in the market.
What Now?
Even though the RX-9 is no longer coming, fans and enthusiasts still have a glimmer of hope left for rotary engines. Apparently, a new turbocharged rotary engine called Skyactiv-R is currently being developed by Mazda as reported. Whether this new engine reaches the market or not remains to be seen.
