Mazda plans to revive the RX-7 with a new rotary engine in 2016, according to reports.
Mazda plans to revive the RX-7 with a new rotary engine in 2016, according to reports.
While Mazda CEO Masa-michi Kogai said in November that a return to a rotary engine was unlikely, British media reports that Mazda has already developed a new unit which will power the RX-7 revival due for release in 2016.
It will be naturally aspirated and have 600cc per rotation. The engine is likely to adopt a twin-rotor configuration, which means that it will have a capacity equivalent to 2.4 liters for a regular combustion engine. The output is expected to reach 250 bhp (186kW). The rotary engine has had issues with reliability and fuel economy in the past, but there are now significant improvements to the unit.
The new RX-7 will be based on the same styling principles as the next generation MX-5. Most of the design work has been completed, but has yet to be approved for production. Ikuo Maeda, whose father designed the original RX-7 in the late 1970s, is responsible for the design.