2001 Mazda Miata Mx-5 Lp on 2040-cars

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Mazda engineer wants new rotary to be turbocharged

Hope springs eternal for Mazda to revive the high-revving Wankel engine for a new sports car, and the company keeps feeding that thirst with hints that it could happen. To make the possibility even more tantalizing, Mazda drivetrain and powertrain assistant manager Tetsushi Marutani tells Motoring that he wants the updated mill to pack a turbocharger. "Personally, I think that a rotary with some turbo or compressor would be good," Marutani said to Motoring. "Because a rotary, in my opinion, they require more [torque at] low speed, low down torque. So if we have some small compressor or turbo it would help." Mazda hasn't sold a rotary-powered model since the RX-8 and hasn't had a turbocharged one since the third-generation RX-7. However, the recent RX-Vision concept (above) at least hinted at a possible Wankel revival, and Mazda officials confirmed that its engineers continued to develop the engine since the RX-8's demise. The RX-Vision used a next-gen rotary called the Skyactiv-R, but Mazda didn't officially confirm any details about it. Rumors suggested the engine had a two-rotor layout with a total displacement of 1.6 liters. A two-stage electric turbo and hybrid powertrain would allegedly boost the total output of around 450 horsepower. The electric assistance could also counter the Wankel's lack of torque at low revs and poor fuel economy. Those rumored specs sound fantastic, but we still take the rotary's return with a grain of salt. Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai is adamant that it's not worth the company's limited resources to develop a niche sports coupe instead of better selling vehicles. Related Video:

New Mazda CX-4 teaser shots emerge ahead of Beijing debut

The Kodo styling language seen on last year's Koeru concept seems to translate well to a production car, judging by these teaser images of the upcoming CX-4 from Mazda's Chinese press site. And, as has been seen on several recent Mazdas, concept cars can be quite close to their eventual production versions. An earlier press release implies the CX-4 should be seen as a more coupe-like counterpart to the CX-5, with some of the MX-5's characteristic and often emphasized jinba ittai feel injected into it – if the MX-5 is all about the rider and horse being one, the CX-4 would just be a slightly bigger steed. The 19-inch wheels and LED headlights are some of the more attention-grabbing details on the car. Inside, there's a head-up-display and a MZD connect infotainment screen as seen on other current models. The hardware on the "Exploring-Coupe SUV", as Mazda call it, should match the CX-5: 2.2-liter SKYACTIV-D turbodiesels in some markets, 2.0 and 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G gasoline engines in most. There will also be a choice of front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. The Beijing Motor Show opens to the public on April 29th, so we won't have to wait a whole lot longer to see the whole thing. Related Video:

Autoblog Podcast #396

Episode #396 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Chris Paukert talk about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the 2016 Jaguar XE, and the 2015 Lexus RC. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #396:
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