The Return of the RX-7?

[STI-Guy]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/D37CF2E9D87498A5CA256CB6007C3918

""There are three possible ways to increase power from this engine," Mr Kinoshita said. "Turbo is one, using extra rotors is another and using wider rotors to increase engine capacity is a third."

Sounds like good news to me. :)

[Ajay]

That's my friend would be the RX8...can't wait for that thing to come out!!

Think there was a post about 350Z vs RX8 before somewhere on this forum!

[STI-Guy]

Read the article: it's about a 4th gen RX7.

[turboMiata]

Can't wait to see what the 3rd gen Miata will look like since it's based on the RX-8 platform.

[Glowrider]

Rx-7's rock. A kid down the street from me has a 93 Touring Ed. We race quite a bit, I beat him only by about a car length. All he has is downpipe, midpipe and intake. Very cool cars. Not to keen on reliability though.

I doubt there will be a 4th gen Rx-7, as the Rx-8 is due to hit US shores any time now.

[___2PaC___]

"I doubt there will be a 4th gen Rx-7, as the Rx-8 is due to hit US shores any time now."-Glowrider

:werd:
RX-7's do rock....

[ecstasy_civic]

i can only hope for another 7:drool: :clap:

[chrisgushue]

that would be sweet to have, but not likely to go into production with the rx-8 out

[Nix87]

That would be sweet if they brought the rx-7 back. Always been a fan of that car.

Nick

[ecstasyracer]

that would be sweet to have, but not likely to go into production with the rx-8 out

Of course its likely to go into production. They are two completly different types of cars. In the rx-7 all out performance isn't compromised by anything. Like they didn't put in back seats or any extra wieght that wasn't needed. The rx-8 has back seats and not as sharp handling, which makes it a little easier to drive while compromising all out grip. And the rx-8 could have easily made more power, but they're saving that for the 7.

[RiCE-DaDDy]

not to mention the gas guzzlingin

[XylathaneGTR]

Yeah, the only downsides of the RX7 are the shieeety reliability of the Rotary. blowing seals all the time, blah blah blah.
I heard the RX8 engine was really improved over the RX7 in terms of reliability. Which is a nice thing to see :D

[GTS Jeff]

the accepted rumor right now is that mazda is waiting to see if the rx8 sells before they introduce the rx7. they expect about 18000 rx8s to sell every year.

the thing is, mazda would lose lots of money if all the r&d that went into building a new rotary was only used for the rx8. the only way for them to be profitable is to use the same engine on more models...which means rx8. the miata is out of the question for having a rotary as well, since its a simple everyday car that needs the reliability of a conventional 4 banger.

[Stratus_Power]

this is from carpoint
"The Mazda RX-8 is built on an all-new platform, and contrary to reports in the past is not the successor to the RX-7 rotary coupe - that comes next year."

RX-7 i scoming :P

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by Stratus_Power
this is from carpoint
"The Mazda RX-8 is built on an all-new platform, and contrary to reports in the past is not the successor to the RX-7 rotary coupe - that comes next year."

RX-7 i scoming :P the guys at carpoint are speculating just liek us...their thoughts are about as valid as ours.

[Glowrider]

There's no market for another Rx-7. Especially with the Rx-8 coming. That would be another huge mistake on Mazda's part. The model names would conflict eachother.

Why would they release an Rx-7, discontinue it, then release an Rx-8, and then release another Rx-7 after that? It doesn't make any sense. They didn't do that with any previous models, and I doubt they will do it with this one.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by Glowrider
There's no market for another Rx-7. Especially with the Rx-8 coming. That would be another huge mistake on Mazda's part. The model names would conflict eachother.

Why would they release an Rx-7, discontinue it, then release an Rx-8, and then release another Rx-7 after that? It doesn't make any sense. They didn't do that with any previous models, and I doubt they will do it with this one. im not sure what u mean about conflicting model names. theyve had other rx models in the past like the rx3 and rx4.

[Glowrider]

Yeah, but they didn't get rid of the Rx-3, release the Rx-4, and then re-release the Rx-3. See what I mean? Model names are contiguous. They are progressive.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by Glowrider
Yeah, but they didn't get rid of the Rx-3, release the Rx-4, and then re-release the Rx-3. See what I mean? Model names are contiguous. They are progressive. well in a way, the rx8 is progressive as well. it is moving the lineup to a 4 door practical sports car direction...whereas the old 2 door rx7 is still staying around

[gpomp]

Maybe the new "RX-7" will be called something like RX-9, then?

BTW, is the RX-8 called an FE3S?

[lammer]

Originally posted by XylathaneGTR
Yeah, the only downsides of the RX7 are the shieeety reliability of the Rotary. blowing seals all the time, blah blah blah.
I heard the RX8 engine was really improved over the RX7 in terms of reliability. Which is a nice thing to see :D

well if you take care of your car, then there would be no problems.
there are a few people on here with 2nd gen rx-7s and i believe they said something like "people whos rotary engines are unreliable is because they don't take care of their cars". or some shit like that.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by lammer


well if you take care of your car, then there would be no problems.
there are a few people on here with 2nd gen rx-7s and i believe they said something like "people whos rotary engines are unreliable is because they don't take care of their cars". or some shit like that. dude...taking care of a rotary involves a rebuild every time an otto engine needs an oil change...

[FiveFreshFish]

The RX-7 model name has a lot of value in its history so perhaps this is why Mazda would use the same name. Was it ever discontinued in Japan? Regardless, it would be a re-introduction in North America.

Lately, there's been a rash of old models coming back new and improved like Thunderbird, Mini, Beetle, GTO, etc.

[szw]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
Was it ever discontinued in Japan?

I'm no expert on the matter, but I believe the RX-7 was produced in Japan up until very recently..last year or the year before that...

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
dude...taking care of a rotary involves a rebuild every time an otto engine needs an oil change...

You are exagerating by a fair amount. The rotary motor can be reliable it suffers from many common misconceptions and problems.

The stock motor built by Mazda is reliable. Once people start playing with it and not knowing what they are doing that changes. I have seen plenty of very high km rotary motors. In addition the rotary community suffers from a lack of decent engine builders.

Do I think the RX8 is going to be the rotary saviour the general rotary community thinks it's going to be? No!

Do I think we will see an RX-7 in North America again? No!

People in North America have to remember although this is a very large car market it is not the only market. The RX-7 did very well in Japan for years after they pulled it from us over here. I think we will see the technology of the renesis motor in an up comming RX-7 but it wont hit our shores.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rx7_turbo2


You are exagerating by a fair amount. The rotary motor can be reliable it suffers from many common misconceptions and problems.

The stock motor built by Mazda is reliable. Once people start playing with it and not knowing what they are doing that changes. I have seen plenty of very high km rotary motors. In addition the rotary community suffers from a lack of decent engine builders.

Do I think the RX8 is going to be the rotary saviour the general rotary community thinks it's going to be? No!

Do I think we will see an RX-7 in North America again? No!

People in North America have to remember although this is a very large car market it is not the only market. The RX-7 did very well in Japan for years after they pulled it from us over here. I think we will see the technology of the renesis motor in an up comming RX-7 but it wont hit our shores. so u are countering my hearsay with your hearsay? heh touche.

anyway, why dont u think theres a market for the rx7 in northamerica? i could think of lots of ppl thatd buy one

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
so u are countering my hearsay with your hearsay? heh touche.

anyway, why dont u think theres a market for the rx7 in northamerica? i could think of lots of ppl thatd buy one
My comments are based entirely in opinion and conjecture. People sviews of the rotary motor are ussually set in stone and hard to change so I rarely try. I just want people to realize not all the bad publicity is warranted.

Lots of people isnt enough I don't think. I don't think the North American market can get over the fact that no matter how good it looks or how fast it is, it's still a Mazda. Having to remove the RX-7 from the North American market left a bad taste in the mouth of those in charge. I think the RX-8 is their way of testing the water, just putting one toe in to test it out, and I don't think the RX-8 will do well enough for them to decide to jump in again.

[Impreza]

Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
anyway, why dont u think theres a market for the rx7 in northamerica? i could think of lots of ppl thatd buy one [/B]
i'd buy one....

[midship]

Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
anyway, why dont u think theres a market for the rx7 in northamerica? i could think of lots of ppl thatd buy one

I'd buy one 2! FE-2S?? :D

I would have put down a desposit on a RX-8 if it only has 2 doors! ;)

[m@+CH]

i'm confused
is that guy talking about a new gen rx7 as in 5th gen
or is he refering to the rx8??
:confused:

[Glowrider]

The market here in the US is going the way of luxury sport, and has been for quite a bit of time. There's not really a place for uncompromising sports cars right now.

The Rx-8 is said to handle better than the FD3S Rx-7, and it's not a true four door. It might as well be a coupe...look at the back doors...how practical do those look? I'd be willing to bet it's not much bigger than the FD3S inside.

[ExitSpeed]

I think it's the Mazda propaganda at work if they are proclaiming it out-handles the FD3S.

[STI-Guy]

Originally posted by gpomp
BTW, is the RX-8 called an FE3S?


Nope. I think it has a completlely different body number.

[Maxt]

Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
anyway, why dont u think theres a market for the rx7 in northamerica? i could think of lots of ppl thatd buy one ..
At the end of 1995, there was essentially no market left for 60,000 dollar turbo supercars, that were expensive to maintain, and only could seat 2, the advent of the SUV killed the sports car market, the only people that could afford them new were the 'boomers, and they were getting a bit long in the tooth for sports cars.. If the RX-7 had been offered in an N/A version it may have survived with some extra sales, thats what made the FC3s such a huge seller in comparison to the FD3s.
From the where are they now file..
FD3s
Toyota Supra
Nissan 300z
They all got to exotic, and to pricey, no longer were they the cheap good performing alternative sports cars they once were, with prices approaching Porsche and BMW, they were to far from their roots and original target audience in North America..

etc etc...
Only thanks to the fast and the furious, the hot hatch import scene in the UK, the rarity of really good fast muscle cars, and the price of gas, has the Japanese performance car scene made a comeback.. between really about 95-99 it was not that hot, nor that trendy...
I hate to say it but the fast and furious has really helped push the value of any good japanese turbo car way up, even TII's are getting pricey again..
As for the seals, Rotaries don't like running hot, poor gas with boost(Japanese gas is 100 octane at the pump), and they must be maintained, outside of that they are a great engine, pick any motor out there, and I will tell you a handfull of problems known to that motor, each one has its quirks, if we had the perfect motor, we wouldn't need transmissions and cooling systems in cars..
But I would gladly demonstrate the ability of the rotary engine to any willing participants..Maxt

[rx7_turbo2]

Dam rad hose is in the way.:D

[4wheeldrift]

I think there would be a limited market for the new RX-7, if they can keep the price of the car down. The RX-8 is looking like it should be quite affordable, if they can keep the coupe in a similar price range it should do ok. If not, I give it 3 years before it gets the axe again.

[drox]

Originally posted by Glowrider
I doubt there will be a 4th gen Rx-7, as the Rx-8 is due to hit US shores any time now. Uh, what does the rx8 have to do with the 7 at all?

[drox]

Originally posted by Glowrider
Yeah, but they didn't get rid of the Rx-3, release the Rx-4, and then re-release the Rx-3. See what I mean? Model names are contiguous. They are progressive. The rx3 has nothing in common with the rx4, same with the rx3/4 being way dif than the rx7, and the 8 being different from them all. They are NOT even the same platform.

[frenchdriver]

Originally posted by drox
The rx3 has nothing in common with the rx4, same with the rx3/4 being way dif than the rx7, and the 8 being different from them all. They are NOT even the same platform.

do you actaully have a blue TII? haven't seen one in calgary that color.

man i love those cars :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

(sorry about the drool) :thumbsup:

[Glowrider]

The rx3 has nothing in common with the rx4, same with the rx3/4 being way dif than the rx7, and the 8 being different from them all. They are NOT even the same platform.

...and consequently, neither of those cars were available at the same time from Mazda. Rx-3 was out, discontinued, then came the Rx-4.

Rx-7 was out, discontinued, and here comes the Rx-8. There will be no new Rx-7.

[importadrenelin]

MaxT - I couldn't agree with you more, the Rotary is reliable but it does need extra attention for maintenance, but since most RX-7 owner are car nutz and they cannot get enough of their RX-7's they don't have a problem with it because all they do is play with the car...

[CrAzY_PLaYa]

Does this mean the price of RX-7s is gonna be jacked up?

[drox]

Originally posted by frenchdriver


do you actaully have a blue TII? haven't seen one in calgary that color.

man i love those cars :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

(sorry about the drool) :thumbsup: No, mines silver. I saw that car on someones website selling RE Amemiya bumpers (thats the old style on my sig) and cut it out of the pic and resized it for my sig.
Originally posted by 4wheeldrift
I think there would be a limited market for the new RX-7, if they can keep the price of the car down. The RX-8 is looking like it should be quite affordable, if they can keep the coupe in a similar price range it should do ok. If not, I give it 3 years before it gets the axe again. 25k US sounds a lot nicer than the probable low 40s we will see.
Originally posted by importadrenelin
MaxT - I couldn't agree with you more, the Rotary is reliable but it does need extra attention for maintenance, but since most RX-7 owner are car nutz and they cannot get enough of their RX-7's they don't have a problem with it because all they do is play with the car... You'd be surprised how many ppl over at rx7club canadian forum dont have a running 7 lol.:guns:

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by drox
You'd be surprised how many ppl over at rx7club canadian forum dont have a running 7 lol.:guns:

If you go to any car forum you will find that, it's just the nature of the hobby, I'm not convinced there are any more non running rotarys per capita, than there would be on the supra forum, or the corvette forum.

[drox]

Yeah I guess. But then again a lot of people wont drive their 7s in winter and reserve that time to mod them. And a lot of places people dont need to even deal with snow.