Four Good Reasons Why The Next RX-7/RX-8 Should Be A Hybrid

By Todd DeMeza

Todd DeMeza

Contributing Writer BIO

Todd DeMeza has a long time interest in and passion for cars. During high school, he decided he wanted to use his enthusiasm to become an automotive... More

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9 1,667 views May 3, 2010

Angular Front Exterior View - 2010 Mazda RX-8 4-door Coupe Man Grand Touring

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The new Honda CR-Z is getting a lukewarm reception from performance car enthusiasts all the while selling like crazy in the home market of Japan, probably due to its sporty camouflage. The Porsche 918 Spyder is getting closer and closer to production and brings amazing numbers, but comes with a high price tag that many can’t afford.

A real-world, performance-oriented hybrid needs to come onto the market at a price that is at least affordable and competitive with cars like the Hyundai Genesis, Nissan 370z, or the domestic pony cars. This hybrid should be faster and more fun to drive than the CR-Z but way cheaper (and of course slower) than the 918 Spyder.

This is where Mazda should step up to the plate and bring us an RX-7 in hybrid form. Mazda is one of the car manufacturers that enthusiasts love, and all of their cars in the line-up have some fun “Zoom-Zoom” DNA in them. They’ve also stuck to their guns to build cars, in the form of the RX-8, with the Wankel rotary engine, despite its design flaws.

These flaws, as well as its advantages, give good reasons why they should add an electric drive train to their rotary-powered cars.

Gas Mileage—The Wankel rotary engine’s biggest Achilles’ heel has always been gas mileage. The current RX-8 will get give the driver 16 mpg in the city for both transmissions. Highway mileage is 23 mpg with the automatic, 22 mpg for the six-speed manual.  By combining a hybrid system with the rotary, the mileage should improve greatly. An example would be Lexus’s GS460 and the GS450h. The GS450h gets a combined 23 mpg, while the GS460 gets 20 mpg combined; all the while both cars make the same amount of power. Similar results could be created with the Mazda.

Lack Of Low-End Torque—Low-speed torque is another big issue with the Wankel. The engine is known for being rev-happy, so the peak torque for the RX-8 comes in around 5,500 rpm comes at no surprise. The engine will lug at lower speeds, and the engine needs to be revving high in order for the car to be drivable.  Electric motors, on the other hand, produce peak torque from stop. By combining a hybrid system to a car like the RX-8, the low-end torque issue could be squashed, and acceleration times could improve as well.

Emissions—There have been recent rumors flying around that Mazda is being forced to drop the 2011 RX-8 in the European market because it won’t meet upcoming 2012 “Euro5” emissions. With the recent influx of hybrid performance car concepts, like the Ferrari 599 hybrid, at the Geneva show that were built for meeting emissions standards. Mazda should take a hint from these manufactures and follow suit with a Hybrid Wankel drive train.

Flex-Fuel Capable—Mazda has shown that RX-8, in current form with some tweaks,  the car can run on both gasoline and hydrogen.  In recent news that the 16X engine will be able to run on pretty much anything flammable from gasoline and diesel to renewable biomass fuels, it will gives the Wankel engine a huge advantage over current hybrids.  Mazda would be able to do a one-two punch by combining flex-fuel capabilities with the hybrid system.

Rumors are that the engineers at Mazda are still struggling to make the RX-7. The performance numbers are there, but the emissions and fuel consumption issues are there too. Perhaps by making the RX-7, or next generation RX-8 a hybrid, they could overcome these issues.

[Source: Automobile]