According to inside sources involved in Mazda’s testing in Japan, the automaker is in fact still working on developing a possible RX-7 resurrection car.
Should the RX-7 come to fruition, it is suggested to sport a new rotary engine good for 300 horsepower and capable of running on either diesel or gasoline.
According to sources speaking with Motor Trend, Mazda is still hard at work perfecting a new two-stroke rotary engine, known as the 16X, internally.
Mazda’s market research shows that the market still has strong demand for a high-performance rotary-based sports car, but the automaker needs to find a way to make the rotary engine comply with modern, more strict emissions standards. Mazda’s rotary-powered RX-8 was already banned from sale in Europe due to its inability to pass the mandated emissions tests, and the automaker is trying to find a viable solution in the new 16X.
The same inside sources say that the 16X is already capable of improved emissions and fuel consumption, but the engine still lacks power in the upper rpm range that the Japanese automaker had hoped for. Sources also say that the 16X does not discriminate when
it comes to fuel type, allowing
it to consume either diesel or gasoline, which could potentially allow for Mazda to make an appeal for an emissions compliant engine rating.
Mazda has not officially confirmed the current development of an RX-7 prototype, nor the status of a replacement rotary engine.
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