Mazda is famous for many things, but the rotary-engined sports cars are the company’s most iconic creations to date. So, it’s by no means surprising that enthusiasts have been clamoring for a successor to the RX-8 ever since the four-door coupe was discontinued in 2012. However, despite recent rumors that the Japanese automaker is working on a rotary sports car, it seems that Mazda doesn’t have any actual plans to build a production model.
Speaking to Automotive News, Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai broke heartbreaking news for rotary fans, saying that Mazda isn’t yet ready to produce an engine that would meet future emissions regulations.
"We ended production of the RX-8 with the rotary engine. But if we were to restart production of the rotary engine again, we need to make sure it wouldn’t be just short-lived. We need it to meet future emissions regulations. We are still conducting our r&d activity to overcome any issues we have with emissions and fuel efficiency," he said, adding that a range-extender rotary is more likely to arrive first.
"Considering regulations such as the zero-emissions vehicle mandate, electrification is a technology we need to introduce in the near future. The range extender would be the first," he added.
Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t stop here, as Kogai also told the outlet that a larger sports car that would slot above the MX-5 is out of the question right now. Kogai’s firm "No" comes as a blow to the head following reports claiming that the gorgeous RX-Vision Concept is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2019 with the RX-7 moniker. Needless to say, it could still happen in the future, but Kogai made it clear that such a car isn’t even on the drawing table. It may take a while...
Rotary aside, the CEO also confirmed that Mazda is working on a new generation of SkyActiv technologies that will find its way into production cars by March 2019. The Japanese carmaker also wants to move upmarket and distinguish itself from the other mainstream brands from the country. This overhaul will begin with the next-generation Mazda6, Mazda3, and CX-3, which are set to get "major updates."
Continue reading for the full story.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/2gP4Yj5
No comments:
Post a Comment