Mazda Planning SKY Rotary for Next RX-8 With 50% Fuel Economy Improvement

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

The next-generation Mazda RX-8 will get significantly improved fuel economy thanks to a new SKY Rotory engine. According to a report by GoAuto out of Australia, Mazda is planning a second-gen RX-8 with a completely reengineered rotary engine. If the Japanese automaker’s engineers are successful in improving the engine’s design, they plan on delivering a new powerplant with 50 percent better fuel economy. And if this goal is achieved (a necessity if Mazda is to continue using the rotor setup says R&D director Seita Kanai), then Mazda will also brand this engine with its new SKY moniker – a name its using for a new lineup of fuel efficient four-cylinder gasoline and diesel powerplants due out in the near future.

Kanai did not, however, comment on if hybrid technology might be used to further improve the rotary engine. a Hybrid setup in such a car might not be all that surprising as rumors continue to pop up that Subaru’s STi will go hybird, Mitsubishi’s EVO will go hybrid and even the Ford Focus RS will be a hybrid.

[Source: GoAuto]

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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 2 comments
  • Felix Wankel Felix Wankel on Sep 09, 2010

    Never trust news articles that can't spell the technology correctly. Rotary, not rotory.

  • Allen Allen on Sep 11, 2010

    As the designer is this new engine. I would have to say never trust anyone.

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