Nah, not me.

I'm more curious about the new Toyota/Subaru 086A prototype. Never been a fan of rotary power but the FD RX-7 was a work of art.

I would stick with the 370

I hoped this site would not have some who respond in ways that show their ignorance.

The rotary when NA is a bulletproof engine. HELLO!! LEMANS AND ROLEX 24 winner!!! They are very durable.


Not sure if the acceleration numbers would best the Z, but the new 7 WILL best it on the track if numbers all remain the same as today. Gas milage?? PEOPLE... REDUCED WEIGHT = what? And don't even say the new, larger engine will make up the difference as one of Mazda's corporate goals is to increase gas mileage by 20% I believe. That will translate to much improved milage for this new 7.

I will counter myself and say... I also am suspect about the styling. I LOVE my MS RX8; I am hesitant about the new 7. Also, by the time this 7 comes out with its 270-300 HP 16x Rotary, the Z will have DI!

All that said: I have decided to wait until 2010 for more news from Mazda on this car. As it stands right now, I will get the Z.

$200 not including repetative maint such as oil changes, etc. 110,000 miles, 1 carb rebuild kit and one alternator. Clutch was barely hanging on when I sold it.

Actually gas mileage is a weak point of the rotary design. Strengths are simplicity (1/3 the moving parts) and power to weight ratio. Almost all ultralite aircraft use rotary engines because of this. The ideal setup would be the Rotary in the Lotus Exirge body. Torque is somewwhat a product of displacement so a small rotary = small torque much like a Mustang has less HP but more torque due to it's engine than a 370Z. As far as performance window possibilites, look at the RX7 to the 370Z much like the 370Z to the new Camaro. :D

Not trying to hate on rx8. I daily drive far more than i will ever track. To this day i still have not step foot on any track but i would love to. So this is why i focus on subpar MPG with no power. For a daily driver the 370z hits the spot.

The rx8 has its advantages just they dont happen to be any advantage for "me".

I'd like to see an actual unveiling of what the production model would look like not chopped images and art school design projects. But for now my answer is NO.

For me, the everyday low end torque of the 350Z and better acceleration compared to the RX8 decided the issue. A lot depends on when the new RX7 actually comes out as to whether it even gets a look.

What you have quoted is the RX-8's specs, not the last RX-7. No disrespect to RX-8 owners, but Mazda always said the RX-8 is NOT a direct RX-7 successor.

The last RX-7 was a pure sports car. The '98-'02 models, which were never sold in the US, were rated at 280 hp and Curb weight was about 2750 lbs in the sportier trims.

(But dynos in Japan had it closer to 300 hp. Recall in the '90s there was a gentlemen's agreement in Japan not to exceed 280 hp, even the GT-R was rated 280 hp.)

I owned a '93 RX-7, bought new back in the day. But I wouldn't buy the future 16x version unless the hp is more than 300 and the weight truly is kept at about a flat 2700. Otherwise, it's not any faster than the former RX-7 it replaces (and again I'm not talking about the RX-8).

Then of course there's looks. I'm not a fan of the current Mazda styling trends. In fact, I still prefer the looks of most of the '90s era cars over the styling of their current counterparts.

Looks wise:

Z32 > Z33 (But it's a close toss up between the Z32 & Z34)
RX7 > RX8
Original Miata > current one
R34 GT-R > R35 GT-R (Sorry, the new car's performance is a beast, but its looks are not for me.)
MR2 > MRS
Supra > ? well, you get the idea

When I see the word "Rotary", I think of 3 magic words:

"Apex Seal Failure"

Close after that, is "Shitty Gas Mileage"

I think I'll also stick with my Z, nothing Mazda has appeals to me but to each their own.

For the turbo versions.... NA version = not so much.

I know full well of the 8's challenges and I will be the first to admit it cannot even stand in the same 'city' as the 370z. But the proposed RX7 will give the Z a run for its money if all things remain equal as of today. BUT... we know they will not.

Now.. I would be curious to see what BMW does with the next 1series with their 300HP twin turbo 4 and lighter weight. There is suppose to be a true M version of that car. Hmmmmm.... Too many choices and strategies at play here....

I remember hearing that somehow the "true" displacement of a rotary was in actuality double what they say it is, but I cant remember why...I'll have to look into it...

That's how they were rated on the racing circuit after kicking mucho asso in GTU racing.
*****
In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 hours of Le Mans. The car was a 4-rotor prototype class car, the 787B. The FIA outlawed rotary engines shortly after this win. To this day the rotary powered Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to have ever won the prestigious 24 hour Le Mans race outright.[citation needed]

Mazda began racing RX-7s in the IMSA GTU series in 1979. That first year, RX-7s placed first and second at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and claimed the GTU series championship. The car continued winning, claiming the GTU championship seven years in a row. The RX-7 took the GTO championship ten years in a row from 1982. The RX-7 has won more IMSA races than any other car model.
******
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_RX-7