[Aika Car Deep Observation Original]
Mazda North America's official website has quietly launched a new car for the future , the Mazda MX-30 PHEV. But this did not escape the eyes of everyone, and the news did not go away. For no other reason than the range extender used by the Mazda MX-30 is Mazda's signature technology, the rotor engine. Mazda rotary engines are definitely the "top class" in the internal combustion engine industry, and even after many years of delisting, we can still see fans from all over the world trying to reproduce one themselves.
Is Mazda ready to draw some sesame seeds for the cake this time, or is it about to be served on the table? Also, the rotor engine is fascinating, but combining it with suVs and plug-in hybrids, doesn't the taste change? Let's move on.
According to the official website page, the car will use a rotor range extender
The information given on the official website page is very limited, and the specific parameters, mileage, etc. are not mentioned. However, it emphasizes that the range extender works in the form of "rotary". Undoubtedly, this is a plug-in hybrid vehicle that uses a rotor engine as a range extender.
Jokingly, there is good news and a "bad news". The good news is that the rotor engine is finally back! The "bad news" is that it goes with the big picture.
In fact, for the rotor engine and Mazda, returning in this form should be two good things. Next, let's analyze the reasons for this step by step.
An off-site story of Mazda and a rotor engine
The familiar theory is that Mazda began a "paranoid" career in research and development after buying a patent for the rotor engine from the German Wankel. This statement is true, but it is missing some details.
Mazda was not the first to develop a rotor engine. Prior to this, German manufacturers such as NSU, Rolls-Royce, Suzuki, and Mercedes-Benz used and improved rotor engines. But in the end, it persevered, and the biggest research and development efforts were indeed Mazda.
In the context of the times at that time, some voices in Japan believed that due to the underdeveloped road network, Japan's construction of the automobile industry had no comparative advantages to speak of, and banks and investment resources should be tilted to other industries. In the 1960s, Japan implemented the Interim Measures for the Revitalization of Specific Industries Act, which stipulates that small and medium-sized enterprises without independent technology must merge with the top three leaders in the industry.
Suzuki launches the Suzuki RE5, a motorcycle that uses a rotor engine
If nothing else, Mazda is going to be in an accident. Wait, isn't the rotor engine a ready-made life-saving straw?
To this day, it is difficult to determine exactly what purpose Mazda acquired the rotor engine technology patent for, but from the objective facts, the rotor engine will indeed help the car manufacturer beyond the norm.
It doesn't work for races, and it doesn't work for civilian use
The most enjoyable thing about mazda and rotor engines is undoubtedly the highlight of the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is not only the glory of Mazda, but also the feat of the Japanese automotive industry kicking the Pavilion european manufacturers. It took many years for Toyota to win the Le Mans crown, but unfortunately its former opponents are no longer there.
Mazda 787B racing car
Mazda's glory has strength, perseverance, and relies on luck. The 1991 Mazda 787B finished with an average speed of 204.036 km/h, the 1989 Sauber C9 averaged 219.99 km/h, the 1991 Mazda 787B took 362 laps, and the 1989 Sauber C9 ran 389 laps totaling 5265 km/h.
Sauber-Mercedes C9 racing car
Mazda is undoubtedly the champion, but comparing the data can be found, it is not as fast as the legend. As for the "ban for too fast" statement is even less valid, who would change the rules to target a manufacturer who has repeatedly lost battles and is not so fast?
Instead, in terms of rules, Mazda in 1991 took advantage of it. Relying on the operation of a certain big man at that time, Mazda racing broke the rule limit, and the weight of the car was 170kg lighter than other opponents in the same group, under the premise of limiting the total fuel consumption, such an advantage is self-evident.
All in all, the Le Mans car with a Mazda rotor engine has the strength to compete with European friends, but it is indeed not as "open and hanging" as rumored.
In the 21st century, mass production vehicles equipped with rotor engines are also declining. The rotor engine has the advantages of light weight, small size and high power, but also has the characteristics of high fuel consumption and high maintenance costs, which makes the Mazda RX-8 destined to become a niche sports car.
Sadly, the Mazda RX-8 failed to pass Euro V emission standards in 2010, and the loss of the European market was a huge shock for a niche sports car. Mazda officials expect that RX-8 will pass the Euro V standard in 2014 under the premise of investing a large amount of money, but the Euro VI emission standard will arrive in 2015.
Look at the Chinese auto market that was rising at that time. China V emission standards will be implemented in the economically developed Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and other places, and its design standards refer to Euro V and require carbon emissions of 1g/km. Basically, the Mazda RX-8 is also difficult to reverse in the Chinese market, when the guide price of this imported sports car was 380,000-390,000 yuan.
Mazda RX-8
Finally, on July 2, 2012, the last Mazda RX-8 rolled off the production line, and the last car with a rotor engine was discontinued. Emissions regulations are pressing forward, and Mazda must break its wrists.
The best home for rotor engines at the moment
In the first half of the year, Mazda released financial report data for fiscal years 2021 (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021) and financial forecasts for fiscal years 2021 (April 2021 to March 2022). According to the report, Mazda's net sales in fiscal 2021 were 2.88 trillion yen, down 16% year-on-year; operating profit was 8.82 billion yen, down 79.8% year-on-year; and net profit loss was 31.65 billion yen (about 1.8 billion yuan). Mazda's net profit for fiscal 2020 was JPY 12.13 billion. Domestically, FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda also completed the merger this year.
As an aside, Mazda is one of the few companies that can confidently report negative sales/earnings. However, optimism does not solve the current dilemma. If you want to survive, you still have to reinvent the market.
Mazda MX-30 EV
Electrification is now irreversible, and mazda is really difficult to say that it has the technical reserves to lead its peers in this regard. However, the rotor engine with small structure, light size and high reliability is the best choice as a range extender.
As a product of the glory days of the Japanese automotive industry, the Mazda RX-7 is by no means limited to the rotor engine. The original car's impressive degree of weight reduction while achieving a 50:50 counterweight on the front and rear axles. This must be due to the business capabilities of Mazda's engineering team, but also due to the operational space provided by the structural advantages of the rotor engine.
Mazda RX-7
Looking at the present, as the only manufacturer in the world that is still cultivating rotor engines, why doesn't Mazda combine it with electrified models to create product models suitable for the current environment?
The small size of the rotor engine can be flexibly placed in the car, and the space saved can provide space for the vehicle's chassis battery pack or other hardware, while it also has the characteristics of light weight and low noise, which is very suitable for extended range hybrid vehicles.
Mazda had bet on rotor engine technology, and rotor engine technology also enabled Mazda to avoid the fate of being acquired, and the second time, Mazda still had to rely on this bottom card to achieve a reversal.
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