Rumor: Mazda Working On Next Generation, Forced-Induction RX-7

If you�re an automotive journalist who�s also a gear head, it�s easy to despair over all the news coming from manufacturer�s these days. Like them or not, we�re about to be force fed a steady diet of hybrid automobiles in every shape, size and configuration. Don�t get me wrong, I�m not anti-hybrid; they have their place in commuter cars. I AM anti-hybrid when it comes to building an enthusiast oriented sport sedan. I don�t want the added weight, complexity or cost of a hybrid drivetrain, especially when the increase in fuel mileage is only 10 to 20 percent.

So with that in mind, I really hope the latest rumor about Mazda, as reported on Autoevolution, is true. Sources at Mazda report work on a turbocharged variant of their Renesis rotary motor, for use in a new sports coupe dubbed the RX 9. The best news is that we�ll see the car as soon as 2013, and it appears that Mazda is taking it in the pure-sports-car direction of the last generation RX-7 Turbo.

There are some significant hurdles to overcome, including lowering emissions from the Renesis motor (now out of production in the EU because of stricter environmental regulations) and boosting the Renesis� dismal fuel economy. Mazda has tricks up their sleeve to address these failings, but they�re not providing many details. An inside source reveals that Mazda is working on electric turbocharging as a way to reduce emissions, which will need to meet even stricter standards in the EU by 2014.