Rotary engine-powered Mazda RX-7 due in 2016 - report

Will have about 250 bhp

Mazda is reportedly planning an RX-7 revival with a newly developed rotary engine for a 2016 release.

Although in November last year we heard Mazda CEO Masa-michi Kogai saying the return of a rotary engine is highly unlikely, British media is reporting Mazda is already developing a new unit which will end up powering the RX-7 revival scheduled to come out in 2016.

The new rotary engine will allegedly be naturally aspirated with a capacity of around 600cc per rotor and chances are it will adopt a twin-rotor configuration which means it will have a capacity of 1.2 liters, representing the equivalent of 2.4 liters of a regular combustion engine. Output is expected to be somewhere in the region of 250 bhp (186 kW). Previous iterations of the rotary engine had problems with reliability and fuel economy but appearantly major improvements are being made for the new unit.

As far as styling is concerned, the new RX-7 will follow the same design philosophy of the next-gen MX-5 due in 2015 and most of the design has already been completed but still hasn't been signed off for the production model. In charge of the design is Ikuo Maeda whose father was responsible for drawing the original RX-7 back in the late 70s.

Note: 2018 Mazda3 concept drawing pictured

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/114011268614/rotary-engine-powered-mazda-rx-7-due-in-2016---report