RX-8

Mazda tweet hints the rotary engine is not dead

After it killed off the RX-8, we thought that Mazda had called off its love affair with the Wankel rotary engine. If the Mazda_PR twitter account is to be believed, perhaps the rumors of the rotary's death have been exaggerated.

The tweet comes out of the other side of Google Translate's tubes as:

To support a lot of RX-8 rotary engine, the message, thank you very much! We are excited together. Mazda "SKYACTIV" said aims to achieve technological breakthroughs, new models are being developed intensively with the next generation of rotary engines. Continued support thank you! … Read more

Mazda halts production of rotary engine sports car

Mazda Motor Corp. has canceled production of its RX-8 rotary engine sports car, citing falling sales and stringent global emissions standards.

Production in Hiroshima, Japan, ended in early July and global sales of the car will conclude later this year.

The RX-8 and the three generations of the RX-7 that preceded it have long been the foundation the brand's fun-to-drive aura. The car's high-revving 1.3-liter, twin-rotor rotary engine produces 232 hp at 8,500 rpm -- a big punch in a relatively small package.

But Mazda sold just 1,134 RX-8s last year, a 49 percent decline … Read more

Mazda to mass produce hydrogen vehicles within five years

Usually when we hear about hydrogen as a fuel, it's actually being used to generate electricity for an electric motor. It's no secret that Mazda's been developing a hydrogen powered version of its Renesis rotary engine for years, but now the automaker says that it will soon be mass-producing hydrogen powered vehicles. The rotary engine's unique design actually makes it well suited for using hydrogen as a combustible fuel.

In an interview with U.K. magazine Autocar, James Muir, Mazda Europe's CEO said that the company "will do the hydrogen rotary engine, but it … Read more

82: HDTV in your car at 62 mph

Pirelli's Cyber Tyre talks to the car, HDTV proven to work on the highway, Viper no longer a Dodge? And we go for a ride in the Mazda RX-8 R3. Listen now: Download today's podcast Show notes

• Pirelli Cyber Tyre

• 4G to power HDTV on the road

• California backs pay-by-the-mile auto insurance

• New Sony head unit with USB and ZAPPIN technology

• FCC to force a marriage of HD Radio and Satellite Radio?

71: Chrysler gets plug-in hybrid fever

Chrysler and GE working on a plug-in hybrid, Toyota doubles the range of its fuel cell car, Porsche's 911 gets a badly need tech upgrade, and what ever happened to that sat radio merger? Listen now: Download today's podcast

Review: 2008 Mazda RX-8

The Mazda RX-8 is one of the most distinctive sports cars on the road thanks to its unique rotary engine and its aggressive, comic-book styling. Its interior tech leaves plenty to be desired, but for sheer mid-market driving pleasure, the high-revving, four-door coupe is hard to beat. This week Mazda announced that it will be unveiling an update of the RX-8 to next month's Detroit auto show. Until then, you can check out our review of the 2008 model right here.