Mazda rumored to use laser-ignition for next-gen rotary

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Japan, Technology, Mazda, Rumormill

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Autocar is reporting that the next-generation rotary engine from Mazda may turn to a laser ignition system instead of traditional spark plugs. The report supposedly comes straight from the mouth of a shadowy senior engineer within the program. Mazda has been hard at work on the 16X Renesis rotary since around 2007 and the engine has seen quite a few evolutions over the intervening years. Autocar says that the design has seen displacement swell from 1.3 liters to 1.6 liters and that at least some parts of the engine have been designed to be made from aluminum to further reduce weight.

The work is in an effort to get the rotary to be more fuel efficient and provide more torque, the latter not usually being a chief attribute of this type of engine. According to Autocar, using a high-temperature laser ignition system would allow engineers to tune the Wankel to run leaner than systems that use a conventional spark plug. It would also reportedly allow the engine control module to more accurately adjust and monitor timing.Mazda rumored to use laser-ignition for next-gen rotary originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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[SarcasticOne]

just put out the proper specs already mazda
sick of all these confliciting rumours

[bd581]

Just build something.

Instead of a million different experiment, just concentrate on one thing and finish it.

[Reedy]

Heh theyre not putting out any specs cause it's not working!

But I like the sound of lasers. Innovation like that leads to things like man walking on the moon =)

[Nexus]

Strikes me as plausible if not likely. I think we'll see the next gen RX a showcase of technology, in a similar fashion that mercedes is known for. Extend the engineering exclusivity beyond the mechanics of the engine and into every part of the RX DNA.

[Spudspec]

I think I may have mentioned a little bit about this car before... but maybe in a different thread, I.6 litre rotary. oh yeh..