Comment by elihu
5 years ago
It's funny you mention the RX-8, since I'm in the (slow) process of converting one to electric. That weird cat blower was one of the many parts I removed while thinking "I'm glad I don't have to understand or care about why this car needed something like that in the first place".
Just talking about the RX-8 brings back great memories - what a strange, yet beautiful car!
The cat blower, and the subtle whining sound it made when you started up cold was one of the ways every RX-8 owner was hazed into the fold... after calling the dealer or posting on a forum and finding out it's entirely normal!
Other oddities included how it deliberately burned oil (scaring new owners into thinking they had a serious engine problem), and how you were required to drive it hard to clear out its engine ports (multiple Mazda mechanics confirmed this factoid) - driving it like a normal car would literally clog up the exhaust ports and cause a loss of power (something to do with the lack of moving valves). If memory serves right, it had only 3 (!!!) moving parts in the engine, and was perfectly content to hang out at 9,000 RPM all day - that's incredible.
But, it seems the issues Mazda had maintaining it's emission certifications, and warranty issues with those apex seals (mine had 3 engine replacements over it's lifetime) eventually caused it to be retired. I was sad back then, and still sad we don't have a new improved version - there's really nothing else quite like it out there, not even the RX-7. It really was/is an enthusiast's car.
Good luck on your project - sounds like a fun one!
I'm hoping LiquidPiston's rotary engine design pans out: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25450477
In theory, it should fix some of the maintenance issues (apex seals are attached to a stationary part of the engine where they can be more easily lubricated) and fuel efficiency / emissions issues (combustion chamber is closer to spherical).
I like the idea of the Mazda rotary engine, but I'm not really surprised they stopped making them, due to fuel economy and emissions. And at them moment, the hundred-thousand mile engine rebuild interval basically means you can get an RX-8 with a bad engine for almost nothing, which opens up a nice opportunity for EV conversion. It's hard to imagine a nicer platform to start from.
Wow, that LiquidPiston rotary looks very interesting! I hadn't seen that before - I too hope it pans out.
> I'm not really surprised they stopped making them, due to fuel economy...
Eh, nobody bought that car for the fuel economy!
The car sold itself... just one test drive and you had to have it. I've owned and driven muscle and other sports cars, and still nothing compares to the RX-8 - it's just such a unique experience.
Not sure how you're doing the conversion, but if you're keeping the carbon fiber driveshaft (vs. a motor on each wheel I suppose), there will be nothing keeping it from screaming off the line with an electric motor under the hood (traditionally the wankel wasn't good off the line with low RPM's, power band kicking in around 6500 if I recall - could make for a great "sleeper"). Although I'm unsure if the driveshaft would stand up to the torque a motor would output, since the wankel wasn't particularly torquey.
If you're not already, keep a blog and pictures of the conversion - that would make for an interesting read!
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