Bonus Video: Mazda Skyactiv gets retro

Not to be outdone by the boys at Fuji Heavy, Mazda has produced yet another look-at-our-awesome-history-of-fun-to-drive-cars montage commercial, but this time without the zoom-zoom. Instead, it’s to get the word out about its new family of Skyactiv motors. The spot is titled “Revolutions,” but despite glimpses ofย 787Bs and Cosmo Sports ironically/sadly there is no rotary engine to promote.

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19 Responses to Bonus Video: Mazda Skyactiv gets retro

  1. DBXJ says:

    There was also a FC and a furari (i think thats how its spelled)

    i really need to get my TII back together

  2. RXFURY says:

    I fear Mazda is going to miss the boat here.

    Nearly all the other Japanese Marques have released some kind of new true sports car. Nissan’s GTR, Honda NSX, the Toyota Subaru twins etc.

    The RX8 was never really a sports car and the MX5 although an awesome bit of gear is old news.
    The last real sports car they made was the FD RX7.
    Mazda keeps tempting us with Design cars and Prototypes but none of these look like they will ever be produced.

    Not everyone is interested in economy.
    Where is the new RX7 or an RX9 or something else Turbo 4, V6 or even a V8 RWD powered? Why not a new RX3 or Cozmo?

    Please Mazda. Impress me. Again.

    • Tyler says:

      I keep telling people they need an MX7 flagship sports car but they keep saying the Miata is that… no one seems to get it! But yes, I agree with you. An MX3 would be cool too (since they don’t offer rotaries anymore they’d all be MX)

      • Tom Westmacott says:

        I’m certain that everyone at Mazda would love to make a new RX-7. But fuel economy has rapidly become even more important recently, and everyone else is introducing downsized turbo engines. 50mpg is the new 30 mpg, certainly in Europe.

        In the 70s Mazda got on the wrong side of gas-guzzler taxes and it ended in them being rescued by their bankers – they won’t make the same mistake again. Making a brand new sports car platform for the few people who are ‘not interested’ in fuel economy just isn’t financially viable, especially in a weak economy.

        The problem is, even if they wanted to, it’s also not really viable to make a new V6 or V8 engine just for one low-volume car (remember, even the RX-7 and 8 used developments of the existing rotary powerplant). A Turbo 4 could be light and powerful, but I doubt it would seem special enough to fill the FD’s shoes and command top prices.

        My solution is this; the current MX-5 will soon be replaced, with the new car tipped to be smaller and lighter, with a downsized Skyactiv engine. Great. Then the current platform, as shared with the RX-8, could be used to make a compact 2+2 sports car with either a reworked Skyactiv-tuned version of the current 2.0, and/or a direct-injection turbo four as used in the Mazdaspeed 3.

        Such a car would be shorter and lighter than the RX-8, but with 200+hp, clearly positioned above the newly downsized MX-5. It would re-use existing engineering, so would be quick and cheap to bring to market. All Mazda really needs then is another attractive coupe body, and they would be ready to steal the GT-86’s thunder.

        • Tyler says:

          I think Mazda needs a hachiroku figher, and the Miata just doesn’t fit the bill. The RX8 seemed to alienate people too- it wasn’t a hard sports car and it wasn’t a usable sedan… something in between.

          Like you say, they need a coupe. I’m working on it in my sketchbook right now…

        • Tyler says:

          Whatever it is though, it will be an MX, not an RX.

  3. xs10shl says:

    Just offer a rotary option for the MX-5 and be done with it.

  4. Ryan says:

    I spyied an FC at 0:09 ! it looks like its the end of the rotary, a sad thing indeed,
    but do they keep popping up in official videos, I doubt it would feature if its been completely scrapped,
    Im sure there will be another Rx7, but it will return to its roots as a NA light weight cheap and fast machine.

    Or put the renesis in the Mx5….

    • DBXJ says:

      why put a underpowered motor in anything when you have 13b’s and 20b’s

      • Ryan says:

        Not to sure what you mean,
        A renesis is a 13b, and 250hp in an mx5 is a fast car.

        I doubt mazda would put a dusty old 12a in a new rx7???

        • DBXJ says:

          its a 13b in name only nothing on them is interchanagble i know ive tried when doing my old FB project there ok motors but would much rather have much more capable turbo 13b or 20b.

  5. E-AT_me says:

    sorry, i’m confused as to how the miata isn’t a “true sportscar”.. supercar it is not. sports car, it most definitely is. i guess it all really depends on your definition of the word, but the NSX and GTR are not “sports cars”. those are “super cars”. much like the RX7’s of past.. the miata was never meant to be a “supercar”. it HAS, however, always been a “sports car”. if the miata isn’t a “sports car”, then the BRZ etc isn’t either. a “coupe” does not make a sports car, it just makes a sports car practical. and the whole point of a “sports car” isn’t practicality, it is driving experience..

    • cesariojpn says:

      Miata is more of a roadster than a sports car.

      • E-AT_me says:

        so what you’re telling me is a Ferrari 430 is a roadster and NOT a sportscar, correct? a Jaguar XK convertible is a roadster, and NOT a sports car. A BMW M roadster is a roadster and NOT a sportscar.. a boxster S is a roadster and NOT a sportscar…

        • E-AT_me says:

          whatever. doesn’t really matter.. i guess if you’ve never driven one you’ll never understand. doesn’t matter that the most popular car to drive in the SCCA (SportsCarClubofAmerica) is a miata… yes. i realize that’s a stupid point.. ๐Ÿ˜€

  6. john says:

    Didn’t know this was such a hot button issue… ๐Ÿ™‚

    Personally, I’d love to see them bring back a version of the FD, preferably not $35k…

  7. TyFc3s says:

    This is not the end of the rotary, i cant believe people are seriously believing that it is, if this really was the end i would be the first person to be upset about it, but instead im just laughing about the people who do believe it… The CEO of mazda came out in a press conference a month or two ago and said that the rotary is Mazda, and they would never let it die.. Thats good enough for me… The GTR is obviously selling well enough for honda to give it a try, but Honda is a big company, so they can take chances, Toyota is using the 86 to test the waters as well as the GTR and now NSX, Toyota is also big enough to make risk, but Mazda isnt, so Mazda has to watch the GTR, NSX, and Supra live and sell, then once Mazda is sure that a sports car will sell they will make a Rotary powered killer. The problem is that Mazda no longer has Ford support and Money, so if they decided to build a Rx7 or Rx9 now, and it failed like the FD did, then Mazda is dead, so they have to be at least relatively smart (they’ve never been that smart in the past) about what will sell, and when it would sell best. But rest assured there will be another rotary powered sports car very soon.

    • RXFURY says:

      Ford doesn’t have any money . Didn’t the main company get a massive bail out from the US government. Ford Australia is just about dead but the Australian government wont turn off the life support machine. That said Ford Europe is doing noticeably better.
      The fact they aren’t a controlling interest in Mazda is a good thing. I am sure they where the ones holding Mazda back.
      Great things have come from Mazda sine Ford left the scene. Mazda is the best selling car in Australia and rates high on the best sales list of most of the world markets.
      They are big enough to build something risky and ballsy.

      Series 9 RX7. Genuine 2 seater, Triple rotor renesis and sexy sleek body lines. Bring it on Mazda.

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