Mazda's long-rumoured RX-9 might be powered by hydrogen

Thursday, 12 August 2021

The RX-Vision from 2015 was our most recent glimpse at a potential RX-9.

Mazda has been in the news a bit recently, particularly with the will-it, won’t-it RX-9 sports car. A couple of patents have emerged recently that indicate the project is still alive at Mazda, even if the company won’t confirm it, and a new report reckons it has new details on the engine.

According to Japan’s Best Car website, Mazda has tackled the Wankel rotary’s notorious fuel consumption and emissions issues by feeding it hydrogen instead of petrol.

A range extender? Come on, Mazda, we want a new one of THESE! (even though sports cars don't really sell enough to justify the investment anymore)

“Although it is a small scale, [rotary engine] development has progressed,” said Best Car, citing a Mazda source. “As the world has suddenly turned to decarbonisation, the view that hydrogen rotary is an important technology is rapidly expanding.”

The report went on to say that, if it gets the okay from Mazda’s bosses, a prototype could be completed within three years. It will almost certainly be turbocharged and/or electrified as well, which fits in with other RX-9 patents and rumours.

**READ MORE:

The hydrogen-powered RX-8 in 2006. It had an extra petrol fuel tank as well, as back-up.

* Mazda to offer rotary in MX-30?

* Hydrogen cars don't have engines

Toyota ran this Corolla at a 24-hour race, with a hydrogen-powered combustion engine.

* Friday flashback: Mazda's rorty rotary

* How Mazda is bringing the rotary engine back

This wouldn’t be the first time Mazda had investigated the potential of a hydrogen-powered rotary engine. Back in 2003, it built the RX-8 RE, which it leased to Norwegian customers in 2006 to prove the concept could work.

It wasn’t very powerful, making just 80kW with hydrogen, but nearly twenty years of development could change that.

Additionally, Mazda has partnered up with Toyota for various things, which could potentially include Toyota’s hydrogen-combustion technology.

The Japanese manufacturer had a prototype Corolla running in a recent 24-hour endurance race at Fuji Speedway in Japan, using a slightly tweaked version of the 1.6-litre turbocharged triple found in the GR Yaris.

The only changes Toyota made were the fuel delivery system and spark plugs and installing four hydrogen storage tanks and the associated piping from the hydrogen Mirai. It does still require some engine oil for lubrication, but the combustion doesn’t produce CO2.

If Mazda combines this technology with its trick capacitor-based hybrid system, it could really be on to a winner.

Unfortunately, this is all based on rumours and speculation. Hopefully Mazda gives us something soon.