Rotary Speed Magazine

Summer is almost here!

As many have noticed, Summer is almost here and issue #2 of Rotary Speed Magazine has not yet arrived. What's up with that? Yes, the economy is crap. We all know that. There are two businesses that have been hit particularly hard by this downturn: cars and magazines. Hey, guess what? Yeah.

Not to despair! After months of development we have a plan that will work even in these dire times. You will get your issues and we think you're going to be blown away by the next Rotary Speed issue. Yes, blown away. Imagine standing in the middle of of Mazda Raceway as a rotary-powered ALMS car passes you at over 100mph on the straight-away -- coming within inches of smashing your toes. Yes, that kind of blown away.

That's all we're going to say right now. The new issue is in progress. It's going to rock. If you're not already a subscriber, sign up today to start with #2 when it ships.

Buy a Great RX-7 - Make a Difference

These days, it seems like everyone has their hand out looking for some cash from the government. But if you look around, you can find examples of folks doing the right thing in their own small way.

Cancer took Patti Wilhelm’s life in June of 2008. Patti was a woman of many passions, including motorsports and her personal RX-7. Patti was also an advocate for shelter animals.  It was her request that her car be sold as a fundraiser for The Humane Society of the United States when she was gone.

In order to help maximize her gift, Autoweek Magazine agreed to host the auction for free. What is available here is a primo completely restored 1984 Mazda RX GSL-SE. This was the ultimate first-gen RX-7, with a  fuel injected engine producing 135 horsepower and 135 lb·ft of torque. Additionally, the GSL-SE came with a limited slip rear axle, upgraded suspension, and upgraded front and rear disc brakes.

Movin' On Up

We're moving the MediaSpigot offices to a new space this week. Not much bigger than our old office, it has more warehouse room with enough space for a small production studio. Because of this, phones will be down for at least a day on Wednesday as we move our telecom equipment. And, quite possibly, with the rushing about from facility to facility, it's possible we may be difficult to reach. No worries, we're around and will be back to a regular schdule the Monday after Thanksgiving at the latest. In the meanwhile, entertain yourself at our new site.

Issue #1 At Press!

Better late than never, issue #1 of Rotary Speed Magazine (previously known as Mazdasport #16) is finally off to press. Subscribers should start receiving issues in about two to three weeks (one week to print, cut, bind and pack, followed by another week or two for the mag to be transported by the USPS to your home or office).

Issue #1 Features: White Knight, RYO from Japan, Rotary Hydrogen Tech, Rotary Racing, Mazda6 review, RX-8 suspension installation, Rotorboat and more! Oh, and of course complete coverage from SevenStock XI!

If you're not yet a subscriber, click here to subscribe online. Or, you can call the subscriber hotline at 1-800-997-6932 (M-F 9am - 5pm PST).

SevenStock XI

The Rotary Speed Magazine crew just arrived from another great SevenStock in Irvine, Calif. The ultimate annual event for Rotorheads, SevenStock XI pulled out all the stops, featuring top Mazda executives, tech sessions, classics, racers and thousands of enthusiasts' rotary rides. We were able to squeeze in full coverage of the event in the debut issue of Rotary Speed Magazine, now in pre-press.

For more pictures from SevenStock XI, click the jump!

Hydrogen Future for RX-8

UK Magazine, Auto Express is reporting (via Wired) that Mazda is looking to clean up the Rotary motor by moving it towards hydrogen fuel, sooner rather than later. Mazda has been experimenting with such systems since 1991 and had been road testing an RX-8 version since 2004 (RX-8 Hydrogen RE, pictured). Auto Express further reports that it will be dubbed the "RX-9."

The hydrogen rotary can be built using Mazda's existing infrastructure, according to Mazda, so that should help minimize sticker shock. The production Hydrogen RX-8 could be available on dealer lots as soon as 2012 (based on the expected end-of-life for the current design.)

With possible government emission and fuel-saving mandates looming that could potentially kill all small sports cars like the RX-8 (and Porsche for that matter), it's good to see that Mazda is looking ahead and doing what it can to keep the rotary relevant in the near future. Now, I wonder how well that motor responds to a turbo upgrade...

In a bid to curb the current car’s high fuel consumption and emissions, Mazda has decided the only way to make its rotary engine clean and green is to offer a dual-fuel version capable of running on both hydrogen and petrol. Mazda has been experimenting with hydrogen power for more than two years now, firstly in the RX-8 Hydrogen RE, and more recently in the Premacy MPV.

One source close to the firm suggested top brass will even discard the RX-8 name and employ a new badge, most probably RX-9, to highlight the coupé’s hydrogen-petrol dual-fuel powertrain.

Expected to be rear-wheel drive and take styling cues from the Taiki concept, the new RX-9 will offer a choice of manual or automatic transmissions and generate up to 20 per cent better economy and emissions than the current test mule.

Sweet Home Alabama for SpeedSource

It could have been anybody's day in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Porsche 250 on July 20.  For SpeedSource, just getting to the grid was an event in itself. In the practice just before qualifying, the #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8 GT took a hard hit from a DP, breaking both the axle and rear upright. Crew from both cars pitched in to make the repairs and get the car ready for qualifying. SpeedSource #70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 GT took the pole. Then a technical infraction by another team moved #69 up to start P2, the first time both cars have qualified in the top spots.

Project RX-8 hits the track!

Not even fortnight has passed since we rolled it off the dealer lot and our project RX-8 is already going to hit the track for some introductory Time Attack race action! Still have a few extra miles for break-in to be complete, but the drive down from Seattle to Portland should take care of those. Given that the car is still 100% stock (except for an awesome sticker, good for at least 20 more horsepower) I really don't stand a chance against the "big boys" coming out to play. But putting my neck out there will give a much better sense of what the cars strengths and weaknesses when pushed full-tilt.

If you're in the Portland, Oregon, area this weekend, come on out. The Time Attack is part of the first Mazda Grand Prix of Portland, which also includes the Brewers Festival (mmm beer!), and runs through the weekend (July 25-26). The Time Attack action immediately follows Formula D, with the first car hitting the tarmac at 5pm for the Saturday race (warm-up on Friday starts at 3:45p).

For more event info, go to www.mazdagrandprix.com or visit the official time attack site, here, to see a complete list of entrants.

Stickers Arrived!

The new stickers for Rotary Speed Magazine just arrived and they look great! Each one is high-quality, screen-printed vinyl, sporting the Rotary Speed logo with a rotary-inspired design floating behind it. Looks great on any Mazda! Charter subscribers to Rotary Speed Magazine will automatically receive a sticker along with their first issue. Additional stickers can be purchased through our official online swag and back-issue store: www.carzines.com

2009 RX-8 R3 First Photos

The real test is penciled in for the magazine, but here's a couple of snapshots to whet your appetite for the new 2009 RX-8 R3. In person it looks even better.