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.