The sports car patent is hybrid.
The rotary engine would be the center of this new powertrain.
There will be three electric motors, one behind the engine as well as two in front.
The dream of seeing an authentic sports car with a rotary engine is still alive and well. Indeed, thedrive.com has discovered this patent filing that was first filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in June 2021. However, the document was discovered recently, with the publication dating back to just a few days ago.
According to the published document, Mazda would aim for a hybrid approach for this potential sports car. The rotary engine would therefore work in concert with a first synchronous electric motor housed behind the rotary block and a pair of motors installed in the front wheels. This configuration would also allow the car to offer all-wheel drive.
Of course, at this point, power and torque figures have not been released, but we already know that for this sports car idea, the front-mounted motors would provide 23 horsepower each, while the other motor, with 36 horsepower, would be added to the overall engine. As for the transmission, no details have been revealed, but with the brand’s engineers being so stubborn about manual transmissions, it wouldn’t be surprising to see one aboard this future Mazda sports car.
Moreover, Mazda does not intend to graft a big battery pack to this future sports car. No, the brand’s engineers have instead opted for a 48-volt system. In fact, there are four 48-volt modules installed behind the driver’s seat. In normal driving, this 48-volt battery would act like any good 48-volt mild hybrid system, but when the driver wants more, the system would convert to two 96-volt modules, which allows for maximum power, but with less current and fewer high-voltage connections, among other things. The goal here is to save weight.
The website also adds that this less complicated system would not only be cheaper or lighter, it would also be safer. As the patent document states, any device that generates less than 60 volts doesn’t have what it takes to “pass through a human being.”
Will Mazda go ahead with this idea? Will this hybrid configuration be reserved for the next MX-5, which we know will be electrified. Or, on the other hand, maybe Mazda is looking to bring the RX badge back into the lineup.
