The Mazda RX2, Mazda RX3, Mazda RX4, Mazda RX7 and now Mazda RX8 are all examples of successful rotary engine sports cars. The New Mazda 16x Rotary Engine should further popularize this offbeat combustion engine which features (as rotaries always have) a compact design with an exceptional power-to-weight ratio all in just 1.6 Liters.

Mazda is calling this new rotary engine the “long-stroke rotary engine.” As you may already know, the 13B rotary engine has a displacement of just 1300cc, which is 1.3 Liters. While the Mazda 16x has an engine displacement of 1600cc (800cc x 2), which is 1.6 Liters; and though they’ve made the 16x significantly larger than the 13B - it weighs less than a 13B. This is due to aluminum side housings, which Mazda says shouldn’t scare us.

Mazda’s aim here is “greater thermal efficiency” - which basically means, any car powered by the Mazda 16x is going to move like stink. Mazda says this [thermal efficiency] will increase torque at all engine speeds. (Rotary engines are notorious for having low torque, especially on the low-end.)

They’ve also added Direct Fuel Injection so you can expect the 16x to be considerably more economical compared to rotaries of the past. Harmful emissions will be greatly reduced as well and power should be slightly increased compared to common multi-point fuel injected rotaries such as the 13B. This should lean the fuel-air mixture out as well and may improve the rotaries nasty habit of flooding every time you move her down the street a block.

Mazda has done incredible things with their light and sporty 1.3 Liter 13B - just imagine what they can do with this new Mazda 16x! Better yet, just imagine what you could do with this new Mazda 16x rotary engine! Unfortunately, however, Mazda has yet to announce a production vehicle to carry the 16x. The closest we’ve gotten is the Mazda Taiki, a far-out prototype developed by Mazda under the “Nagare”(which is, Japanese for “flow”) concept of design.

So when will we see this new rotary engine in action?

Many expected this new rotary engine to appear in the 2009 Mazda RX8, but when the cover was pulled off at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we saw nothing but the Mazda 13B MSP Renesis engine beneath it’s glimmering hood.

Ford chief executive officer Alan Mulally’s crisis is Mazda CEO Hisakazu Imaki’s opportunity.

The two men are partners in moving the second-largest US automaker away from the trucks and large sport-utility vehicles consumers are shunning in the face of $US4-a-gallon gasoline. Ford, which saved Mazda from near-bankruptcy 12 years ago, owns a third of the Hiroshima-based company, Japan’s fifth-largest automaker.

Ford’s Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize sedans, based on the Mazda6 and rated at up to 29 highway miles per gallon, were the Dearborn, Michigan-based company’s only models to gain US sales last month. Half of the automaker’s cars will be based on the designs of its Japanese affiliate by 2010, up from 43% this year, according to CSM Worldwide, a Northville, Michigan-based automotive-consulting firm.

“Mazda is attractive now,” said Masayuki Kubota, a fund manager at Daiwa SB Investments in Tokyo, who oversees the equivalent of $US1.7 billion, including the automaker’s shares.

“There’s a flood of demand for small cars in the US right now and Mazda gains from Ford’s need for its development expertise.”

The Japanese company is saving about 12 billion yen ($US111.4 million) a year through joint development with Ford, according to Credit Suisse Group senior analyst Koji Endo.

That amount will rise as cooperation increases, he said. Mazda plans to spend 115 billion yen on research and development in the year ending next March.

The shares may rise to 700 yen within 12 months, according to Endo, approaching their 16-month high of 718 yen in June 2007. Ten analysts in a Bloomberg survey recommend buying, seven say to hold, and two advise selling.

Mazda climbed 1.6% to 620 yen in Tokyo Stock Exchange trading yesterday, making Ford’s stake worth $US2.73 billion. The 11% gain this year makes it the best-performing Japanese automaker. A rise to Endo’s target price would add about $US355 million to the value of Ford’s investment.

Mazda plans to increase its models’ fuel economy by an average of 30% in the next seven years by making vehicles lighter and developing thriftier engines. The quest for efficiency is spurring cooperation between Mulally and Imaki.

Ford will make a small Fiesta model based on a Mazda design in India as early as 2009, according to CSM, and the two companies will build autos at a jointly owned Thai plant next year.

The Japanese carmaker will also supply Ford with redesigns for the Fusion sedan and Edge crossover wagon to be built in the US

Mazda is treating its RX-8 four-door sports car to a midlife freshening for 2009, updating its appearance and extending the powertrain warranty.

The exterior is features restyle front fascia, headlamps, rear bumper, and exhaust outlets. A new five-spoke wheel features a symbolic design reminiscent of the rotary engine.

Inside, the center instrument panel design is update, and the tachometer has a variable red zone to indicate engine operating temperature. The cabin is further transformed with a new steering wheel and redesigned front and rear seats.

On the performance front, a new R3 sport package delivers enhanced handling reminiscent of the R1 and R2 packages offered on the third-generation RX-7. Key to the performance gains is a sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and front suspension crossmembers filled with urethane foam. (Filling the crossmembers makes for a smoother ride, reduced NVH, and greater suspension control.)

The R3 package declares its potent ability with a unique front bumper, fog lamps, side sills, rear bumper, and 19-inch wheels. It also includes a 300-watt Bose audio system with surround sound and noise compensation technology, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, front Recaro sport seats with leather side bolsters, leather-wrapped parking brake handle, and Mazda keyless entry and start system.

All 2009 Mazda RX-8s have eight years/100,000 miles warranty protection on the Renesis rotary engine, with the balance of the powertrain warranty remains at five years/60,000 miles. Additionally, Mazda will apply this extended eight year/100,000 mile warranty retroactively to all existing 2004-2008 model year RX-8s. This coverage helps offset concerns for an engine with a less-than-sterling reliability reputation. The basic bumper-to-bumper warranty remains at three years/36,000 miles.