Mazda's new RENESIS named International Engine of the year

Mazda's new RENESIS rotary engine, which powers the all-new Mazda RX-8, has been named "International Engine of the Year 2003." The prestigious award was presented earlier this week at Engine Expo 2003 in Stuttgart, Germany.Now in their fifth year, the International Engine of the Year Awards have become one of the most sought-after automotive accolades. Judged by a panel of 50 renowned motoring journalists from 22 countries, the 2003 Awards once again highlighted and acknowledged underhood engineering excellence.

All current production engines between sub-1.0-litre to above 4.0-litre capacities are judged in areas such as drivability, performance, economy, refinement, and the successful application of advanced technology. There are 12 categories in all, including the grand prize, International Engine of the Year.Every year, the leading passenger-car engine concepts are nominated for awards in twelve different categories as part of a competition organised by British motoring publication Engine Technology International Magazine.

Judges praised Mazda for, "its sheer bravery in pursuing the Wankel format and making it work", calling the RX-8's RENESIS Rotary, "smooth and strong, clean and compact." The engine already meets the forthcoming 2005 EURO IV emissions requirements, yet delivers up to 240bhp.

The Mazda RENESIS Rotary engine won the outright, International Engine of the Year 2003 award, also placing first in two additional categories, "Best New Engine of 2003" and "2.5-litre to 3.0-litre." The RENESIS engine was launched in the Mazda RX-8 recently in Japan and is poised to hit showrooms in Europe, North America and Australia from about August. It represents nothing less than a revolution in rotary engine technology, as it delivers smooth, high-revving performance, achieves acceptable fuel consumption and is able to meet some of the toughest emission standards in the world.

"Mazda's International Engine of the Year Award success is a remarkable achievement," said Graham Johnson, editor of Engine Technology International magazine and Chairman of the Awards. "The judges are hugely impressed by the RX-8's smoothness, refinement, performance and eco-friendliness. Indeed, 44 of the judges voted for this rotary engine to become International Engine of the Year 2003 - a new Awards record. Mazda can rightly state that it produces the finest automobile engine in the world." The RENISIS engine is unlike any other internal combustion engine in the world. It performs the four processes of intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust in succession by turning a triangular-shaped rotor in a cocoon-shaped combustion chamber to generate the engine power.

Compared to traditional internal combustion engines, it is significantly smaller and exceptionally smooth and high revving. One of the key engineering breakthroughs with the RENESIS engine is the use of advanced side-exhaust technology. The exhaust ports, previously located on the trochoidal housing of a conventional rotary engine, are now situated on the side housing of the rotor chamber, which allowed engineers to optimize the engine's port profiles and eliminate exhaust and intake port overlap. RENESIS also employs variable induction control, electronic throttle valving and new, highly efficient fuel injectors combined with while high-performance spark plugs to deliver better ignition of the fuel-air mixture. This combination of ultra-fine fuel spray and powerful ignition results in nearly complete combustion.

RENESIS is also able to retain most of the unburned hydrocarbons for combustion in the next cycle, a process that greatly reduces emissions. This advanced rotary technology provides Mazda's new RENESIS with a maximum output of 177kW (ECE) at 8200 rpm and maximum torque of 211Nm (ECE) at 5500 rpm for the high power version which will power manual models.

Because it does not need turbocharging, RENESIS is extremely compact and light. So compact, in fact, that it is mounted more towards the rear of the Mazda RX-8 in a so-called "advanced front midship" layout, which greatly reduces the vehicle's yaw inertia moment and helps deliver an ideal 50/50 weight distribution over the front and rear axles. So not only is RENESIS a technologically advanced, high revving engine that is great to drive, it contributes directly to Mazda RX-8's superior sports car handling.

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