Straight 6 skyactiv-x engine in development

2.5L with two more cylinders would make a 3.75L. I think you meant 2.0L? But I agree completely, an inline 6 would definitely be sweet. The inherent balance of an inline 6 feels so refined. The NA 3.0L inline 6's from BMW are fantastic. Good low end torque, and the power delivery is very linear all the way to redline. They sound great too.

Yea its certainly 2.0 not 2.5 meaning 3.0.
 
According to what Ive heard, this engine will be the 2.5 with two more cylinders added , modular style. So it comes out as a 3.0 liter.

It will be intriguing. The SA 4 bangers are already smooth running. A six should be sweet


Straight 6 engines are inherently smoother than an inline-4. More power and smoother delivery= 2 luxury check-boxes to mark off.

I'm thinking N/A output like E46 BMW M3 power (300hp) but at near skyactiv 2.5l mpgs. It's been a while since they had a car with 0-60 in mid 5's...this would be it.
 
Straight 6 engines are inherently smoother than an inline-4. More power and smoother delivery= 2 luxury check-boxes to mark off.

I'm thinking N/A output like E46 BMW M3 power (300hp) but at near skyactiv 2.5l mpgs. It's been a while since they had a car with 0-60 in mid 5's...this would be it.

I wonder, is the skyactiv-x considered naturally aspirated? It has an electric supercharger but its more for keeping the air at the optimum ratio than increasing power.
 
From the standpoint of power and displacement? The 2.0 Skyactiv X is higher than a typical NA but not as high as forced induction would typically be. So ..... I guess closer to NA from a specific output but probably its own thing.
 
According to what I*ve heard, this engine will be the 2.5 with two more cylinders added , modular style. So it comes out as a 3.0 liter.

It will be intriguing. The SA 4 bangers are already smooth running. A six should be sweet

Coming from Honda/Acura I thought there was something wrong with my 2018 CX-5 2.5NA when I picked it up from the dealer. The salesman offered to fire up another engine to assure me that the noise (standing outside the vehicle) was normal for Mazda. Inside sounds find with the isolated cabin. If this is smooth, what is rough? All my other cars have been non-Mazda Japanese except for a German diesel which I expected to be rough, so maybe my perceptions are skewed.
 
Youre probably just hearing the injectors. DI motors, especially on cold start, are kinda noisy. I think whats being referred to is smooth from a vibration standpoint.
 
Kind of funny how Jalopnik uses the article to take a swipe at Toyota's lack of engine development for the Supra...but why were they surprised? Toyota has been doing this for years now: using partnerships to cheap out of developing their own stuff, and everyone knows that Toyota's response to the Supra dissenters who criticized them for using the BMW inline six, that it would cost to much in time and R&D was a cop out to save face. We all know the real reason Toyota didn't develop their own engine for the Supra: they cheaper out, they are the largest auto maker in the world, they could have afford the R&D and time to create their own engine and absorbed most of the rising cost from it. Yet it was cheaper, easier, and much quicker to leech off of what BMW has already developed.
 
much quicker to leech off of what BMW has already developed.

Yep, seems to be the trend for several manufacturers. How many brands/trims now use ZF transmissions?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission

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On another note, it seems like most other manufacturers are focused on pure electric for the near future and some are getting very aggressive to rival Tesla for long range and good looks. To me THIS would have been a bigger news reveal in the recent email than the diesel and yet I had to search to find out if Mazda is even working on an electric option. At least some are starting to realize that a car doesn't have to look weird like something out of Dr. Seuss just because it has a hybrid or electric badge.
 
A Mazda straight 6- I WANT IT! My E36 BMW had a straight six and it was smooth and zippy. A Mazda sedan with a straight six would be so awesome.

As for the new Supra, I was a little disappointed to see Toyota use a BMW engine instead of creating their own successor to the 2JZ. I wouldn't even mind if they shared a BMW platform, but I really wish it would've been Toyota powered. I've always been very fond of Toyota, and I still like the new Supra, but both of their sports cars are made by someone else, the 86 by Subaru and the Supra by BMW. And even the Yaris, which is a fun small car is a Mazda. They are too focused on Rav4s, Camrys and Corollas.

But the new Corolla looks decent, a huge improvement over the outgoing model. And you can still get it with a stick :)
 
Coming from Honda/Acura I thought there was something wrong with my 2018 CX-5 2.5NA when I picked it up from the dealer. The salesman offered to fire up another engine to assure me that the noise (standing outside the vehicle) was normal for Mazda. Inside sounds find with the isolated cabin. If this is smooth, what is rough? All my other cars have been non-Mazda Japanese except for a German diesel which I expected to be rough, so maybe my perceptions are skewed.

My sound is mostly the injectors that stand out. That said if you had an inline-5 VW engine...the skyactiv inline4 is a smoother version of it.
 
Coming from Honda/Acura I thought there was something wrong with my 2018 CX-5 2.5NA when I picked it up from the dealer. The salesman offered to fire up another engine to assure me that the noise (standing outside the vehicle) was normal for Mazda. Inside sounds find with the isolated cabin. If this is smooth, what is rough? All my other cars have been non-Mazda Japanese except for a German diesel which I expected to be rough, so maybe my perceptions are skewed.

The high compression gives it a diesel-like sound. And if the engine was cold it runs in a fuel-rich mode for a moment to warm up to optimum temp - this is also somewhat noisy. Sure, you could add insulation, but this is just weight and at the cost of efficiency.
 
Kind of funny how Jalopnik uses the article to take a swipe at Toyota's lack of engine development for the Supra...but why were they surprised? Toyota has been doing this for years now: using partnerships to cheap out of developing their own stuff, and everyone knows that Toyota's response to the Supra dissenters who criticized them for using the BMW inline six, that it would cost to much in time and R&D was a cop out to save face. We all know the real reason Toyota didn't develop their own engine for the Supra: they cheaper out, they are the largest auto maker in the world, they could have afford the R&D and time to create their own engine and absorbed most of the rising cost from it. Yet it was cheaper, easier, and much quicker to leech off of what BMW has already developed.

Being the largest in the world also means they have lots of shareholders to answer to. If "leeching" is cheaper, so be it. Everyone else does it. I bet the Supra, even with its BMW drivetrain and infotainment, doesn't break even or barely does, on the development and cost of setting up an assembly line for it.
 
The high compression gives it a diesel-like sound. And if the engine was cold it runs in a fuel-rich mode for a moment to warm up to optimum temp - this is also somewhat noisy. Sure, you could add insulation, but this is just weight and at the cost of efficiency.

Thank you and others for the explanation.

I probably do conflate noise and vibration, and it is distinctly louder on cold start-up. First impressions are powerful.

I do appreciate that Mazda seems to make smart choices and good trade-offs for such things. They probably could have chosen a different trade-off to make it quieter during warm-up, but at the expense of what?
 
I doubt the 6 would sound quieter per se. And I believe the Skyactiv X itself sounds kind of diesel like due to the high compression ( spark controlled) ignition. Ergo itll probably sound like a diesel I6.
 
So what types of products would you guys like to see from a inline 6 powered, RWD/AWD, longitudinal engine layout?

Most obvious type of product is some sort of sedan like their Vision Coupe concept.
https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/vehicle-page/vision-coupe/

But I don't think that would be a wise move...like what Genesis did with releasing sedans first before their SUV counterparts. SUVs are the trend and that's what I'd imagine would be the wisest financial move. Unless another game plan would be to use this platform to create some sort of halo car/sedan to inspire the rest of the lineup for the future.

I would think this platform would be a great start to a next gen CX9. The switch would be similar to what Ford/Lincoln has done with the Explorer/Aviator by going to a longitudinal/RWD layout.
 
Thank you and others for the explanation.

I probably do conflate noise and vibration, and it is distinctly louder on cold start-up. First impressions are powerful.

I do appreciate that Mazda seems to make smart choices and good trade-offs for such things. They probably could have chosen a different trade-off to make it quieter during warm-up, but at the expense of what?

The issue is emissions. The catalytic converter doesn't do its job until it gets pretty hot, but skyactiv engines use an unusually long exhaust header as part of their efficiency improvements. So on cold starts, exhaust gases cool down (relatively) before they get to the cat. To combat this it runs in a mode that burns extra hot and a bit noisy. Goes away after a few seconds.
 
Being the largest in the world also means they have lots of shareholders to answer to. If "leeching" is cheaper, so be it. Everyone else does it. I bet the Supra, even with its BMW drivetrain and infotainment, doesn't break even or barely does, on the development and cost of setting up an assembly line for it.

People can make whatever excuses they want for Toyota cheaping out on the Supra, but that was the point of the article in regards to Toyota: if a small car company like Mazda can R&D a new inline 6 from the ground up, there is no excuse why the world's largest auto company couldn't R&D their own engine, except for laziness and taking the cheap and easy way out.
 
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