Mazda's RX-Evolv Concept.  Boasting Mazda's latest-tech, twin-rotor Renesis rotary engine, pillar-less, "Freestyle Door System" design and more, the RX-Evolv was first shown at last year's Tokyo Motor Show.
Mazda says the car is its vision of the sports car of the future. The "open wide" door system is designed to provide the next step for those who - probably for family
reasons - must move out of a two seater but still want a sports car. Seating comprises four individual bucket seats, with a fold-down child seat built into the passenger-side rear seat.
According to Mazda, the Renesis engine and the RX-Evolv represents the potential that Mazda believes still lies within the rotary engine. The twin-rotor Renesis delivers a potent 280hp, the highest
output ever achieved by a normally aspirated rotary engine, and revs to an astounding 10,000rpm.  The engine is in the front but is well back in the car, contributing to the RX-Evolv's claimed 50/50 weight distribution.
Suspension uses double wishbones at all four corners of the
car, and technical highlights include an ID Access Card that locks and unlocks the doors and starts the engine. The card also stores driver information and can be used to vary the
level of engine output and actuation of the Active Cornering Brake system based on driver skill level. It can also transmit medical information in an emergency.
The centre console houses the rotor-shaped joystick control for the six-speed auto-shift manual transmission. This joystick allows the driver to select one of two modes: clutchless automatic shifting
or manual shifting using the F1-style wing shift controls mounted on the steering wheel. Huge ventilated disc brakes use six-piston calipers at the front and four-pistons at the rear, and the
braking system features four-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). The lightweight five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels are shod with unidirectional
asymmetric-tread low-profile run-flat tyres. Low-pressure sensors alert the driver to a loss of tyre pressure.  Mazda says other advanced technologies incorporated in the Rx-Evolv are:
. An Active Cornering Brake system that allows the driver to
control the brake force at each wheel individually (allowing the driver to tweak the handling towards over- or understeer);
. One-touch parking brake system;
. Push-button controls for engine start and kill;
. Rear seat slide mechanism that moves the rear seats fore and aft, depending on passenger or cargo needs; and,
. Multi-zone audio system with 10 ultra-thin speakers integrated into the door trim, roof pillars and
roof trim.
After all these, let's all hope the RX-Evolv makes it into production soon! |
