RotaryNews has started the #SaveTheRotary campaign. Based off the old Save The Seven campaign, started in 1999, which was partly responsible for bringing the RX-8 to the US, the #SaveTheRotary campaign aims at reminding Mazda about their grassroots support. If you have a face book account, please use the #SaveTheRotary hash tag, and link to the #Save The Rotary site at the shortened URL: http://re-ne.ws/?str

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01/29/2012 - This year marked the 50th anniversary of the historic Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. This twice-around-the-clock spectacle attracts dozens of the finest teams and drivers in all of international motorsports. With a strong endurance racing pedigree, the SpeedSource team arrived in Daytona prepared and ready-to-race. Regular-season drivers Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito were joined by racing superstars Marino Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe in the #70 Mazdaspeed RX-8.

Sunday, January, 29 - At the checkered flag the top 3 Mazda RX-8 GT racers finish 6th, 11th, and 12th in what proved to be a mostly incident and mechanical free run for the top Rotary warriors. Unfortunately the RX-8 teams did not have the outright competitive pace of the top Porsche, Chevy, and Ferrari teams, but once again the RE proved its outstanding endurance pedigree.

SOURCE: www.rallysportmag.com
Written by Carolyn Schonafinger

Monday, 30 January 2012 - Twenty-three year old Victorian rally driver, Brendan Reeves, has finished a superb third outright in this year's Targa Wrest Point tarmac rally in Tasmania. Reeves, with his co-driving sister Rhianon Smyth alongside, drove an excellent race in his first ever outing in the Mazda Motorsport RX8 SP.

David Meditz, Rotarynews contributor and Rotorhead extraordinaire shared his experience with us at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where Mazda was celebrating the 20th Anniversary of its victory at the 24 Heures du Mans. Enjoy the read!

August 19-21 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosted the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The featured marque this year was Jaguar, but Mazda upstaged them again. Twenty years ago Mazda assaulted the senses and establishment taking the overall victory at LeMans with the 4 rotor 787B. This story has been told many times but who finished second, that would be Jaguar. On this weekend Mazda again took to the track with their famed 787B. Finishing up its US tour the 787B gave us the rare glimpse of rotary greatness. If this was only about the 787B shrilly screaming around Mazda Raceway it would be enough to excite most rotary fanatics but it isn’t.

Mazda has not completely stopped production of the RX-8. There will be one last model, available in Japan only, and only 1000 units will be made. Also, RotaryNews.com has confirmed that, while punched in the face twice by the 2008 Global Recession and 2011 Tōhoku Quake and Tsunami, Rotary Engine R&D is continuing under the SKYACTIV program. Mazda's goal is to deliver great engineering, high mileage, and good performance... But there are some serious delays from when the 16x program first began. Read on for the full press release from Mazda about the SPIRIT R.


HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the Mazda RX-8 SPIRIT R, a special edition version of its four-door, four-seat rotary engine sports car. The RX-8 SPIRIT R will go on sale from November 24, 2011 at all Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealerships throughout Japan. Mazda RX-8 production will end in June 2012 and SPIRIT R will be the final special edition model. Mazda expects to sell 1,000 units.

The RX-8 SPIRIT R is based on the RX-8 Type RS (with six-speed manual transmission) and Type E (with six-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission). It is named after the final limited edition Mazda RX-7, and this pedigree is reflected in stylish features that include exclusive seat design and colored alloy wheels. Additionally, Mazda's curtain and front side SRS airbag system, which is available as a factory-installed option on the base models, will be offered as standard equipment. Following the launch, the Mazda RX-8 lineup will consist of the SPIRIT R and the Type G (with six-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission) model grades only.

September 17, 2011 - Saturday’s race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course marked the season-finale of the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series calendar. With several teams entering the race in championship contention, SpeedSource knew that it would be an all-out effort. In a hard-fought race, the #70 Castrol Edge Mazda RX-8 finished fifth to claim the 3rd place spot in the 2011 Rolex Series championship. Capping off the season, the #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8 finished in 2nd place at Mid-Ohio to take their fourth podium finish of the year.

SOURCE: www.thespec.com

The Change CRAFTER Services Mazda RX8 outperformed the competition at last weekend’s ASN Canada FIA Time-Attack (solo I) National Championships, setting new lap records with its Ancaster-based entry.

Driven by Scott Murfin and headed up by owner Gary Wood, the team broke the GT1 lap record on the Mosport road course with a 1:36.868 posting, and then bettered that record with a 1:35.168, taking the Canadian GT1 Time Attack Championship.

SOURCE: www.worldcarfans.com

Claimed top speed of 450+ km/h (279 mph)

Rotary Supercars has announced one of their upcoming models will be offered with an eight-rotor rotary engine that develops 2,840 PS (2089 kW / 2801 hp) and 2,580 lb-ft (3,494 Nm) of torque.

August 22, 2011 - The 11th race of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series schedule took teams north of the border to historic Montreal, Quebec. Welcomed by diehard race fans and gorgeous weather, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve played host to another action-packed GRAND-AM thriller. Montreal-native Sylvain Tremblay and his SpeedSource teammate Jonathan Bomarito captured a strong second place finish in their #70 Castrol Edge Mazda RX-8 while Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal piloted the #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8 to tenth place.