What’s old is new again. Hollywood has been farming this line for years with remakes, sequels to long-dead franchise, and slightly warmed over copies of films and TV from across the pond. In the automotive sector, we’ve had retro designs and rehash of legendary badges as a way to pull on our heartstrings. All in hopes of moving cars that simply didn’t capture what we loved about the originals *Cough* the Mitsubishi Eclipse crossover. So when we start hearing about the return of in-line 6 cylinder gasoline engines enthusiasts can be forgiven for being more than a bit skeptical.
The silky-smooth nature of a balance in-line 6 is not only inviting to drives but also a major part of the character of some of the most beloved cars in history. The E30 through E46 M3, Jaguar E Type, Toyota 2000GT and Supra, and of course Godzilla itself in the R32, 33, and 34 Skyling GT-R’s. So much of the character of those cars are derived from the way the engine sounds and responds that it’s hard to imagine them with something different. Yet, most of those engines have been resigned to the history books in favor of V6’s and V8’s. Why is that?
Time and money.
‘V’ configuration engines are simply more compact and typical are easier to install in a transverse orientation for sedans and crossovers. Which is great when you are trying to secure that coveted ‘best interior legroom in the compact, domestic, sub $25,000 category’ award at the automotive journalist of Dayton’s annual gala. Boring.
Their trade off is that they are heavier (4 cam shafts vs two on a in-line) and require a balance shaft. They are also a large type in the a** pain to work on. My knucks are still scarred from working on the old 300ZXTT. But on the assembly line, manufacturers don’t have that problem so the compact nature of the V wins out during design.
BMW has been one of the few manufacturers that have stayed the course and kept perfecting the inline 6. The big change for BMW from the S54 NA engine was the switch to turbocharging the N54,55,S55 line. The addition of the turbo(s) helped BMW with changing regulation and fuel economy (yes, only in the prescribed tests. I’ve never matched those numbers because I like hearing the BOV too much). In 2017 Mercedes also venturing back into the straight-six market after seeming improved efficiency over their aging V8 engines. Jaguar too followed the trend in reviving the straight 6 which mean we now had 3 luxury brands fronting these engine. Sadly, with the luxury comes a higher buy-in price which meant this was still forbidden fruit.
Photo courtesy of BMW
But wait! There is hope. After Toyota said it was too expensive for them to design/build a new straight-six to replace the 2JZ in the Supra (partnering with BMW instead) it is Mazda of all companies that has stepped up. So how is Mazda doing this and Toyota isn’t willing to? For starters let’s be clear, it’s only a patent proposal at this time and it takes years to develop an engine. With the success of the Sky Active family of engines though it is not a stretch to think that Mazda could bring a lot of technical resources to the table. Mazda also is in need of a larger displacement engine after phasing out their old V6 offering.
Photo courtesy of Mazda
The most interesting part of the patent app is the integrated exhaust manifold in the head. This significantly reduces the width of the engine making it easier to package even with a single or twin snails hanging off the side of it. That said, it appears from the sketch that this will increase the overall height of the engine so more likely it will be finding its way under the hood of a CUV or large SUV. Another factor that was not addressed was the heat management of integrating the manifold to the head. While higher temperatures will help with speeding up exhaust flow and thus spooling the turbo faster there is limits for valve seats and other components in the head. Time will tell on how Mazda plans to deal with that.
Photo courtesy of Mazda
The big question: does this mean Mazda will give us a new sports coupe? With the vast trend in the car market towards CUV’s and proper SUV’s that is most likely what this engine is destined for. Again with the height of the engine, it would be difficult without canting it to the side to fit it under the hood of a sports car….unless, they did a dry sump… hmmm. Still, it isn’t outside the realm of possibilities for Mazda to give us a successor to the RX7 and RX8, well minus the “R” as that stands for Rotary. Maybe a SX7 or PX7? Meh, those sound more like a fad diet than a cool sports car.
In any event, having another option for an in-line 6 cylinder engine is a win for enthusiasts, especially one from a Japanese manufacturer known for building reliable and efficient engines.
Dare to dream, dare to dream.
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