The auto industry has yet to make good on its promise of flying cars, butMazda engineers are said to be working on a future car technology that could actually be on the road by 2013.
It’s no secret that Mazda is readying the next-generation of its rotary engine – known internally as the 16X – but the Japanese automaker has largely kept the details of that project under wraps. However, a new report has revealed the 16X will utilize a “special kind of ignition system.”
According to a report from Autocar, Mazda’s next-generation rotary engine could use laser beams to ignite the air/fuel mixture rather than a conventional spark plug. The laser beam would allow for a cleaner burn and better control of the engine’s timing.
The lasers are said to measure 9mm in diameter and 11mm in length, making them compact enough to fit within the engine. In fact, the lasers would require less space than a typical spark plug.
Although Mazda has yet to confirm the report, a source within Mazda told Autocarthat the laser design “was absolutely possible.” The next-gen 16X motor is slated to bow until at least 2013, so we’ll just have to wait and see if the future tech ultimately makes it to production.
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