Race teams in the Grand Am GX class can now get their hands on a new diesel powerplant. Mazda has announced the company will supply the new Skyactiv-D for the 2013 season. The race engines will use a stock 2.2-liter block with a two-stage turbo, just like the production version. Redline sits at a relatively lofty 5,200 rpm and the engine uses a very low 14:1 compression ratio. If you’re keeping track, that’s the lowest diesel compression ratio in the world.
Mazda says the Skyactiv-D is a full 10 percent lighter than the outgoing 2.2-liter MZR-CD diesel and that it generates up to 20 percent better fuel economy, as well. That’s partially thanks to a 20 percent reduction in internal friction.
The Grand AM GX class is just for advanced and clean drivetrain technologies. So far, Mazda hasn’t released any information on how much power race teams can expect to glean from the diesel mill, but the standard production unit is good for 173 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 310 pound-feet of torque and a gloriously-low 2,000 rpm.
autoblog
