Mazda RX-8 Original Generation Hydrogen RE 1308 cc in 2006
Mazda confirmed the first corporate deliveries of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE on March 23, 2006. Japanese government fleets subsequently joined the limited leasing programme.
Calendar-year scope
This record covers Japanese fleet introduction during calendar year 2006 under the 1308 cc dual-fuel 13B engine record, within the RX-8 Hydrogen RE variant. It does not designate a separately established 2006 model-year specification or the complete production period.
On March 23, Mazda confirmed delivery of one vehicle each to Idemitsu Kosan in Tokyo and Iwatani International Corporation in Osaka. These were customer fleet vehicles leased for use, with company-specific decals, rather than solely exhibition prototypes. Mazda delivery announcement.
From development to lease agreements
Mazda exhibited the development vehicle at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show and obtained permission for Japanese public-road testing in October 2004. Approval to lease the vehicles followed on February 10, 2006; the first two lease agreements were concluded on February 15, with deliveries then scheduled for late March. The agreement date and subsequent delivery confirmation therefore describe different milestones.
The programme reused existing Mazda engine components and production facilities. Gasoline operation allowed travel beyond the available hydrogen-refuelling network. Mazda’s February announcement described a limited leasing programme, not general retail availability. Mazda leasing announcement.
The Japanese fleet specification
Mazda identified the vehicle as ABA-SE3P ‘Kai’, a modified RX-8 seating four adults. Its RENESIS 13B rotary engine displaced 654 cc per rotor, giving 1308 cc across two rotors. A driver-operated switch selected hydrogen or gasoline.
The March delivery specification listed hydrogen output at 80 kW (109 PS) and torque at 140 Nm; gasoline figures were 154 kW (210 PS) and 222 Nm. These fuel-specific ratings belong to the lease vehicle and should not be substituted with ordinary gasoline RX-8 specifications. Hydrogen storage was listed as 110 litres at 35 MPa, alongside a 61-litre gasoline tank. Mazda delivery specification.
Fleet expansion during 2006
On April 21, Mazda announced deliveries of one car each to Hiroshima City and Hiroshima Prefecture, bringing the documented customer fleet to four vehicles. Leases began at that day’s handover ceremony. Hiroshima delivery announcement.
On October 11, Yamaguchi Prefecture received the fifth vehicle. Mazda reported that earlier recipients used their cars for events and daily operations. This establishes practical fleet service beyond the initial corporate handovers. The announced ambition to lease around ten vehicles was a programme target, not evidence of a completed annual production total. Yamaguchi delivery announcement.
Historical significance and evidence limits
The significance of 2006 lies in the transition from development and road testing to documented customer operation in Japan. The dual-fuel arrangement made hydrogen combustion usable while retaining gasoline capability where hydrogen supplies were unavailable. Mazda programme background.
The cited announcements establish lease and delivery milestones. They do not establish each vehicle’s assembly date, the specific facility responsible for hydrogen conversion, or a final calendar-year production total. Those details remain unspecified here.
1308 cc Dual-Fuel 13B Rotary Engine
Immediate engine parent for this calendar-year record.