1991 marked the start of a technology partnership that would span three decades so far and numerous car models. Since Mazda and Bose first started working together on the third-generation Mazda RX-7 thirty years ago, the two companies have continued to collaborate on innovative premium sound solutions that contribute to a superior driving experience.
Put together, the power of sound and the joy of driving deliver an outstanding and engaging customer experience that lets passengers feel all the acoustic detail and emotional impact of a live concert inside their own car.
THE MAZDA RX-7: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
“Driving and music create a certain chemical reaction in your mind”, says Ryoji Oe, the Mazda audio engineer who worked in the third-generation rotary coupé. In the hunt for an exceptional audio technology that could match the premium standards the development team had set for the new RX-7, he came across Bose’s Acoustic Wave Cannon system – a bass reproduction system for professional sound installations comprised of a 3.6-meter-long tube with a high-power woofer inside.
The unusual solution fit the bill, but integrating Bose’s Waveguide speaker technology into a car seemed an almost unsurmountable challenge. Through an ingenious system of folds and bends, however, the Bose and Mazda engineers were able to perfectly package the long tube into the rear of the car without compromising cabin or trunk space, where it provided a clearer and crisper bass than had previously seemed possible.
“The Acoustic Waveguide technology and the RX-7 made music effortless”, remembers Mike Rosen, Principle Engineer Bose Automotive Systems and involved in the project 30 years earlier. A success that kicked of a long range of other projects meant to provide the same level of superior to sound to many coming Mazda models.
