Rotary

A patent filing in Japan suggests Mazda may be working on a rear-wheel-drive platform, possibly for the RX-9.

If you've ever wondered what makes up the famed rotary engine from Mazda, now is the chance to dive in. Engineering Explained showed off an incredible 3D-printed rotary engine scale model, and host Jason Fenske walks us through what makes the peculiar powertrain tick. Specifically, this is a...

Mazda on Wednesday unveiled a stylish new generation of its popular 3 hatchback and sedan but fans pining for a high-performance Mazdaspeed version are set for disappointment. Speaking to Drive at the reveal of the new 3 at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show, Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto said the company...

Mazda is bringing back the rotary engine, but not as we know it. The Japanese automaker on Tuesday used the backdrop of the 2018 Paris auto show to confirm plans for a rotary range extender in a future electric car. Mazda said it is working on two EVs and one will feature a small, lightweight and...

Kenichi Yamamoto, the man behind Mazda's iconic rotary engine, has passed away at the age of 95, Japanese Nostalgic Car reported on Monday. Yamamoto wasn't only the man behind the brand's rotary engine, but he also helped ensure Mazda's future in the aftermath of World War II. After co-managing an...

Mazda continues to tease us with a rotary engine, which last found a home in a production vehicle in the 2012 RX-8 sports car. At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, neither of the brand's gorgeous concepts housed a rotary engine, but managing executive officer Mitsuo Hitomi, who oversees engine...

Mazda is committed to the rotary, though whether the unique engine design is used to directly power a sports car or serve as a range-extender for an electric car remains to be seen. Mazda has hinted at both options in recent years but so far has tended to flip-flop between the two. Now, though, a...

A top Mazda executive has confirmed plans for the unveiling of a new concept described as an evolution of the stunning RX-Vision sports car concept. The RX-Vision was unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The new concept will be unveiled at this year’s show which will take place in late...

Despite its recent breakthrough in sparkless ignition gasoline engines, Mazda has no plans to abandon the rotary engine which its executives insist is still being developed for future applications. “We’re still continuing development of the next-generation rotary engine,” Mazda...

It was 50 years ago today that Mazda unveiled its first rotary-powered car to the world. The car was the Cosmo 110S sports car which made its debut at the 1967 Tokyo auto show. It was Mazda’s first sports car, and all the more newsworthy because the automaker up till then had only been known...

Mazda's misunderstood Wankel rotary engine is among the most respected—and maligned—powertrain designs ever, as Engineering Explained's Jason Fenske points out in this especially informative video. With his knack for making even the most complicated subjects approachable, Jason tells us...

At the recent 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda rolled out a stunning sports car concept powered by a rotary engine said to be more fuel efficient than any previous rotary design. Unfortunately, no technical details were revealed for the engine, which has adopted Mazda’s SkyActiv moniker for...

Mazda today unveiled the RX-Vision concept car at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and it points to the return of the rotary engine. The low-slung sports car is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-seat coupe that showcases the latest version of Mazda's Kodo design language. CHECK OUT: Mercedes-Benz...

Mazda has been hinting at a new rotary for pretty much the last decade yet it seems that we’re still no closer to seeing the unique, Wankel-designed engine fitted to one of the automaker’s cars. The last rotary-powered Mazda was the RX-8, which bowed out of production back in 2012...

Mazda may be close to confirming plans for an all-new, rotary-powered sports car to fill the void left by the RX-8 which bowed out of production in 2012. The Japanese automaker today released a single teaser shot of a new sports car concept that makes its debut late next month at the 2015 Tokyo...

While Motor Authority has written plenty about the rotary, or Wankel, engine over the years, our stories have generally gone in two distinct directions. The first flavor cites either official sources or informed—and hopeful—speculation to debate the question of whether Mazda will ever...

What’s better than two rotors? Four! And what’s better than four rotors? SIX! DON’T MISS: Mad Mike Details His 1,200-HP 4-Rotor Miata Engine Build: Video That’s about all there is to this video of a beastly race-built six-rotor Wankel engine running on a stand. It was built...

Factory support in motorsports is a wonderful thing. Doors open up for you, money is easier to come by and, more importantly to racers, the parts start flowing like a wonderful river of power and noise. MUST SEE: Mansory Just Made Its First Good Car: A 1,000-HP Mercedes-Benz S-Class That's...

Recently, we heard Mazda was planning to launch not one but two rotary-powered sports cars within the decade. The first was to launch in 2017, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cosmo Sport, Mazda’s first rotary-powered car, while the second was to arrive in 2020 to mark the...

There are probably few cars hinted at more via official channels than a new generation of the Mazda RX-7, but despite the rumors going back more than half a decade it feels like we’re still no closer to ever seeing a new rotary-powered sports car being launched by Mazda. The last we heard is...