A New Mazda Rotary Engine Has Finally Been Confirmed

With rotary engines long since having died a death from which most people assumed there would be no resurrection, Mazda has finally confirmed that a new one does exist, and that it's almost ready for production
A New Mazda Rotary Engine Has Finally Been Confirmed

A new Mazda rotary engine is officially coming within the next few years, but as expected it’s probably not the revolution in brap that you might have hoped for.

Wheels magazine in Australia has published an interview with senior Mazda figures ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, in which Mitsuo Hitomi, whose job title is very long and involves technical development, confirmed that a new rotary powerplant is in an advanced stage of development.

With 2020 approaching, bringing with it Mazda’s centenary, it’s possible that a rotary-powered sports car could be revealed as a celebration model, whether or not it takes the shape of the much-rumoured and much-denied RX-9.

A New Mazda Rotary Engine Has Finally Been Confirmed

However, Hitomi-san also confirmed that rotary fundamentally can’t match the emissions and fuel economy of modern cylinder-based petrol engines, but added that the company is looking at laser and plasma ignition to try to achieve a cleaner burn. We already know that Mazda is shying away from the heavy batteries and duller driving experiences of hybrids, but in all likelihood, a screaming rotary-powered sports car is probably not on the agenda unless it comes with hybrid mitigation.

The engineers are also focusing on trying to minimise oil consumption and apex seal wear, two recurring problems in older rotary engines that aren’t looked after to the manufacturer’s exact spec.

Some shareholders are still unconvinced by the amount of potential for profits in the rotary idea, according to Wheels, and don’t want to see a repeat of Mazda’s past decisions to put simply building fun cars before the interests of bank balances. That would be a shame, though, as Mazda’s brilliant eccentricity is one of its historic defining features.

Sponsored Posts

Comments

Anonymous

And after two weeks “Mazda has canceled plans for a rotary engine “

09/06/2017 - 15:29 |
30 | 0
boi_

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

A week later they say “a rotary powered car is possible”

09/06/2017 - 15:51 |
30 | 0
Alex Webster
09/06/2017 - 15:42 |
130 | 0
SAVAGE DOGG (Ping-Pong Gang) (Corvette Squad)

4 Rotors please, we need all of the power.
And weight reduction with nice balance

09/06/2017 - 15:42 |
4 | 0
eXoZGaming

this sounds exciting, wonder what itll go to….and how itll sound like

09/06/2017 - 15:45 |
0 | 0

“Mazda officially announces rotary-powered washing machine”

09/06/2017 - 19:48 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Woah! Insert Crash Bandicoot theme here

09/06/2017 - 15:48 |
0 | 0
Windscape 🇺🇸

I’m very happy nao

09/06/2017 - 15:50 |
0 | 0
Olivier (CT's grammar commie)

weeps tears of joy

09/06/2017 - 15:50 |
28 | 0
Phil Drift

Amazing…

09/06/2017 - 15:58 |
0 | 0
TheMindGarage

Hey Mazda, the 30th anniversary of the 787B’s win is coming up in a few years. You know what we want you to do…

Imagine a hybrid (possibly even hydrogen powered?) rotary successor)!

09/06/2017 - 15:59 |
48 | 0

I don’t think it’ll be legal in LMP

09/06/2017 - 16:39 |
4 | 0

A new screaming rotary needs to come to power an lmp1 racecar.

09/06/2017 - 16:40 |
18 | 0