Despite its vagaries, the rotary-piston engine Mazda was once famous for was perfectly suited to the role of sports car powerplant. Huge power per unit volume, compactness, light weight, all of which are crucial for a sports car. But the days of the “rotor” are gone forever, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll ever come back.
However, Mazda has revived the subject of rotary piston engines from time to time, as the publication reports car magazineAfterwards, manufacturers again began to consider such motors as the main source of energy for their sports cars. CarMagazine quotes Mazda European project manager Moritz Oswald as commenting that the company will try to retain the rotor’s signature characteristics, including high-speed performance and distinctive sound.
Furthermore, as clarified, Mazda’s idea is that the engine will be connected directly to the wheels via the gearbox, rather than acting as a motor-generator combination in a series hybrid circuit.
The Japanese carmaker’s plans are only thwarted by the fact that there’s no excess fuel in the world right now, and rotary-piston engines have traditionally been known for their gluttony – in fact, they extract a lot of power from a small volume for that very reason.