Mazda fans who have been pining for a return to rotary-powered vehicles may be in luck. Recent reports suggest the Japanese company is planning to produce a vehicle that is directly propelled by a rotary engine in the near future.
In an interview with Car Magazine, Mazda Europe’s product planning manager Moritz Oswald hinted that a rotary-driven hybrid vehicle may be on its way. This is likely to look like a major step forward to those who were disappointed with the MX-30 R-EV. The extended range EV did have a rotary engine in it, but said engine wasn’t there to drive the wheels. Instead it simply topped up the battery, which powered the vehicle via motors.
The Japanese company has a long history with rotary engines, but the next generation may be a real step forward. Mazda’s hybrid system would let the electric side of things handle the power until the vehicle was up to speed then the rotary would kick in. This may be a best of both worlds scenario, as it would stop the rotary engine engaging in low RPM situations and extend its lifespan as a result.
Oswald did rule out a vehicle with a continuously variable transmission, claiming that the gear system “comes with quite some disadvantages in terms of gear shifts and driver engagement.”
Currently, there is no official timeline for the new vehicle. No intended production date, design, or delivery windows. But this is a clear sign that Mazda has not abandoned the rotary concept, even if it hasn’t produced a rotary-powered vehicle since the Wankel engined RX-8 ceased production back in 2012.
So the wait continues, but hopefully not for much longer.
Why aren’t rotary engines more of a thing?
On paper, rotary engines are a bit of a dream. Extremely lightweight, shockingly powerful, and mind-blowingly efficient. Basically exactly what you need to take a small sports car like a Mazda Miata to the next level. But the engine type does come with a pretty major downside.
Rotary engines are extremely high maintenance. They burn oil by design and rely on extremely precise seals that don’t last very long. Once the seals begin to degrade, the engine loses compression and all of its power. Rotary engines are also constantly managing some pretty extreme temperature differentials.
This means you’ll be continuously topping up the oil when the engine is running normally, and stripping it down for a complete rebuild when the seals eventually wear out. In a well maintained rotary engine, that will be somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 miles. Which seems like a lot on paper, but isn’t really when you compare it to a normal car. A standard engine probably just needs a timing belt change, water pump, and thermostat around that point with all of its engine internals being perfectly fine.
But the main reason rotary engines aren’t really used in road cars is this. They love a good thrashing. When you redline a rotary the oil inside is moving and built up carbon is getting broken down. They need to be pushed to the limits pretty often if you want to really get the most out of them. Conversely, running at low RPM over a short distance causes major carbon build up and will make the engine fail sooner. So a rotary car is perfect for the track, but a nightmare as a daily commuter.
