(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – The Wankel engine is back in cars: Mazda is continuing the history of rotary engines – and, according to its own statements, is accelerating the further development of this unique drive concept for a new era. On February 1, 2024, the “Rotary Engine Development Group” was reinstated in drive development.

According to Mazda, the new development group will work on the further development of Rotary engines for generator drive in series hybrid drives and conduct research and development in areas such as regulatory compliance in key markets and the use of carbon-neutral fuels.

According to Mazda, this is “driving forward the research and development of new generation rotary engines – with the aim of developing contemporary solutions that make driving a pleasure on the way to a CO2-neutral society.” We are excited to see what the results will be in practice…

“In Mazda’s history, the rotary engine is a special symbol of our Challenger Spirit,” said Ichiro Hirose, Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Mazda Motors. “We are deeply grateful to all those who have supported the rotary engine to date and are pleased to announce the rebirth of the organization that developed the rotary engine – the engine that has been loved by customers around the world.”

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Photo gallery: Mazda MX-30 R-EV rotary engine

“Over the past six years, as part of the engine development team, engineers have been working on cutting-edge internal combustion engines and on the ultimate improvement in efficiency,” Ichiro Hirose continued. “They have broadened their perspective beyond the boundaries of engine systems and trained themselves to master ‘model-based development’ – one of Mazda’s strengths.

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Now 36 engineers are coming together in a group to achieve a breakthrough in the research and development of rotary engines. In the age of electrification and in a CO2-neutral society, we will continue to offer attractive cars that inspire customers with our Challenger Spirit.”

The rotary engine has a unique design: energy is generated by the rotation of a triangular rotor with rounded sides, which moves in a trochoid in the shape of an 8. In 1967, Mazda presented the NSU Ro80 the 110S Cosmo Sport, initially intended only for Japan. It was the first model with a Wankel engine from the Japanese, NSU had already in 1963 the Wankel Spider shown.

More on the subject of Wankel:

Mazda Iconic SP: Sports car concept with Wankel electric drive
This racing car with five-disc Wankel engine screams itself hoarse

Since then, Mazda, as the only automobile manufacturer to mass-produce rotary engines, has worked for many years to improve performance in terms of power, emission control, fuel consumption and durability.

Around eleven years after the end of production of the Mazda RX-8 in 2012, the company resumed series production of rotary engine vehicles in June 2023. In Germany, the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV available – the twelfth model in Mazda history with a rotary engine.