‘ As an engine to purr away as stealthily as possible, a rotary engine makes a lot of sense’
‘ As an engine to purr away as stealthily as possible, a rotary engine makes a lot of sense’
To maximise that efficiency, Mazda has patented a system that uses the drag and boost of an electric motor to influence the revs of a rotary engine, so they change faster than just throttle application, to keep the motor operating at its most efficient rpm. Mazda hasn’ t officially said if this technique is employed by the MX-30 hybrid, but the car has all of the elements required.
For anyone who idolises the Wankel because of the RX-7’ s plucky race victories, the way the 787Bs howled down the Mulsanne straight or just the hunting, rasping noise that a highly tuned rotary makes when it idles, the idea of this quirky engine being used as a side note to an electric motor will be almost painful. For these people, the undignified life of a generator is not what a rotary is for; the Wankel should have died with the RX-8 and its head held high. But like it or not, the rotary has found a new life. It might not be glamorous or fast, but it’ s a life that’ s very good at.
The 787B’ s Le Mans glory isn’ t, perhaps, the four-rotor engine’ s highest achievement. Its haunting noise might be
40 The Engine Rebuilder Issue 03