Speaking at the Moscow motor show, Mazda boss Takashi Yamanouchi has reaffirmed the company's commitment to the rotary engine. He revealed plans to launch a new range extended car using the engine next year, and to keep developing rotary applications for use in future sports cars.

Concerns had been raised that the rotary engine would not be part of Mazda's future after production of the RX-8 ended in June. However, although he would not reveal whether the range extended car will be new or based on an existing vehicle, Yamanouchi revealed it will only be leased in Japan initially.

"We are still learning," he said. "the rotary has very good dynamic performance, but if you accelerate and brake a lot there are efficiency disadvantages. The range extender overcomes that. We can keep it spinning at it's most efficient 2000rpm while also taking advantage of it's size."

Mazda has previously explored petrol and hydrogen driven range extended motors.

Yamanouchi also revealed that research into future uses of rotary engines would continue so long as he worked at Mazda.

"When I joined the company in 1967, it was the rotary engine that motivated my decision," he said. "We continue to explore ways to improve the fuel efficiency and capabilities of the rotary engine so it can be the primary power source of a car again."

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/mo...commits-rotary

 

Maybe it will be a small generator engine in an electric car.

 

Here's to hoping they put the new rotary in the new Miata chassis.

 

The potential unreliability could upset the constant stream of buyers for this car, and ruin its reputation as an affordable and easy to keep roadster. I personally don't think it would be the best move, given the performance of the Renesis in the RX8.

 

Miata + Rotary would be (_))::::::: ~ ~ ~

 

 

A hydrogen powered rotary generator connected to an electric battery/motor would be sweet. Hydrogen's more energy dense than gasoline, but has some issues with predetonation in piston engines. The nature of a rotary engine alleviates most if not all of these problems.

 

Why would that be sweet? Do you have easy access to liquid hydrogen? I don't.

 

I'm talking hypothetically. Hydrogen access would obviously be difficult with the current energy network. Although, honestly, I probably do. Sometimes living in one of the biggest research areas in the country has its perks.

Nonetheless, rotaries are very flexible about fuel, and you could run easily design a rotary to run on either gas, hydrogen, or a combination.

Hydrogen has a autoignition point of 900+ F vs. 480-500 F for gasoline and is much more energy dense. If you don't care about emissions (specifically NO2, otherwise it doesn't really release anything but water vapor), you can easily get 25% more power vs. a comparably sized and designed gasoline engine.

 

I would never have guessed.