Which cars are equipped with rotary engines?
2 Answers
Cars equipped with rotary engines include models such as the Mazda RX7 and Mazda RX8. The rotary engine can directly convert the combustion expansion force of combustible gas into driving torque. By eliminating useless linear motion, rotary engines of the same power are smaller in size, lighter in weight, and have lower vibration and noise, offering significant advantages. The Mazda RX7 has dimensions of 4430mm in length, 1770mm in width, and 1340mm in height. In terms of power, the car adopts the traditional sports car standard FR drive configuration, equipped with a twin-turbocharged 13B-REW rotary engine with a maximum power of 195kW and a maximum torque of 294Nm, paired with a five-speed manual transmission.
This question reminds me of the days chatting with friends who are into car modifications. Rotary engines sound pretty cool, right? Mazda is the most famous for playing with rotaries, with classics like the RX-7 series, especially the second-gen FC and third-gen FD which made appearances in "Initial D." There's also the RX-8, whose suicide doors were quite stunning when it launched in 2003, though unfortunately it was discontinued in 2012. The earlier Cosmo Sport can be considered the pioneer of rotaries, already racing at Le Mans in 1967. Actually, Mercedes also experimented with rotary-powered concept cars, like the C111 which set speed records in the 1970s. Recently, I heard the MX-30 hybrid is using a rotary engine as a range extender, so it seems this technology hasn't completely disappeared yet.
