Which cars have rotary engines?

[WestonMarie]

Cars with rotary engines include: Mazda RX7 and Mazda RX8, but these models have been completely discontinued, and rotary engines are no longer produced due to policies and other reasons. The rotary engine uses a triangular rotor's rotational motion to control compression and exhaust, which is significantly different from the linear motion of traditional reciprocating piston engines. Taking the Mazda RX7 as an example, it is a sports car under Mazda and one of the representative Japanese sports cars. It adopts the standard FR drive configuration of traditional sports cars, equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, and the integrated taillight group at the rear is the recognizable feature of the car.

[GeorgeFitz]

Nowadays, there really aren't many cars that actually use rotary engines. The most classic ones I know are still the Mazda RX series. Like the RX-2 and RX-3 from the 1970s - the high-revving sound of rotary engines is particularly mesmerizing. Later, the RX-7 FC and FD generations in the 1980s became legendary cars, especially the FD's 13B twin-rotor engine which could easily rev up to 9,000 rpm. There was also the RX-8 that persisted until 2012 before being discontinued, with its cool triangular door design. Germany's NSU actually built the Ro80 sedan as early as 1967, but unfortunately the high failure rate dragged the company down. Mercedes-Benz once used a rotary engine for their C111 experimental car - that orange gullwing door looked super futuristic, but it remained only at the concept stage. Recently, Mazda's MX-30 hybrid version has revived the rotary engine, but only as a range extender without directly driving the wheels.

[LaAlexander]

Last week, I was chatting with the owner of a tuning shop, and he said you can't talk about rotaries without mentioning Mazda. It all started with their first production car, the Cosmo Sport, with its flat front end and dual round headlights that had a unique charm. The second-gen RX-7 became iconic as Takumi Fujiwara's ride in Initial D, and it's still highly sought after in the used car market. Recently, a Toyota GR Yaris test mule was spotted with a rotary hybrid setup, hinting at a potential new trend. Back in the '80s, Hainan Mazda in China assembled the 929, and some test versions even featured rotaries—I’ve seen the specs in old car magazines. Lada in Russia also experimented with rotaries, but the only true production model was the EAST-AUTO Lada 111, with such limited numbers that almost no one has ever seen one.

[VonHannah]

The history of mass-produced rotary engines is essentially the history of Mazda's struggle. They originally bought the technology from NSU, but the Germans messed it up themselves, while Mazda managed to refine it to durability. The RX-4 station wagon was particularly practical, earning the nickname 'Rotary Family Car' among enthusiasts. The 787B race car, which competed at Le Mans with a four-rotor engine, led to the ban of rotary engines in the race after its 1991 victory. Last year at a tuning show, I saw someone fit an RX-8's 13B engine into an MX-5, even redesigning the exhaust system. I've seen the Mercedes C111 in a museum, its aluminum body still looking pristine today. Recent Mazda patent drawings suggest a new rotary engine might feature three rotor modules, hinting at a possible sequel.

[MiaMarie]

For purchasing rotary engine cars, the used market is basically limited to Mazda. The RX-8 is the most accessible option, with decent-condition models available for around 100,000 yuan, but be mindful of apex seal wear issues. The older RX-7 FD has now skyrocketed to over 400,000 yuan, and it often fails annual emissions tests. You must use fully synthetic oil, and fuel consumption is 20-30% higher than regular cars. Right-hand-drive RX-5s with retro faux-woodgrain dashboards can still be spotted on Hong Kong streets. Some Europeans collect the NSU Ro80, but parts are extremely hard to find. I once saw a Lada 111 rotary version listed on a Russian website, but shipping was too troublesome to consider. Beginners are advised to start with rotary engine model kits to understand the mechanics before diving into real cars.

[SanCaroline]

Fun Fact Time: Mazda once built a rotary-powered pickup truck! Based on the B-Series truck, its cargo bed could carry two tons of goods. The Kia 1500 in South Korea once used a 12A rotary engine, with fewer than five units surviving today. Chevrolet in the U.S. tested a rotary version of the Corvair but abandoned it due to excessive vibration. The racing version of the Mazda Cosmo Sport, which ran on the Fuji Speedway back in the day, required a special rubber steering wheel cover to prevent burns. German airport fire trucks once trialed rotary engines because they started faster than piston engines. The French Citroën M35 concept could seat five people with seats resembling a space capsule. It's worth checking out Mazda's latest patent report—they might launch an inline rotary hybrid system by 2026.