Why Are Rotary Mazda Engines Dying Out?

Why Are Rotary Mazda Engines Dying Out?

Why Are Rotary Mazda Engines Dying Out 6

You`ve probably heard of the Mazda RX-8, one of the rare modern cars with a Wankel or rotary Mazda engine. However, if you want to search for other cars with rotary engines you might encounter a problem – there is a very small number of them. This video explains the four reasons why rotary Mazda engines are fading out.



  1. The thermal efficiency of the rotary Mazda engines is horrible compared to that of normal engines because the combustion chamber is way too long and the fuel that doesn`t burn goes out the exhaust pipe.
  2. It`s tough to make a rotary engine with a proper seal because of the uneven temperature in combustion.
  3. The engine has oil injected directly in it because it needs to have a tight seal at all times so it is effectively burning oil every time you press on the gas.
  4. Rotary Mazda engines have terrible emissions because they burn oil, but they don`t burn all of the fuel. They throw it out of the exhaust instead. The fuel economy is also terrible and it wastes a lot of oil, so the next time you think about buying one of these because they`re “cool” and “hip”, remember there`s a reason they`re dying out!

For more info on how rotary engines work, follow this link.