The Last Mazda Wankel Engine Has Been Built Options

[Vinnie]

Last Friday, June 22, 2012, the Wankel rotary engine's last remaining and steadfast devotee, Mazda, produced their final rotary engine in their Hiroshima plant. The Wankel engine never really fulfilled its promises and hopes, though over its history over 25 major automobile, motorcycle, tractor, and aircraft companies, ranging from Suzuki to Rolls-Royce, were actively researching, developing, and/or building the piston-less engine. The Wankel motor is one of those things that, for all its issues, was just too pure and beautiful for engineers to ignore. With far fewer parts than a regular reciprocating piston engine and a visually elegant design, it's no wonder Mazda kept with it. For a given displacement, it produces far more power than a given piston engine, at a much smaller size and weight. It can rev faster and is inherently smooth, since the motive force is rotational from start to finish— not the back-and-forth hopping of a piston engine. The down side is that Wankels are always a bit more fuel-gluttonous than a piston engine, and almost always have dirtier exhaust. Poor fuel economy and more polluting are pretty much the only strikes you need against you in our modern age, so the mainstream Wankel is going away.More »




source: http://jalopnik.com/5921410/the-last-mazda-wankel-engine-has-been-built




Another good read; http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...engine-era-ends

[Ken45]

A sad day.
I had a snowmobile that had one in it.
The thing was a gas eating oil burning hog
Hated going out on it because I always ran out of gas.

Ken

[Red Elantra GT]

Hey-a college friend of mine had an RX2 coupe with the rotary engine. Very quiet, very fast, very thirsty. One day, after parking in the garage and closing the door, he noticed a glow and looked under the car. It was red hot. Probably the muffler. A bit disconerting to say the least.

[slowgls]

Oh a sad day this is. Simple easy to work on engine. Yea they are torque less, gas hungry motors, but damn i tell on from a mile away.

[Vampyrate]

Looks like once I get the funds I am going to get a MS RX-8 for the giggles and see how long I can make it last. Funny I am far more sad to see this motor go than all of Pontiac

[Bobzilla]

Thank god. Nothing sounds worse than an uncorked wankel screaming and puking gas/oil/flames. Torqueless wonders that make the power of a 4 cyl, drink gas like a big block V8 and uses more oil than a 2 stroke.

[slowgls]

Well Bob, it ok to disagree. Hehe!! Well here is just a video to remember it by. Enjoy!!!!

[scott9050]

Hey-a college friend of mine had an RX2 coupe with the rotary engine. Very quiet, very fast, very thirsty. One day, after parking in the garage and closing the door, he noticed a glow and looked under the car. It was red hot. Probably the muffler. A bit disconerting to say the least.

Yep, the rotary runs quite a bit hotter than a piston engine.

My '82 leaked water and used oil like there was no tomorrow, but as long as I kept the oil up (1 quart every 1,000 miles) that little 12A just would not die.

I came to find out on my own car and on others that a little Marvel Mystery oil and a breaker bar would free up seized apex seals and it would just keep going. The car fell apart around it and I finally parted it out at 282,000 miles with it still running strong.

[slowgls]

yep, just rotate them backwards.