![]() Mazda saw the purpose of a more powerful, yet more efficient rotary engine. Furthermore, it was markedly robust pitted against domestic peers in Australia and the US. In fact, it was one of the first few cars well-sorted enough to compete against the Nissan Skyline back in the 1972 Japanese Grand Prix. It was featherweight and powerful for a naturally aspirated 1.2-liter. In fact, the RX-3 was so successful that it made up the majority of the rotary engine sales back then.Įven when it came to the races, the RX-3 is a winning formula. The 12A engine would produce more power than its inline peers, while not being penalized by the higher 1.5-liter tax bracket denoted by the Japanese government during the time.Ĭombined with the stylish muscular coupe styling of the RX-3, Mazda had a hit on its hands. This allowed buyers of the RX-3 to afford a cheaper annual road tax price. More importantly, the small displacement and dimensions allowed Mazda to design the RX-3 around Japan’s dimensions regulations. In the RX-3, the engine would produce right around 130 horsepower and 156 Nm of torque. And for the time, the 12A engines, despite displacing just 1,146 ccs, were remarkably potent. The world, and Mazda, were quick to realize the main advantages of the rotary engine – its diminutive dimensions and lightweight. Its first success came in the form of the RX-3, otherwise known as the Savanna. Little did Mazda realize that they were on to a hit. It’s also this engine that propelled the initial concept of the Rotary Experiment (RX) cars. This was the first rotary engine that Mazda found worthy as an alternative powertrain for their production cars. ![]() It’s fair to say that its predecessor is the 12A engine. Prior to the miraculously successful 13B engines, Mazda never really stuck with a single design for long. The 13B engine struck it just right, providing a fine balance between power, reliability, and affordability. It’s the most widely produced rotary engine by far, and for good reasons. Look at Porsche, who has made the rear-engine rear-wheel driven 911, a seemingly daft idea, work.įor Mazda, this came in the form of the 13B engine. That said, frequent trials and learning from the results mean that Mazda must’ve gotten it right once for it to persevere with rotary engines as a whole. In fact, it’s fair to say that their latest volume-production rotary engine, the 13B-MSP (RENESIS) put the final nail in the coffin for future mass-production rotaries. And while Mazda has produced dozens of different rotary engines, not all of them were successful. Nevertheless, there are reasons that rotary engines fail. Even today, the rotary engines garner a sizable fanbase, simply because there is no alternative. It’s Mazda’s unwavering effort to differ from the rest of the market that expanded rotary engines to the state it is today. ![]() Without Mazda, the Wankel rotary engines would’ve likely remained largely unknown and foreign to many. And it’s fair to believe so too, as Mazda has single-handedly pushed the rotary engines to the mainstream. ![]() ![]() It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Mazda believed rotary engines to be the best alternative after reciprocating piston engines. But back then it had put all their main interests in rotary engines. Nowadays, Mazda is hinting at reinvolving themselves with hydrogen-based rotary engines. However, nothing Mazda makes today can quite compare to their stint with the rotary engine. ![]()
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