In With the Old, In With the New: Mazda's Rotary Return Might Leave RX-7/RX-8 Fans Disappointed

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Mazda, an automaker that lacks even the mildest of hybrid vehicles, has announced a plan to change its gas-obsessed image. In doing so, the “fun” Japanese brand will return a novel internal combustion engine to the automotive landscape: the rotary engine.

We’ve talked up this possibility ad nauseum in the past, but the plan’s now official. Announced Tuesday, Mazda will add a rotary engine as a range extender for its electrification program, with the first rotary-equipped hybrid production vehicle appearing in 2020.

Traditionally, range extenders appear in the form of an existing engine from the automaker’s car line. Take the 1.5-liter four-cylinder in the Chevrolet Volt, for example. Other automakers, in the interest of packaging, use something smaller. BMW uses a 700cc two-cylinder for its i3 REx.

Mazda feels the flat profile of a rotary engine, coupled with its inherent smoothness, makes it the perfect unobtrusive powerplant for range-extended electric vehicles. Appearing alongside the rotary-equipped “hybrid” in 2020 will be a full-on electric vehicle. The automaker’s last production application for a rotary engine was the RX-8, which disappeared in 2012.

Despite recent attempts to squeeze extra MPGs out of the ICE (the brand’s Skyactiv-X compression-ignition gasoline engine appears next year), Mazda can’t ignore the need for zero-emission vehicles in certain markets. Electrification couldn’t be ignored forever. Nor can range anxiety. In this application, the sole responsibility of Mazda’s new rotary is to recharge the EV’s battery on the fly, with the drive wheels remaining perpetually out of its reach.

“The concept behind the rotary-powered range extender was to leverage the rotary engine’s small size and high power output to make multiple electrification technology solutions possible via a shared packaging layout,” the automaker stated in a release.

By 2030, 95 percent of new Mazda vehicles will employ “some form of electrification,” with the remaining 5 percent made up of pure battery-electric vehicles. The automaker claims its rotary is also compatible with liquefied petroleum gas. A more traditional mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid will appear in 2019 and 2021, respectively, Automotive News reports.

As a smaller automaker, Mazda found itself with meager resources for its electrification program. A strategic partnership with Toyota, supplier Denso, and other Japanese automakers changed that. Through the partnership (EV Common Architecture Spirit Co.), the OEMs plan to collaborate on the development of electrified powertrain components that can be used in any number of vehicle segments.

“We’ve seen drastic changes in automotive-related environmental policies all over the world,” CEO Akira Marumoto said at a Tokyo news conference. “We at Mazda are keeping an eye on what is going on in the industry as we move forward with our strategy.”

For rotary purists, Marumoto again offered a ray of hope. A conventional rotary-powered vehicle is still a possibility, he said, but Mazda is in no position to greenlight its development.

“That is the dream of Mazda,” Marumoto said. “So, my role is to make Mazda prosper so we can release such a model.”

[Image: © 2018 Chris Tonn/TTAC]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Boff Boff on Oct 02, 2018

    "Might" leave rotary fans disappointed??? That's like saying a thermonuclear exchange "might" cause some loss of life. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. But if Mazda releases another rotary-powered sports car (i.e. one where the rotary engine drives the wheels directly and makes a lot of noise doing it), I'll be one of the first in line.

  • Inside Looking Out Inside Looking Out on Oct 02, 2018

    Tesla does not make rotary engine or any other "range extender". And iMac does not have floppy disk drive and even DVD drive. That's all you need to know.

  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
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