Many happy returns to the Mazda rotary engine: it hits the big four – o today.
Despite various technological challenges and drawbacks over the years, the Japanese manufacturer has stayed loyal to the technology, which currently powers the RX8 sports car.
As of the end of April 2007, Mazda has manufactured approximately 1,970,000 rotary vehicles since production first began.
It was on May 30, 1967 that Mazda commenced sales of the world’s first dual-rotor RE car, the Cosmo Sport. This was followed by models such as the Familia Rotary Coupe, Savanna and Eunos Cosmo.
In the UK, the Mazda rotary is best known for sitting in the nose of the RX-7, a car that has thrilled enthusiasts over three generations (although often without raking in the sales).
Mazda’s Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Hisakazu Imaki, said, “The rotary engine symbolizes Mazda. It was born from the tireless efforts of our past leaders and a corporate culture which embraces tough challenges. Keeping this proud tradition going forward, we will continue our research and development of the rotary engine in accordance with the Sustainable Zoom-Zoom plan that we announced in March 2007. As Mazda’s next generation eco-engine, the hydrogen rotary engine holds great promise and, in fact, is already running on public roads. Mazda will aspire to adding new value to our rotary technologies by investing further in hydrogen rotary engine Research & Development.”
The firm is looking ahead with its development of the hydrogen RE, which emits no carbon dioxide (CO
). Development of the hydrogen RE started in 1991 and has thus far resulted in the RX-8 Hydrogen RE, which in February 2006 became the world’s first hydrogen RE vehicle to be commercially leased. Currently, seven hydrogen RE vehicles are on the road in Japan under commercial lease.
Mazda began its involvement in motor sports in 1968, following the release of the Cosmo Sport, when RE cars started turning up at race events. Since then, over 100 wins have been notched up in both the touring car series in Japan and in the IMSA series in the United States.
The 787B winning at Le Mans
Most notably of all, Mazda won Le Mans outright in 1991 with an office favourite of the PH team – the 787B. The quad rotor race car became the first of the Japanese manufacturers to triumph outright at Le Mans, despite multi-million pound attempts from large rivals such as Nissan and Toyota. It was the culmination of decades of hard work from Mazda at the famous race.
Click on the youtube link below to see one of these beats in action recently.