Mazda ends production of rotary engine
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The rotary engine is officially dead. For now.
Bloomberg reports that Mazda built the last of its unique powerplants last Friday, ending a 45-year run.
The automaker announced last year that it would be discontinuing the engine, citing high costs, low sales and environmental concerns. It got a stay of execution earlier this year when Mazda extended production if the RX-8 sports car with a run of 1,000 special edition Spirit-R models celebrating the engine.
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Although it delivers a large amount of power from a compact, lightweight unit compared to a piston engine, the rotary design is notorious for its low fuel economy and high oil consumption, both factors making it difficult to meet today’s strict emissions standards.
Read: Is the handbrake grappling with extinction?
First introduced in the 1967 Cosmo Sport, Mazda produced nearly 2 million cars powered by rotary engines over the years, technology that it licensed from Audi in 1961. Its turbine-smooth operation prized by many enthusiasts.
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The high water mark for the engine was victory in the 1991 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, still the only win by a Japanese automaker.
But just because the rotary is dead, doesn’t mean it can’t come back to life…with a jolt of electricity.
Mazda is continuing development of the engine design with an eye on possibly using it as a range-extender for plug-in hybrid vehicles, similar to the Chevrolet Volt. It has previously shown a prototype of such a car that uses a rotary converted to run on hydrogen to generate electricity.
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Perhaps one day the company’s slogan will be changed to Humm Humm, Buzz Buzz, Zoom Zoom.