Mazda ends production of rotary engine

[Zembonez]

A sad announcement for those of us who have owned many rotary powered cars.

Those who have loved them.

Those who have not mistakenly believe that they were junk.

Ignorance is bliss.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/06/26/mazda-ends-production-rotary-engine/?intcmp=features

 

[NMRam]

That sucks, but it hadn't been a relevant player in the market for years.

 

[Zembonez]

True... but to Mazda fans, it's the same as Chevy announcing that the small block V8 is ending production.

I have owned a number of RX7s over the years. My favorite was a 1980 with a street ported 12A rotary running Weber carbs. What fun that car was.

I realize that the rotary doesn't have a place in modern safety nazi / fuel economy / emissions restricted cars, but it was an amazingly powerful engine that would rev forever and burned a ton of fuel.

 

[PenguinLTZ]

Some of my fondest memories were of the time period I owned an '88 Turbo II.

Damn, life before marriage. It was my last hurrah!

:RIP:

 

[mr_bots]

Revvy, powerful for the displacement and I'm sure, fun to drive but torqueless, poor mileage, and burns oil like crazy. If it was a truely great engine they'd keep making it. Although in all honesty, I'm more of a present and future guy than a nostalgic guy so I might not be the best person for this. Same reason I'd take an LS over an SBC any day.

 

[svensk]

My only run in with a modern rotary was when I raced this newer RX-8 onto the freeway with my sonata and stomped him pretty badly.
My thoughts were...30K+ dollar car for what purpose? I know they're brilliant in the corners but that's about it.

 

[daddy]

Rotary engines aren't country and don't go in trucks, **** 'em. GRUNT.

 

[Zembonez]

Revvy, powerful for the displacement and I'm sure, fun to drive but torqueless, poor mileage, and burns oil like crazy. If it was a truely great engine they'd keep making it. Although in all honesty, I'm more of a present and future guy than a nostalgic guy so I might not be the best person for this. Same reason I'd take an LS over an SBC any day.

OBVIOUSLY you are somebody who never owned one. They make great power with the right setup. They don't burn lots of oil (unless something is fWONked), and they pull at full power at RPMs few piston engines have ever even seen. They just don't fit in with today's emissions / fuel economy mindset.

I like Leer Jets, but a P51 Mustang is coooool.

My only run in with a modern rotary was when I raced this newer RX-8 onto the freeway with my sonata and stomped him pretty badly.
My thoughts were...30K+ dollar car for what purpose? I know they're brilliant in the corners but that's about it.

The fat hideous RX8 was never a fast car. It was a POS. All generations of RX7s were capable of being fun cars. First generation cars could be made very fast quite easily.

 

[slims]

Rotary engines aren't country and don't go in trucks, **** 'em. GRUNT.

This.

 

[Zembonez]

Rotary engines aren't country and don't go in trucks, fWONk 'em. GRUNT.

This.

I know you are joking... somewhat.

Being ignorant of what a particular engine's capabilities are does not make it a piece of shit. It is, however, the mentality of many truck owners.