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Mazda's rotary engine is getting on a bit. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Japanese company's first production rotary-engined car - which has been followed by nearly two million similarly propelled machines to date.
Near the end of the 1950s, many carmakers dedicated considerable research and development resources for the development of the rotary engine. Mazda did so most successfully, launching the Cosmo Sport in 1967. It featured a dual-rotor powerplant and spurred Mazda on to other rotary vehicles, such as the RX-7 and Eunos Cosmo.
Advantages of the rotary engine include light weight, compact size, smooth operation and the ability to rev to a very high speed. But rotaries are also known for their considerable thirst and comparative lack of reliability; many early engines were blighted by seal failure.
Mazda began its rotary motorsport programme in 1968. In 1991, the Mazda 787B made history when it became the only Japanese car ever to win the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race.
The latest rotar Mazda, the RX-8, was launched in 2003. It is powered by a new-generation, "Renesis" rotary engine.
Currently, Mazda is also advancing with its development of the hydrogen-fuelled rotary engine, which started in 1991.
