No Pistons?

[jaymanek]

Saw the advert and tv and thought- you what??

Mazdas weird engine

 

[Sp!ke]

ROTFL

Been around for Donkeys years, desingned by a man named ****el!

Great idea, effectively trebling the number of firing strokes per cylinder. Used by Norton without much success for years on their motorcycles and of course still used by mazda.

The engines main failing point are the rotor tips which tend to wear out rather fast.

 

[jaymanek]

wow, nees to me.... but then saying that, i had heard of 'rotary engines' just guess i didnt know what one was!

 

[Steve_Perry]

I find that How Stuff Works is a really great site, if somewhat America-centric.

How Stuff Works - Rotary Engine

That's how the original model RX7 got such a low bonnet line.

S.

 

[Dieselman]

The ****el engine was first used in the NSU RO80, remember those?. What a car, what an engine, but about 10,000 miles to the engine soon put paid to that.

NSU are now part of Audi.

Mazda have made the rotary work.

 

[Motard]

NSU RO80? I agree Dieselman, what a beautiful car, then and now!

 

[mayoga]

>> The engines main failing point are the rotor tips which tend to wear out rather fast.

According to Mazda they have redesigned the engine and no longer have the problem with the tips.

Gav.

 

[scotth_uk]

I have always been surprised that England never really did the whole rotary thing. Growing up in Australia it was the cheapest and easiest way to get yourself a 12 or 13 second quarter mile car.

WIth a bit (lot) of cash, you can tune these babies down to sub 10 second quarter miles on street tyres.

Engines favoured were the 12A, 13B and they even did a 20B triple rotor, twin turbo. Ahh the memories.

First there was the R100.

Then the RX2

Then the RX3

Then the RX4

Then the RX5

Then the RX7's which you will all know.

I suppose the other engine a lot of people don't know about is the Miller Cycle engine:

http://www.mazda.com.au/articleZone.asp?articleZoneID=92

 

[jaymanek]

erm i once had an rx7, how could i have missed that it had a rotary engine! As with any car, i sold it soon after the novelty wore off....

 

[esox]

As well as Trevor Nation doing his thing on the Norton Rotary Suzuki had a ****el engined bike in the `70s too.

 

[Simon]

Originally posted by jaymanek
erm i once had an rx7, how could i have missed that it had a rotary engine! As with any car, i sold it soon after the novelty wore off....

I drove an RX7 in the early / mid 80's and seem to remember it having an audible warning buzzer once high revs were achieved. Apparently destructive RPM’s were a real possibility. Anyone remember that?

 

[scotth_uk]

Apparently destructive RPM’s were a real possibility. Anyone remember that?

Sure do.

rev, rev, rev, plant foot, spin, screaming noise, more screaming noise, DING, change gears, plant foot, spin, screaming noise, more noise.....