Why Are Rotary Mazda Engines Dying Out?
You`ve probably heard of the Mazda RX-8, one of the rare modern cars with a Wankel or rotary Mazda engine. However, if you want to search for other cars with rotary engines you might encounter a problem – there is a very small number of them. This video explains the four reasons why rotary Mazda engines are fading out.
- The thermal efficiency of the rotary Mazda engines is horrible compared to that of normal engines because the combustion chamber is way too long and the fuel that doesn`t burn goes out the exhaust pipe.
- It`s tough to make a rotary engine with a proper seal because of the uneven temperature in combustion.
- The engine has oil injected directly in it because it needs to have a tight seal at all times so it is effectively burning oil every time you press on the gas.
- Rotary Mazda engines have terrible emissions because they burn oil, but they don`t burn all of the fuel. They throw it out of the exhaust instead. The fuel economy is also terrible and it wastes a lot of oil, so the next time you think about buying one of these because they`re “cool” and “hip”, remember there`s a reason they`re dying out!
For more info on how rotary engines work, follow this link.