Mazda’s rotary engine was fast, light, and iconic. So why did Mazda finally kill it off after decades of pushing the limits?

Discover the Achilles' heels of some of the most iconic and powerful car engines, from Audi's 4.2 V8 FSI to Toyota's 2JZ-GTE.

Mazda’s Rotary engine is nothing new. It was invented by Felix Wenkel, a German engineer, in the early 1950s. But a masterpiece doesn’t have to be new to be admired. It offered an elegant alternative ...

Despite its flaws and challenges, the rotary engine survives due to its unique allure and Mazda's unwavering commitment.

The rotary engine has been a Mazda staple since 1967. It powered one of the most famous and eccentric Japanese sports car line-ups, the RX-series, until 2012 when Mazda discontinued pure ...

Fewer than 38,000 of NSU’s revolutionary Ro80 models were built in the 10 years between its debut late in 1967 and the day in 1977 that NSU’s corporate parent, Volkswagen-Audi, turned the factory that ...

Chris Bruce has worked in the automotive industry since 2011 and has written thousands of stories about cars, motorsports, and motorcycles in that time. He has written for Autoblog, Autoviva, CarFax, ...

Over-the-top rotary builds are an enthusiast tradition. Because so few rotary cars have been made, the limits of the engine type haven't been fully exploited by automakers. It's been tuners who have ...