The Blue Bomber

i thought the rotary would be easier to make simply because there are less moving parts (i.e. t rotors and an eccentric shaft vs. rods, pistons, valves, lifters, cams, TIMING BELTS etc.)

as fer maintence if you maintain one like you should maintain any car then i think should shouldnt have many probs (on 3rd gens however i read that the most probs were from the crazy sequential twin turbo)

any way thats just my opinion :monkydance:

The Blue Bomber

of course the piston engine had about a 60 year head start on the rotary so yes its a little behind but with this newest iteration i think the rotary will make a come back. (who knows one day i may have a rotary vette... if i build it my self

90_GTU_jeremy

you guys should take a look at the renesis... its ported differently.. is much more fuel efficient and cleaner running. not to mention is redlines over 9g... which woud make it the highest redline of a production american car right? also it makes 250 hp.. which makes it highest in hp-L in the us also... beat that honda... and just wait till the dual ball bearing turbo comes out...

dac

I think the S2000 has a 10K redline.



I think the 2 major things that have killed the Rotary were gas mileage and emissions.



Mazda has done a great job bringing the rotary back.



My first RX2 (damn I wished I still had it (1971 model)) with it's 12A and dual distributors was a bear to keep in tune (points) and would backfire big time when the pedal was let up after hard acceleration thanks to the thermal reactor.

90_GTU_jeremy

nah the s2000 is def a 9000 redline... ive sat in one and the tach in the rx-8 goes to 11,000 so it probly tops at 9500 0r 10,000... also my 90 13b backfires all the time lol.. i think its due in part to my exhaust leak... it also idles at 500 some weeks and 1200 some weeks lol

rmaiersg

A little FYI. General Motors also started a project for making rotary powered cars. I forgot, though, why they ended the project.

1988RedT2

Fact: It was the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 that ALMOST killed the rotary. EVERY major automaker had invested a LOT of time and money in development of rotary engines and the cars they would go into. The Chevy Vega, Monza, and Corvette were all to get rotary engines. The AMC Pacer was designed from the ground up for the rotary engine. When gas prices skyrocketed after the embargo, everyone gave up on the rotary except MAZDA.

1988RedT2

I miss my RX-2 also.



Yes, the points were a bear. And getting the timing right on both distributors was always a challenge, but I learned a lot about rotaries messing with that car. But it worked well enough to instill a passion that burns to this day.



Ah, yes! The atomic backfire. It amazes me that I never blew the muffler off that car.

The Blue Bomber

that still doesn't excuse the fact that they gave up. :monkydance:

dac

That was in the 70's I don't think they could overcome the sealing issues ala: Apex seals. Theirs was a 4 rotor model.



I'm actually glad they didn't produce it, as it may have ended the Rotary motor.



GM wasn't real good with new technologies. Remember their first aluminum block? The Vega..