Mazda working on next-generation rotary engine

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Mazda has admitted that it has an engineering division currently working on a next-generation rotary engine, but there’s no definitive date for its release.

Speaking to media at the 2017 Los Angeles motor show, president and CEO of Mazda North America operations, Masahiro Moro, said the rotary fan base is huge, so a rotary is within Mazda’s future.

“America has a huge rotary fan base still. This is really a core function of Mazda since the Eunos. Each year there’s a huge event here where rotary fans get together. It’s huge…last month it was a 50 year anniverary. A lot of our customers from the USA and even Mexico and Canada joined together,” Moro said.

“They asked for us to not give up…it is who you are. It is great having those core fans and that is a big asset for us. A rotary engine has an interesting opportunity from power source to environmental capability. We have resources continuously developing this from Skyactiv technology and in the future some time we need to decide what to do.”

“At this moment it’s not on the official roadmap, and we have dedicated engineers working on this,” said Moro.

Mazda rotary stories have been covered to death, but we’re happy to hear Mazda is making an investment in the rotary engine, and keeping a huge part of its history alive in the process.

When will it lob within a production car? We’re not sure — but when it does, it’s bound to be a cracking machine.

What would be your dream type of Mazda car to feature a rotary engine?

MORE: Mazda news, reviews, comparisons and videos
MORE: Los Angeles motor show news

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