Tag Archives: rotary engine

Mazda Familia Van with rotary engine swap shines at Tokyo Auto Salon

The RE Amemiya booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon always gathers a special display of rotary-powered cars. The legendary Mazda tuner typically has a fleet of heavily modified RX-7s and RX-8s to display with one old school Hiroshima sled thrown … Continue reading

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Mazda rotary engine development team will reunite, CEO accidentally reveals at Tokyo Auto Salon

The Tokyo Auto Salon is happening right now, and Japan’s carmakers have flocked to the event to show off their enthusiast-oriented offerings. Mazda was there to show off race and street modified Roadsters and 3 hatchbacks, but accidentally revealed some … Continue reading

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Mazda is mass producing rotary engines for the first time in over a decade

On June 21, 2012 Mazda shut down rotary engine production at its Ujina No.1 plant in Hiroshima. A day later, on June 22, the RX-8, the last production car in the world to have a rotary engine, ended production as … Continue reading

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Toyota Supra successor rumored to spawn Mazda rotary variant

According to reports out of Japan, Toyota is reportedly working on a new sports car to be released sometime in 2026, around the time the current GR Supra is scheduled to sunset. The next version will allegedly be an electric … Continue reading

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VIDEO: It’s easy to forget how weird import drag racing was

Back in 1996 the idea of a front-wheel-drive Honda being anything but an economic commuter was still an alien concept to most Americans. But, it had grown big enough that even a public broadcast show like Motorweek was reporting on … Continue reading

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Mazda 3-rotor, rear-wheel-drive flagship, and how to make it happen

Mazda has filed a patent application for a 3-rotor hybrid drivetrain configured for a rear-wheel-drive layout. Obviously, if built, it would be the first rotary-engined car since the 2012 death of the RX-8, and the first triple-rotor production car since … Continue reading

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Amazingly detailed Mazda 787B rotary engine model released for 30th anniversary of Le Mans win

This year marked the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s historic win at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the 787B race car’s victory, Mazda aftermarket parts company MZ Racing has developed a highly detailed 1:6 scale model of … Continue reading

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Mazda’s new “R” logo trademark looks suspiciously like a Spirit R badge

Mazda Japan has filed a trademark for a new “R” logo, potentially hinting at a myriad of possibilities regarding its denotation. It’s stylized, battleship grey and red color scheme, and race-car ish aura leads us to believe that the marque … Continue reading

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Reports that Mazda is killing the rotary are not true

Even though Mazda’s new rotary engine is not slated for a sports car, many Mazda enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting its return. However, several English media outlets are reporting today Mazda’s rotary engine is once again on the back burner, … Continue reading

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These Mazda rotary facemask holders are the latest from a Japanese jewelry company that makes car-themed bling

The year-plus-long hell that the COVID-19 pandemic has spawned some interesting products. For example, Japanese jewelry company Jerev has made a facemask holder in the shape of a Mazda rotary engine rotor. Basically, The flat side sticks to your dash, … Continue reading

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Liberty Walk debuts S15 Silvia widebody with Super Silhouette throwback

The widebody wizards at Liberty Walk have done it again, and this time the subject is the S15 Nissan Silvia. Called the LB-Super Silhouette S15, the name is fitting, as it’s a direct callback to the Nichira Silvia Group 5 … Continue reading

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The Mazda rotary is coming back to America as a range extender

It’s official. The long awaited Mazda rotary engine is making a return to the States in the MX-30. It’s not in a turbocharged sports car we have hoped for, but there’s still nothing else like the RERE — rotary engine … Continue reading

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100 YEAR CLUB: Mazda, Part 03

Among automotive journalists, including many of us here at JNC, Mazda has long occupied a special place in our hearts. To this day, their cars just tick for us. Why? As we near the end of the year that marks … Continue reading

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The Mazda rotary will return in 2022 as a range extender

Mazda’s dream of reviving the rotary engine is finally coming true. In a Japanese presentation about the hybrid MX-30, CEO Akira Marumoto announced that Mazda will introduce “multi-electrification technology using a rotary engine” in the first half of 2022. While … Continue reading

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VIDEO: An all-rotary episode of Option Video

The Japanese tuning series Option Video has just posted an all-rotary episode. In it, host Daijiro Inada assembles a group of cars that showcase the progression of rotary engine-equipped Mazdas, starting with a Cosmo Sport. Accompanying him in what seems … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Travel through time with these defining moments in Mazda’s 100-year history

As you may have heard, Mazda is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, and they have created a little video showcasing the company’s “defining moments”. It’s short, but cleverly blends archival footage with modern, to give the impression that you … Continue reading

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Mazda RWD rotary hybrid patent discovered

News about Japanese sports cars just keep on coming this week. First there was the RWD straight-six Mazda 6, then some rumors about the new Nissan Z. Now, there’s been some discoveries about a Mazda rotary-powered hybrid mounted in a … Continue reading

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VIDEO: These Mazda at 100 videos are pretty nifty

Mazda is now 100 years old, and it’s done a lot over the past century. To prove it, the company has dug into its archives to put together some videos, mixed with newer footage, showing their highlights and imparting their … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s your most romantic JNC story?

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and you know you have some romantic, steamy, or downright heartbreaking stories involving a JNC and a significant other. Maybe there was a date, relationship, or marriage that turned out particularly well (or ended … Continue reading

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100 YEAR CLUB: Mazda, Part 01

Exactly 100 years ago today, on January 30, 1920, Toyo Cork Kogyo was founded. This company, whose name translates to Oriental Cork Industries, would go on to build cars under the name Mazda. Thus, today marks the 100th anniversary of … Continue reading

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