In a world dominated by pistons, the rotary engine was something different for motorists. It was the vision of German engineer Felix Wankel, built on the belief that the up-and-down motion of pistons ...

When it comes to unconventional engine design, few exceed the Wankel rotary in terms of weirdness. Despite that, the same basic principles of internal combustion apply here: Fuel and air are mixed and ...

Mazda is famous for its association with the unusual rotary engine and in the modern era, it's continuing to push the ...

In theory, Wankel-style rotary internal combustion engines have many advantages: they ditch the cumbersome crankcase and piston design, replacing it with a simple, single-chamber design and a thick, ...

They’re compact, powerful and they make an awesome noise. So why did rotary engines never really take off, and why has the concept been all but abandoned by the one manufacturer that championed it?

Dan Clougher is an automotive journalist and former classic and sports car dealer with hands-on experience across luxury, performance, and collector vehicles. Before joining CarBuzz, he managed his ...

The rotary is kind of like the Rudy (from the movie "Rudy") of engines. It's a little smaller than the others, and might not be quite as good, but you can't help rooting for it. Mazda says that you ...

If there's one thing forever associated with the Wankel rotary engine, it's Mazda. Powering production vehicles from the Cosmo's launch in May 1967 to the last RX-8 leaving the plant in June 2012, the ...

The piston engine may be the most common type of internal combustion engine found in consumer automotive vehicles. That doesn't mean it's the only option drivers have ever had access to. In the 1960s, ...