The 2011 model year will be the last for the rotary-powered RX-8, and with that official news comes the revelation that there will no longer be a production rotary Mazda. Mazda has been using the piston-less wonder for more than 44 years, even garnishing the only Japanese win at Le Mans with the 4-Rotar 787 back in 1991. There had been talks that a new rotary powered production vehicle would show its face soon after the fall of the RX-8. That future however, appears to look doubtful.
While discussing the potential of another rotary-powered Mazda, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Mazda executive officer for product planning and powertrain development said to WardsAuto that there is a massive discussion within the company as to continue the engine or not. Because of the tough economic times and a big trend towards alternative fuel-source vehicles, the development for the Renesis rotary replacement is the list for programs to potentially cut. According to Wards, development has currently halted.
Known for poor fuel mileage and oil-burning, the rotary is also in danger due to increasingly strict emissions standards. Whether or not Mazda’s tradition with the rotary continues is still up in the air. It may be on of the most controversial engines of our time, but the rotary is a part of Mazda history and it would be a shame to see a model line up without one.
Source: Wards
