Mazda fills patent for direct injection rotary powerplant

t looks like Mazda silently filed a patent for a twin-spark, direct injection variant of the company’s legendary rotary powerplant. The application, which was submitted last October, was only approved last month.

The rotary type powerplant, which was first developed and patented by Felix Wankel a German engineer back in the 50s, has always been capable of producing high power outputs relative to its small footprint, but has also been found out to consume a lot of fuel and come with high levels of emissions. To solve this, direct injection was added as one of the ways by which to manage fuel consumption levels, and it has been thought that Mazda will be going this path with the latest variant of its Renesis rotary unit. Moreover, it looks like the carmaker is working on the revision of the dimensions of the rotor housing and the distance between the two spark plugs, which may be favorable to emissions.
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Spectator - 5/22/2009 1:59:51 PM

+4 Boost

Its about time someone did this with the wankel engine. Now if there was only a cheap way to fix the seals issue.

crslmn - 5/23/2009 11:30:14 PM

+2 Boost

Most engine problems with the RX-8 are from owners not reading their manuals. I see about 1 a week towed in for flooding from someone shutting the engine done cold which will flood a rotary. Alot of owners do not check the oil which is injected into the engine to seal the comb chamber. Low oil levels are very common and over time and damage the apex seals.

crslmn - 5/23/2009 11:23:15 PM

0 Boost

Except for the tribute, 6, and the B series Mazda builds its other models in Japan. The models built in Japan do not have build quality issues.

crslmn - 5/23/2009 11:31:58 PM

+1 Boost

I would not buy the previous generation 6 it has several issues.

bmw4meonly - 5/23/2009 10:25:40 PM

+2 Boost

Who cares if mazda is exploiting the mexicans in mexico.Do you say the samething about how the mexican exploite this country????...GO MAZDA,do watcha gotta do!

firwood6516 - 5/28/2009 9:36:38 PM

+1 Boost

The design goals with the rotary engine must have been this: Let see if we can build an unreliable Piece of garbage that puts out no torque and 200 less HP than a Corvette but still manage to get less MPG.I may sound like I hate Mazdas but this is not at all true. I have driven every generation of RX7 and loved every one of them (never owned one). I'm still waiting for Mazda to learn two words. ENGINE OPTION. I can honestly say I would have owned at least one of every generation of RX7 if they could have been ordered with any other engine. I'd still like to have an RX8 with the Mazda6 220hp V6. If there was a 6speed that the V6 would bolt to I would be very tempted to install one.