Mazda Bet Everything on the Rotary Engine. Here’s What Happened

In 1991, a neon-green and orange Mazda 787B won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the first Japanese car ever to win overall, powered by a four-rotor Wankel engine screaming at 9,000 rpm. Twenty-one years later, the last rotary car left the factory. Then in 2023, Mazda brought the engine back in a way nobody expected. In this video, we explain why the rotary engine failed as a mass-market engine and how it returned. We cover Felix Wankel's original design, the "nail marks of the devil" apex seal problem, why GM and Mercedes-Benz gave up, Mazda's 47 Samurai engineers, the 1973 oil crisis, the RX-7 and RX-8, and the MX-30 Rotary-EV that uses the rotary as a generator. Was it one of the greatest successes in car history, or one of its biggest failures? 👍 If you enjoyed this video, hit LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to Auto District for more stories about the engines, brands and boardroom decisions behind the car industry. Turn on notifications so you never miss a new upload! 💬 Do you think the rotary engine was a revolution ahead of its time, or an overhyped engineering flaw? Tell us in the comments! ▶️ Watch more from Auto District: What Happened to Pontiac? Its Biggest Success Was a Mistake:    • What Happened to Pontiac? From GTO Legend ...   What Happened to the Tucker 48? Sabotage, Fraud, or Bad Business?:    • What Happened to the Tucker 48? Sabotage, ...   What Happened to Lancia? 6 Straight WRC Titles, Then Italy-Only:    • What Happened to Lancia? 6 Rally Titles, T...   🔔 Next video: The Rise and Fall of Oldsmobile, America's oldest car brand. #RotaryEngine #WankelEngine #Mazda #NSU #Ro80 #RX7 #RX8 #LeMans #AutomotiveHistory