When Mazda killed off its RX-8 model, we were afraid that production of its rotary engine would be finished as well. But, that's simply not the case according to the brand. Takashi Yamanouchi, CEO of Mazda, explains, "The challenger spirit that has made us the world leader in rotary engines is still alive and well at Mazda."1
The decline of the rotary engine was due to its inability to meet stricter emissions regulations and low efficiency. It also suffered do to the development of the brand's SKYACTIV technologies, which are heavily focused on improving an engine's combustion efficiency. However, discoveries from the development of these new technologies could also be applied to the brand's rotary engines. Mazda also believes that it could make gains in efficiency by using more advanced ignition systems to boot performance while also reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
Some engineers at Mazda hope to see a new rotary engine in production within the next five years, but nothing has been confirmed yet. If the new engine were to go into production, it would likely be offered in naturally-aspirated form, with turbocharged variants being offered soon after.
For more information about a possible return of the rotary engine, as well as updates concerning new Mazda vehicles, be sure to stay tuned here with Budd Baer Mazda, conveniently located at 71 Murtland Ave in Washington, PAand serving the greater Pittsburgh area. We always have the latest Mazda news, and we look forward to sharing it with you!
Source: 1 http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2013/02/22/mazda-rotary-engine/#.USeokmdRqVM
[INFO] http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/mazda-continuing-rotary-engine-development