The rotary engine is unique in its success and failure and its ability to make an impact with a completely different way of thinking. As it is, every production car for the last 130 years, aside from ...

The 1970s were full of strange automotive experiments, but few were as unlikely as a compact Japanese pickup powered by a ...

Riding Suzuki’s RE-5 is a unique experience, even before you start the rotary engine that makes it special. When you turn the key in the ignition, the cylindrical instrument console’s plastic cover ...

A German engineer, Felix Wankel, is credited with developing the world's first rotary engine in the 1950s. Wankel rotary engines use a triangular rotor spinning in a semi-oval case on an eccentric ...

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 ...

Good news, everyone! Mazda is not only reassembling a dedicated team of engineers for rotary engine development, as we’ve reported earlier, but today it also announced its intention to expedite ...

After years of rumors and experimentation behind closed doors, the Mazda rotary engine is officially back. The Vision X-Coupe, a plug-in hybrid concept showcased at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, has ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Peter Lyon is based in Tokyo and writes about the car industry. Mazda’s rotary engine has been officially reborn, but not quite in ...

Thomas has spent two years working in the auto journalism industry, contributing to a UK-based newspaper and writing for Euronewsweek. A full-time writer and lifelong engineering enthusiast, he now ...

Changan’s R05E prototype achieves first ignition, signaling renewed interest in rotary engines but for a wilder application.