Mazda Sets Up A New Rotary Engine Development Team

Mazda has formed a new development team in a bid to accelerate its new rotary engine production.

It is no secret that Mazda has decided to bring back its signature rotary engine, with the automaker initially previewing the new unit on the stunning Iconic SP Concept unveiled last year. In cementing its commitment to revive the Wankel mill, Mazda has assembled a new development team, known as the ’RE Development Group’.

Consisting of 36 engineers, this dedicated development team is tasked with working on the marque’s new rotary unit. The last time Mazda had any dedicated Rotary division was back in 2018, before the group’s disbandment as Mazda stopped the production of its high-revving mill.

While the Rotary dev team was disbanded back in 2018, it’s been more than a decade since we saw a new rotary-powered sportscar produced by the Zoom-Zoom marque. Back in 2012, Mazda stopped the production of its final rotary-powered sportscar, the JDM-exclusive RX-8 Spirit R.

To no one’s surprise, this development has brought up a glimmer of hope for some JDM enthusiasts about seeing a new rotary-powered Mazda sportscar. As of now, the Japanese marque isn’t promising any such thing, only saying that the new rotary unit will be a foundation for new "attractive cars that excite customers with our challenger spirit."

However, Mazda president and CEO Katsuhiro Moro previously dropped a hint regarding the return of a performance rotary model. Speaking during the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon show last month, the boss said, "I am very happy and deeply moved by all the support and encouragement I have received for the compact sports car concept. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all. With your encouragement, we are launching a rotary engine development group on February 1 to move closer to this dream."

Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV uses the rotary engine as a generator for its BEV system

The marque further insisted that the new rotary unit will be used as a generator for its battery electric system, as demonstrated by the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV. In the Iconic SP’s case, one two-rotor rotary engine is used to juice up the battery pack, which in turn will drive the electric motor. Impressively, Mazda claims that this new rotary mill can also run on renewable fuels and even hydrogen, besides the standard petrol.

A little refresher on the Iconic SP, this sportscar concept is touted to boast a total system output of 365 HP, which is quite peppy for a car that weighs 1,450 KG. Dimension-wise, this concept measures 4,180 MM long, 1,850 MM wide, and 1,140 MM tall, making it slightly bigger than Mazda’s current sportscar model, the MX-5 Miata RF.

Should Mazda decide to make a road-legal version of the Iconic SP, it would be the 13th rotary-powered sportscar developed by the marque, continuing the legacy of the previous RX models. With Mazda now having its own dedicated rotary development team, perhaps this will be more than a pipe dream…