On On 9k RPM and Doritos

So, this was kinda genesis in some ways…this was one of the very first long format writings I did. It's probably 15 years old as of this point and I had stronger opinions about things back then. I probably don't even agree with the points I made in this "article" anymore. I'm gonna be super honest. I barely reread it before sharing it here on this new blog. I was too afraid of the cringe but I thought it would be a good thing to share because its car related and it kinda shows how far (or not) I've come. Anyways, enjoy:

Ok so this article has been fairly long in the making but I believe it is finally ready. So here it goes. Get your popcorn. Get your blanket. Get your pajamas…and throw that crap out the window cause it's about to get real. This article is about rotaries and how I feel about them but first a little clarification and backstory. First of all, I don't hate rotaries. They just aren't really for me. (more on that later) Secondly, when I say rotary I am talking about the Wankel Piston-less Engine made by Mazda. Ok now that that is cleared up on to the heart of things. This rant (because lets be honest that's what it is) originated from a discussion we (The guys of FC3) were having on one of our boards. It started with me posting a picture of a Miata Coupe, one of like 5 that Mazda ever made. Someone ELSE then said that "all Mazda needs to do to make another RX7 is put a Renesys in a Miata with a fixed roof like that." Now being a Miata driver myself I (respectfully) disagree and was instantly deemed a "rotary hater". Although if I'm honest I haven't exactly been supportive of rotaries in the past. However the conversation continued for almost a full day without me logging onto the boards and when I did I had some catching up to do. So I started typing and as so often happens with these things one thing lead to another and I had a full blown rant on my hands. Using mostly that rant I will now attempt to explain and otherwise lay bare for you my opinions of rotaries hopefully with a bit of fact laid in there as well. Keeping in mind of course the original context of this rant.  

The First thing I would like to talk about is the bastardizing of a Miata with a rotary in it. 

I think putting a rotary in another car is almost as bad as putting something else in an RX-7. Think about it. Yeah sure there are a lot of LS swapped FDs out there but if you ever run into a true rotary fan they hate on those cars so much it's incredible. Believe me cause we have a few of them here at FC3. They constantly talk about how having anything else in the car other than a Wankel completely destroys everything the car is about and I tend to agree with them. Although I applaud people for doing what they like with the cars they like. However I feel the same way about putting a rotary in a Miata. I think it changes what the car is all about and I think it's silly and I don't like the idea. I think if they put the Renesis in an MX-5 it would be cool and all and might sell a lot but I think they would sell more if it was a piston engine. I say just make a new RX-7. Hell you could build it on the same chassis. All I'm saying is I wouldn't buy one. It might be a great car, just not my cup of tea. I think that the general public would rather have the more basic, more reliable (more on that later), more well known, traditional Otto cycle piston motor. 

Secondly I would like to talk about said reliability and general tech of this motor. 

For those that don't know the difference between the 2 kinds of motors I've mentioned you better look it up cause that's not what this article is about. However I will do my best to explain some parts.

Here is the thing about the reliability of the Wankel motor. It CAN go as far as some Otto piston engines, SOME rotaries have been known to go a long distance before needing replacing or rebuilding. However the ratio of longevity of the average rotary vs the average piston motor is tipped way in favor of the piston motor. Cars like Subaru, Honda, and Volvo to name a few are CONSTANTLY going 300,000+ (and that's a big plus) miles without engine failure.  The instances of a rotary hitting those numbers are very few and even farther between. Every rotary guy I talk to says they are just as reliable but then they add that little side comment, that little fine print at the bottom of the page "If you know how to take care of it". This brings me to my next point. Not everyone knows how. This is because these motors are extremely uncommon and not a lot is known about them outside of the small circle of people who own them. Literally EVERYONE ELSE in the world (ok not this guyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrSpFk_XXFo)  is driving a piston motor so a LOT more is known about how to take care of them and that sort of thing. Now when a Wankel does break one might think it would be easy to rebuild it right? I mean come on half the point of a rotary is to have less moving parts so there is less to do right? Wrong. Now I am not one to say that (piston) engine building is easy or uncomplicated it's not at all but when it comes to rebuildable  what gets me is you can't machine them. If you scuff a rotary housing you're boned. If you scuff a cylinder wall you can literally buff it out. In a piston engine every single surface can be re-machined and brought back to original tolerances and unless there is a catastrophic failure and you blow a hole in your block then the engine is rebuildable.  

Told you I forgot something. My other point is Mazda in all their infinite wisdom holds ALL of the patent rights to the wankel so no one else can build one. Well we have seen throughout history that competition makes or better products. That's what has caused all the advancements in the Otto cycle of piston engines. Someone made one and some other guy said I bet I can do that better and then a third guy said I bet I can do the same thing for less money. And the rest is history. With only one company making rotaries there's not going to be as much advancement as there could be. That said Mazda is doing a hell of a job. But this simple fact is just one more mark against the rotary as a whole for me. 

Another thing I just thought of. With less parts and less complexity (while usually a good thing) means you get one personality. (Albeit maybe more personality but that's neither here nor there) I.e. there are no valves so you don't get things like VVT or its not as easy to change how the motor runs or where it's power band is just by changing camshafts (or programs in a Diesel motor. ::Drool::) what you end up with is some super crazy high revs and some decent power once you get there but it might not have the best manners for traffic. But that's more for like crazy bridge ported craziness not stock motors like we are talking about. However after ALL of this let me say I think rotaries are cool and I appreciate them from an engineering standpoint and I applaud Mazda for sticking with it. But let the RX7 be the RX7 and the Miata the Miata. Both are great and both do their part to advance and generally make the car world better.

Hope that wasn't too cringy ~ Corey