| Mazda has recently celebrated the 40th anniversary | | | | The maker of the famous Mazda header pipe, Mazda |
| of Mazda’s first Wankel rotary engine powered | | | | has started its involvement in motor sports in 1968 |
| vehicle. It was on May 30, 1967 that Mazda started | | | | following the release of the Cosmo Sport when RE |
| selling the world’s first dual-rotor RE car, the | | | | cars has started participating in car races. Then in |
| Cosmo Sport and ever since has produced almost | | | | 1991, the Mazda 787B made history with the rotary |
| two million rotary-engined vehicles. | | | | engine when it became the only Japanese car ever |
| The first ever Wankel-engined auto was the NSU | | | | to claim victory at the Le Mans 24 Hour endurance |
| (now the famous Audi) Wankel Spider which was | | | | race. And ever since over 100 win in both the touring |
| launched in 1964. Other automakers such Mercedes, | | | | car series in Japan and in the International Motor |
| Rolls-Royce, Norton, Suzuki, General Motors, Citroen, | | | | Sports Association (IMSA) series in the United States |
| John Deere, and Arctic Cat have tried experimenting | | | | was won by RE-equipped racecars. |
| with the Wankel engine. Some were even able to | | | | The RX-8 sports car that was launched last April of |
| produce small runs of the Wankel engine. However, | | | | 2003 was powered by a new-generation, naturally |
| the only successful manufacturer that was able to | | | | aspirated RENESIS rotary engine which is more |
| produce the engine designed by the German engineer | | | | compact, more powerful, and more environmentally |
| Felix Wankel in quantities is Mazda. | | | | friendly than its predecessors. Britain’s specialist |
| By end of the 1950s, many automakers around the | | | | technology magazine, Engine Technology International |
| world have dedicated considerable Research & | | | | has awarded the RENESIS the most coveted |
| Development resources for the production of the | | | | International Engine of the Year award in 2003 as |
| rotary engine (RE) however most have surrendered | | | | well as the successive awards for its engine class in |
| because they were unable to surpass the difficult | | | | 2003 and 2004 to show high regards for this engine. |
| technical challenges that comes with the technology. | | | | Presently, Mazda is progressing with its development |
| It was only Mazda that has persevered and | | | | of the hydrogen RE which gives off no carbon |
| eventually was able to overcome all the obstacles | | | | dioxide (CO2) one of the gases responsible for global |
| and successfully achieved RE mass production. Mazda | | | | warming. The development of the hydrogen RE |
| was also able to introduce other RE vehicles into the | | | | started in 1991 and so far has resulted in the |
| market that includes the Familia Rotary Coupe, | | | | development of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE, which last |
| Savanna, RX-7, and the Eunos Cosmo. | | | | February 2006 has became the world’s first ever |
| And of course knowing Mazda they have | | | | hydrogen RE vehicle to be commercially leased. There |
| continuously developed the economy and | | | | are seven hydrogen RE vehicles that under |
| environmental performance of their RE-engined | | | | commercial lease traveling the road of Japan. |
| vehicles that is why they are still selling them today. | | | | |