Part two of the Quest for Power series breaks down rotary and radial engines, why circular layouts solved cooling and reliability, and why they also came with nasty tradeoffs. From WWI rotaries to ...

This wild Mazda RX7, equipped with a rotary engine, shoots flames while drifting hard at a motorsport event. Its aggressive stance and full Red Bull livery make it a true showstopper.

Chinese firm Dongan Auto revives the Wankel engine, developing a lightweight prototype aimed at next-gen aerial mobility ...

Everyone generally knows about piston and rotary engines, with many a flamewar having been waged over the pros and cons of each design. The “correct” answer is thus to combine both ...

Long before Felix Wankel became synonymous with rotary engines, an inventive Hungarian-American engineer named Stephen M. Balzer secured one of the earliest patents for a rotary-powered automobile on ...

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. At the Japan Mobility Show two years ago, Mazda unveiled a ...

Ever since the RX-8 was (rather unceremoniously) put out to pasture, Mazda has been telling anyone who will listen that the rotary engine is still alive and well deep within the bowels of R&D. It has ...

The sporty Vision X-Coupe can drive nearly 100 miles in electric-only mode, but Mazda said a unique new plug-in hybrid system delivers up to 500 horsepower and almost 500 miles of driving range. Mazda ...

The Mazda Vision X-Coupe concept was revealed at the Japan Mobility Show 2025. The four-door show car has a plug-in hybrid powertrain that integrates an electric motor and a two-rotor rotary engine.

Back in 2023, Mazda first teased that the rotary engine could be destined for another lease on life with the RX-7-like Iconic SP Concept. Two years later, Mazda is back with another sporty concept ...

The Japan Mobility Show kicks off in Tokyo this week, and Mazda is using the occasion to show off a couple of concepts it says embody a theme called “the joy of driving fuels a sustainable tomorrow.” ...