why dont more cars use rotary engines?

[SinNisTeR]

huh huh. you said wanker 😀

 

[MisterNi]

<< Wankel's also aren't the most fuel efficient. >>


That's another fault of the turbocharged RX-7s. Since Apex seals can't take high compression for sustained periods Mazda had to significantly lower the curvature of the rotor effectively lowering the compression causing poor mileage off boost which is 95% of city driving. Again, naturally aspirated rotary engines can be very fuel efficient.

 

[yakko]

<< Only the turbocharged 7s had a significant problem with low end torque. >>

I drove a gen 3 RX7 and I had no problem with the amount of torque.

 

[MisterNi]

<< Only the turbocharged 7s had a significant problem with low end torque. I drove a gen 3 RX7 and I had no problem with the amount of torque. >>


If you didn't have a problem with the low end torque that's great. But the low end is lacking even compared to my MR2 turbo. The FDs feel dead until you hit about 3500rpm, which is higher than most people rev to during city driving. I don't know, maybe the motor on the FD I drove was messed up but FDs are known to be lacking in low end torque.

 

[MajesticMoose]

I can imagine that another problem would be that very few people know how to do the repairs on them, when it comes to major things.

m00se

 

[Bigdude]

<< they sound horrible too >>



Yeah, with an open exhaust they sound awfull, just a terrible racket!

 

[Nefrodite]

anyone have an mp3 recording of said racket? i don't know aht it sounds like🙂


personally i like the gentle purr of a new porsche, thats so sweet and it sounds refined. what i hate is ricey kazoo exhausts which reminds me of kids taping cardboard to their bike spokes to get that fap fap sound. i also hate modded mustangs and other heavy american cars that growl loud and sound like their falling apart..totally uneven. its just unseemly to have a car growl so loud like its straining just to get off, especially when just accelerating at normal speeds.

 

[Ly2n]

I had a RX3 and a RX4 in the early 70s and one problem that they didn't have was low torque. They were quick machines. Actually the RX3 was the best. Their major faults were poor gas milage and no one could work on them. I would love to have either of them back again. I have my eye on a RX7 that is stored most of the time and has only about 50k on it. Haven't been able to talk to the owner about it yet.

 

[SinNisTeR]

if it sounds like WRX, then sign me up! 😀

 

[IGBT]

EPA killed em. And they do have a higher horse power to weight ratio.

 

[Finality]

<< The engines are fantastic, only problem is, since they're twin-turboed the engine tends to blow up at around 80K miles, which is exactly what his did. It's still getting rebuilt. >>



Precisely. Rotary engines are great but the RX-7 engine seems to wear out a lot more than your standard engine. I've mostly heard of engine re-builds every 60K miles.

 

[ElFenix]

ummm... the reason they're dead is because they are essentially a 2-cycle engine which can barely hope to pass regulation designed for 4 cycle engines which are simply cleaner to begin with. everyone was pumped about rotary designs in the 60s because they are theoretically more reliable and get better mileage than a standard piston engine with the same output figures. then the clean air act came along and rotarys couldn't pass. so dev was stopped on them.