Photo: Mazda patent filing at EPO, published by taku2_4885 on Hatena Blog
Mazda has filed several new patents in Europe, and they appear to be regarding a new rotary-engined vehicle. The unnamed model has a hybrid configuration, along with a transaxle gearbox. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though, but that does not guarantee it will be built.
As you may be aware, Mazda has stopped making vehicles with rotary engines for about a decade. Ever since the last RX-8 was made, rumors regarding a successor went back and forth. Every single time, the rumors turned out to be just that, and representatives of the Japanese company explained that it cannot be done for now.
However, Mazda has never quite let go of the rotary engine, and some of its representatives have explained, in various interviews and discussions, it is complicated to make this type of engine comply with emissions regulations.
With the Euro 7 standard on its way, if Mazda were to launch its last rotary engine, this would be the last chance to do so. While the Japanese automaker has experimented with hydrogen-fueled rotary engines, the new patents filed at the European Patent Office do not have any relation to the alternative fuel.
As the Mazda aficionado who goes by the name taku2_4885 found, the rotary engine configuration that the Japanese marque has patented in Europe is part of a series of patents, and if they are put together, it appears that the company is planning a rear-wheel-drive sports car with a 48V hybrid configuration.
The transmission is a transaxle, while the engine is a three-rotor, which is entirely new. It is worth noting that not all the images in the photo gallery are recently filed, some being as old as 2019, but they do make sense and form a potential new model.
Mazda had previously offered single-rotor and dual-rotor motors, but three-rotor configurations were limited to the Cosmo. Another application for three-rotor wankel engines was in motorsport entries in the American Le Mans Series, while the 787B prototype driven to victory at the 1991 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a quad-rotor unit.
However, Mazda has never quite let go of the rotary engine, and some of its representatives have explained, in various interviews and discussions, it is complicated to make this type of engine comply with emissions regulations.
With the Euro 7 standard on its way, if Mazda were to launch its last rotary engine, this would be the last chance to do so. While the Japanese automaker has experimented with hydrogen-fueled rotary engines, the new patents filed at the European Patent Office do not have any relation to the alternative fuel.
As the Mazda aficionado who goes by the name taku2_4885 found, the rotary engine configuration that the Japanese marque has patented in Europe is part of a series of patents, and if they are put together, it appears that the company is planning a rear-wheel-drive sports car with a 48V hybrid configuration.
The transmission is a transaxle, while the engine is a three-rotor, which is entirely new. It is worth noting that not all the images in the photo gallery are recently filed, some being as old as 2019, but they do make sense and form a potential new model.
Mazda had previously offered single-rotor and dual-rotor motors, but three-rotor configurations were limited to the Cosmo. Another application for three-rotor wankel engines was in motorsport entries in the American Le Mans Series, while the 787B prototype driven to victory at the 1991 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a quad-rotor unit.
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