While most of the industry is embracing electrification, the rotary engine fan base is still going strong, with plenty of aficionados hoping for the Wankel motor to return, obviously with the help of the company that kept it popular in the modern era, namely Mazda. Of course, racing is also important for the community's state of mid and you should know the rotary 1/4-mile world record has now been reset.
The adventure saw a Mazda RX-8 completing the quarter-mile run in 6.08 seconds at 229 mph - the shenanigan took place yesterday, at the World Cup Finals in Maryland.
Keep in mind that Loquito Killer, the machine that deserves the laurels, is a Pro Mod. Its body still resembles that of the production car (you wouldn't mistake one for the other, though), with this being the fastest drag racing class that still has opening doors.
Nevertheless, you'll find a tube chassis underneath the skin of the beast. As for the motivation, this comes from a 20B 3-rotor billet aluminum block and you can expect its power to sit north of 1,500 horsepower, albeit with this being a rough estimate.
Well, there are at least two reasons for which the said 1,320 feet sprint can be considered a riot, so let's zoom in on these, shall we?
For one thing, the rotary quarter-mile record hadn't fallen in years: the previous record, which sat at 6.149s at 229.08 mph, had been set back in 2015, with this also being a Mazda RX-8 achievement.
Then there's the fact that the rotary community has now set its sights on a 5s pass. Of course, given the said pace of this drag racing realm, this dream could take a while to become true. Well, until such a shenanigan takes place, you can enjoy the fresh record in the piece of footage below.
PS: In case you're wondering about the absolute record of the Pro Mod class (think: reciprocating engine), you should know the quickest import sits at 5.66 seconds, while the quickest V8 takes deals with the task in 5.48 seconds
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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