The 1970s were a big time for Mazda’s rotary engines. The RX-8 sports coupe was the final rotary-powered vehicle from the brand available in the United States. This model from the last year is the updated version that people want. It comes with comfortable cloth seats and is designed without a sunroof. The design is simple and looks good. Felix Wankel, a German engineer, is said to have invented the rotary engine, but we think Kenichi Yamamoto should get the credit because he was a Nazi. The engine in the Mazda Cosmo made rotary engines useful in the real world. Most of the time, he is the Japanese engineer who became President of Mazda. The rotary engine has become an important part of the Mazda brand, and even though it has some problems, it still has its personality. Also, this low-mileage 2011 RX-8 on Bring a Trailer has all the spinning metal Dorito vibes that any rotary head could want. The fact that the RX-8 had such big shoes to fill is what made it known as one of the most underappreciated sports cars. It replaced the third-generation twin-turbo RX-7, which was beautiful and very powerful but also a bit fragile. The RX-7 was more organized than the RX-8, even though it was slower and less frantic. These kinds of things don’t happen in stories. The Nissan 350Z was almost the same price and had a lot more power, so you had to really want a rotary. The RX-8 and the third-generation Mazda MX-5, which are also beautiful cars that don’t get enough attention, share a chassis. Most people agree that the NC MX-5 is the weakest of the four generations of this breed. That would be like eating at California’s fourth-best taco truck. There will still be awe. This tumbling chassis was paired with the RX-8’s light Renesis twin-rotor engine, which makes 239 horsepower and 159 pound-feet of torque. Even after the engine had been used a lot, that was still enough to get to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. At the curb, it weighed a little more than 3000 pounds. The cons are 19 mpg and about one quart of oil every 3,000 miles. Two good things about it are a redline of 9,000 rpm and an engine that runs smoothly and looks like it’s powered by cream instead of hydrocarbons. This one has classic red paint and black cloth seats. It has only 17,000 miles on it. It is the version that is more focused on performance. It doesn’t have a sunroof like the Sport models did, and it has a limited-slip rear differential. It is a later model in the line-up and has a lower final drive, different suspension geometry, and a stiffer chassis. It’s impossible to describe how fierce this RX-8 is. Mazda still makes rotary-powered cars for the European market. For example, the MX-30, which has a small 830cc single-rotary engine, can go farther on a single charge. It can go 300 miles and makes a noise like a pencil sharpener. Mazda has also started making 13B blocks and parts for people who want to fix up an RX-7 twin-turbo from the FD generation. Since the 2012 model year, Mazda hasn’t sold a car with a rotary engine in the United States. This is your chance, though. The specs are correct, the mileage is low, and there is a lot of information online about how to keep them in good shape and service them correctly. The no-reserve auction will end on October 9. Let’s all agree to focus on the future and leave Felix in the past.
