why rotary so rare?
#1
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why rotary so rare?
I was telling a buddy of mine all the amazing things about the rotory engine.How compact it is 3 moving parts! blabalbal.He stops me dead in my tracks and said,"well why the hell isnt it in more cars?"I couldnt really give him a good answer and i am stumped.Is it copyright?Please help me.For the name and reputation of the Rotary Engine!
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Maybe 'cuse gas cost so much money these days, and they ain't the most economical cars. Oh yeah and they aren't very emmision friendly. Chevy tried to go rotary a long time ago, they made like 1 rotary corvette, and they were supposed to come out with rotary Vegas but then the oil crisis hit and gas prices skyrocketed
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I figure it just a demanding engine and needs proper care to last, right. Consumers don't want to worry about that stuff when all they want is to get form A to B plus what kundo said.....
#4
Maybe that will change with the new design debuting in the RX-8. Good emissions, as much power as an RX-7 without the turbos (and problems they brought), and better mpg.
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actually back in the late 60s and early 70s every car company had a rotary concept car, just about. chevy and mercedes come to mind off hand. chevy had the corvette as mentioned, it used a 4 rotor n/a i beleieve. mercedes had some 3 or 4 rotor design as well. but for whatever reason no company decided to use the engine except for mazda. it was their selling point. just about the entire mazda lineup was rotary cars. i think the reason they didnt catch on was because of their use of gas and oil and their reliability reputation, or lack thereof. but the fact that the rotary is so rare is one of the main reasons i like my RX7. because nobody else has one. if they werent so rare i probably wouldnt own an RX7 right now.
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Originally posted by FC Drifter
i think the reason they didnt catch on was because of their use of gas and oil and their reliability reputation, or lack thereof. but the fact that the rotary is so rare is one of the main reasons i like my RX7.
i think the reason they didnt catch on was because of their use of gas and oil and their reliability reputation, or lack thereof. but the fact that the rotary is so rare is one of the main reasons i like my RX7.
As others have mentioned, the oil crunch of the late 70's killed almost all rotary developement. Mercedes was actually very serious about the rotary until the oil crisis.
Another reason is cost - it ain't cheap to desiogn a new engine using new technology that's arguably not much better than what you've already got.
I also remeber reading somwhere about Mazda owning the patent (or something like that) for the design.... but I could be wrong.
It will be interesting to see what will happen when the Rensis hits the market.
#9
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Originally posted by cmartinp28
there was no way that a rotary can pass emissions back in the day
there was no way that a rotary can pass emissions back in the day
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I think I'm right in saying that most prop planes are powered by rotary engines. Then they were moved into car's where they haven't had as much success due to the cost of designing by manufacturers and also the cost of oil rising.
#12
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I worked on the flight line during college and never saw a rotary engine.
Perhaps you are thinking of a radial engine. This is just a piston engine with the pistons in a circle.
Most gas powered planes today have horizontally-opposed engines, like old VW Bugs and Porsche 911s.
Perhaps you are thinking of a radial engine. This is just a piston engine with the pistons in a circle.
Most gas powered planes today have horizontally-opposed engines, like old VW Bugs and Porsche 911s.
#13
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Because nobody else could get the thing to work right. Not NSU, Datsun, Toyota, GM, Ford, Curtis-Wright, John Deere, etc...
Its funny they all started by using the Mazda designed rotary engines and tried to make changes to make it their own.
Besides that the oil/gas crissis didn't help.
Its funny they all started by using the Mazda designed rotary engines and tried to make changes to make it their own.
Besides that the oil/gas crissis didn't help.
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Nope
Originally posted by Pumped
i think audi's had rotary engine a long time ago
i think audi's had rotary engine a long time ago
#17
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I think rotary engines are not more prevalent in the industry for a couple of reasons.
1. R&D (Time and Money)
2. Tooling (Time & Money)
3. Fuel Efficency (Compared to todays standards)
4. Emissions (Compared to todays Stds & R&D invoved)
5. Other car companies don't have *****.
1. R&D (Time and Money)
2. Tooling (Time & Money)
3. Fuel Efficency (Compared to todays standards)
4. Emissions (Compared to todays Stds & R&D invoved)
5. Other car companies don't have *****.
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