Ive got a friend who keeps insisting the Renesis in the RX8 is just a side-ported 13b, or at least Mazda reps keep telling him that. Is he right, or is the renesis a different engine?

 

basically

 

It's a 6-port rotary engine.

 

it essential is a side-port exhaust 13b. the intake ports are very simila to other 13bs. the intake manifold design is more complicated, the ecu that runs it is a million times more sophicticated, the internals are lighter, and some of the seals are different to accomidate the side exhaust. but other than that its internal geometry is identical to every other other 13b.