The rumour mill for Mazda’s rotary revival has fired into life again, this time bringing with it speculation over a new drivetrain system for an upcoming sports car that could be powered by the iconic engine itself.
Mazda recently showed off a rotary hybrid concept engine as the carmaker announced its commitment to internal combustion alongside Toyota and Subaru, though it’s been heavily suggested the engine itself would only be used as a range extender as seen in the Mazda MX-30 SUV overseas.
In describing its twin-rotor concept, Mazda says the two longitudinally mounted rotary engines generate power and can enable the use of a larger battery power supply, effectively acting as a range-extender rather than a direct driver of the wheels.
Now, Japanese outlet Best Car Web reports Mazda successfully registered a patent for a new “vehicle drive system” in June, which is a complicated setup that could potentially see a rotary engine used for both battery charging and propulsion.
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Working with the limitations of an English translation of Best Car Web’s Japanese article, the vehicle drive system is described as an elaborate system featuring a “mild-hybrid that uses [a rotary engine] for propulsion”.
The publication outlines a rotary engine for driving placed behind the front axle, whose power will be sent to the rear wheels without travelling through a traditional flywheel.
Instead, a 25kW electric motor is mated directly to the rotary engine with no clutch mechanism, with the publication speculating the motor could take the place of a flywheel in rotary-engine driving.
A drive battery will reportedly be placed behind the car’s two seats, with a petrol tank behind that.
A transaxle and transmission will supposedly be situated on the rear axle, which could be operated by an “actuator” like in an automated-manual or be used as a traditional manual transmission.
In addition to the drive provided by the rotary-motor arrangement, the car could also feature 17kW in-wheel motors on the front axle.
Fuel supply will reportedly be controlled via a switch, which will allow the car to run on electric power alone. It’ll also have the capacity for rotary-only driving, during which power from the engine to the electric motor will be cut.
It’s not entirely clear how the drivetrain will be setup, but it’s been reported the car could be all-wheel drive in mild-hybrid mode, front-wheel drive in electric-only mode, and rear-wheel drive when using only the rotary engine.
Best Car Web suggests its battery-only distance will be short, though the mild-hybrid tech should help in urban driving with stop-start functionality. It should also reduce noise in residential areas.
It’s been reported the two-rotor engine is “being considered for use in sports cars”, the most likely of which being a production version of the RX-7 inspired Iconic SP concept seen at last year’s Tokyo motor show.
When the concept was unveiled in October 2023, Mazda said it was powered by a two-rotor EV system which could charge the onboard battery that powers its electric motors when the battery pack goes flat.
At the time, Mazda said the Iconic SP could produce up to 285kW, weigh 1450kg, and have a 50:50 weight distribution for ideal handling balance.
It’s not clear how the potential production version could perform in any of its hypothetical drive modes, though reports have suggested the model could be unveiled as early as 2026.
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