10 Best Rotary Cars to Hit the Planet

Rotary cars may have gone out of fashion, but there is still a lot of excitement around them. Mazda was certainly the king of the technology, and today they are still into cars with rotary engines. Today, we will check out 10 awesome rotary cars that inspired and awed car and speed enthusiasts all over the world.

Alt- Rotary engine working method

Desc- Check out how a rotary engine works

1. Mazda RX-8

What cars have rotary engines in present times?

Mazda brought back the rotary engine in 2018 in their RX-8. The news surprised many, and a lot more people were happy about it! The Mazda RX-8 is a super-performer with great looks and style.

Check out the cool specs: 

238 HP
6-speed manual transmission
9,000 RPM max

You can think of the RX-8 as one of the most unique cars with the rotary engine.

2. Mazda RX-7 (3rd Generation)

Alt- Mazda RX-7 rotary car

Desc- The Mazda RX-7 was one of the coolest cars with rotary engine.

The Mazda RX-7 rotary car is considered to have the best rotary engine. You saw it in games like “Need for Speed” and movies, which gave the car a celebrity status. The RX-7 produced a supercharged 252bhp, sported a 1.3-liter most powerful rotary engine, and 50/50 weight ratio.

Certainly, the RX-7 was Mazda’s top creation and one of the fastest rotary engine vehicles.

Obviously, its looks can kill too!

3. Audi A1 e-Tron Concept

Audi e-Tron car with a rotary engine

Desc- The Audi concept car uses a rotary engine to extend the range

Audi used its car’s rotary engine to extend the range of the electric concept car A1 e-Tron. While the concept is not new, the use of a rotary engine to boost the miles is indeed innovative.

The 12kWh battery of the car churns out an impressive 101bhp, which is lower than the Mazdas we talked about. The 254cc rotary engine can do only enough to push the car a bit further, maybe towards a charging point.

4. Chevrolet Aerovette

Alt- Chevrolet Aerovette rotary car

Desc- It’s really sad the rotary engine version of this car never took off

The Chevrolet Aerovette was the pinnacle of American design in the field of rotary-powered cars. However, the car never made it to production due to the oil crisis. Later, Chevrolet launched the car with 6.6-liter V8 engines, but couldn’t sell it for long.

It’s a shame the car never made it to the market as many were expecting to buy one. The Aerovette also had those neat “pop-up” headlights that rise from the hood when you turn them on.

5. (Audi) NSU Ro 80

Alt- NSU Ro 80 rotary car

Desc- The Audi NSU Ro 80 was a sedan sold with rotary engine in the 70’s

The NSU Ro 80 from Audi is another great example of a rotary engine in cars. The sedan was sold from 1967 to 1977 and sported a 995cc two-rotor Wankel engine.

The Ro 80 is not the fastest rotary engine, though the car was really popular. The model even won the Car of the Year Award in 1968 and sold close to 40,000-units.

6. NSU Spider

Alt- NSU Spider rotary car

Desc- The NSU Spider started it all

NSU Spider had to be in our rotary engine cars list. After all, it’s the car that started the whole buzz around rotary engines. Built by NSU, the car had a 498cc engine that made it the perfect “people’s car” back in the 1960s.

However, the Spider had quite a few things that made it unique from other cars with rotary engines. According to caracar.com, those are the hings like disc brakes and a water-cooled engine.

7. Mazda 787B

Alt- Mazda 787B car with a rotary engine

Desc- The Mazda 787 was one of the fastest rotary engines ever built

The Mazda 787B is the fastest car with a rotary engine. The car had a 2.6-liter engine based on four rotors that produced an impressive 697bhp at 9,000RPM. The model also won the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours award before rotary engines were banned from Le Mans.

Certainly, it was the best rotary sports car to be made.

8. Citroën GS Birotor

Alt- Citroen GS Birotor rotary car

Desc- The Citroen rotary car suffered a setback due to the oil crisis

Not many people remember this car made by the French automaker during the 1970s. The car had a solid 995cc two-rotor engine that churned out 106bhp. However, the car went out f production during the oil crisis as it had a low fuel economy.

9. Mazda Cosmo (HB)

Alt- Mazda Cosmo HB cars with rotary engine

Desc- The Mazda Cosmo was the predecessor of the powerful RX-7

The Cosmo was Mazda’s first car with a rotary engine. It got quite famous and sold countless units before losing appeal to the public. However, by then, the Mazda RX-7 has already hit the market and created a buzz for its power and looks.

The Cosmo also had those “pop-up” headlights to add an air of charm to the modest cars.

10. Mazda Cosmo 110S

Alt- Mazda Cosmo 110S rotary car

Desc- Mazda was definitely the pioneer in rotary engines

Mazda was a legend of rotary engines, and the Cosmo 110S was a spectacular proof. Having the getup of a sports car, the model had a twin-rotor 982cc engine.

Mazda also introduced the Series II of 110S that produced 128hp.

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Wrapping Up

That concludes our list of the best cars with rotary engines. Do you own a vintage car with the same technology? Leave your replies in the comments!