Hybrid helps make up for the Wankel's lack of low end torque. They are compact but dense, I mean heavy for the size. It's probably turbo charged. My bet is that though improved with respect to previous attempts the mpg will be low compared to the alternatives.
I had a look at the comparatively small diesel in a frigate - 8,000 hp at 1000 rpm - that runs on the same fuel used for the gas turbines and helicopter. I was told it weighed almost 40 tonnes. The really impressive ones are in container ships, massive things that run under 100 rpm on bunker fuel, but they are filthy. Ask anyone who lives in a seaport.
Mazda does Wankels - it's probably at least in part an identity thing. If it was Porsche they would probably use a flat six. Still, a Wankel in a Voltec-like arrangement would probably be a very neat package, and smooth.
Mazda has built plenty of reciprocating engines. I wouldn't be surprised if most Mazdas on the road (or ever built) aren't wankels. Porsche has cars with inline fours and V8s. Not everything they build is a 911 variant. If I were designing it, identifying with a certain ICE design wouldn't be a priority.
All true, but if they were going to float a concept and seek maximum attention for it, they would do best with the Wankel. It worked here. And don't take me so seriously!
Agreed. Floating a concept and seeking maximum attention is what Mazda wants to accomplish. They want to enhance brand image - not design a core product with their EREV.
It was a joke? I just thought was an expressed opinion, which is just fine. Mine's somewhat different, but that's about it. Sure Mazda is known for it's Wankel engine stuff like the Rx-7 etc. but it's not what most people are buying from them. My casual first thoughts engineering opinion certainly is unlikely to change what Mazda decides to build.
The Mazda 6 isn't Wankel power though, right?
However, because Mazda has rotary experience and expertise that other companies don't have and there are synergies between EREV and rotary it would make sense that they'd pursue it.
No, not a joke, just an observation not meant to be taken quite so literally. For what it's worth, I'm the only one in my family who's never had a Mazda. I ran out of fingers counting them, but not one had a rotary engine. And not a dud in the bunch.
Sure there's high power potential for it's size, probably low vibration (or at least different from a recip). On the other hand, it's thirsty and emissions IIRC are tougher to control. Wankels have a rep for being gas hogs even with those in love with the power you can get out of them. Maybe Mazda maybe has figured a way around this. There's been more than one comment calling the Prius superior because it gets better gas mileage than the Volt does in CS mode. Still it'll be interesting to see what Mazda comes up with.
