Mazda Giving New Legs to its Rotary Engine

The rotary Wankel, the internal combustion engine without piston (MCI) could gain new life.

Rumors and comments from Mazda executives have suggested that although the Rotary will make a comeback, it will be relegated to what is essentially an emergency generator—a  range extender for a plug-in electric vehicle that is planned for the United States market. But a report from last week suggests that the Rotary could potentially play a more important role for some models.