Even though Mazda is better known for their Wankel "rotary" engines, the company has been manufacturing piston engines since the earliest years of the Toyo Kogyo company. Early on, they produced overhead cams, aluminum blocks, and an innovative block containing both the engine and transmission in one unit. This section sumamrizes piston engine developments. Note that Mazda has produced many piston engines, but only V-twin, straight-4, and V6 configurations, never a V8, I5, or V12!
AJ/MZI - 2.5 L and 3.0 L V6 - The Mazda version of the FordDuratecDOHCV6 is, of course, not a Mazda engine at all.
Wankel engines
Mazda is the only producer of successful Wankel engines, positioning them as a prime sports car powerplant. All of Mazda's Wankels are based on their first design of the 1960s, though there have been significant developments over the four decades since.
In the Wankelengine, the four strokes of a typical Otto cycle engine are arranged sequentially around an oval, unlike the reciprocating motion of a pistonengine.
Unfortunately for Mazda, their switch to this solution was immediately followed by a sharp rise in the cost of gasoline worldwide, so that not only the added fuel cost of their 'thermal reactor' design, but even the basically lower fuel economy of the Wankelengine caused sales to drop alarmingly.
Mazda is the only team from outside Western Europe or the United States to have won Le Mans outright and the only non-piston engine ever to win Le Mans, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their four-rotor 787B (2622 cc actual displacement, rated by FIA formula at 4708 cc).
Mazda's competition debut was on October 20, 1968 when two Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S coupes entered the 84 hour Marathon de la Route ultraendurance race at Nurburgring, one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours.
Wankelengines are barred from international Formula One racing, as well as from United states midget racing, after Gene Angelillo won the North East Midget Racing Association championship in 1985 with a car powered by a 13Bengine, and again in 1986 in a car powered by a 12Aengine.
Mazda is the only Asian automaker to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their rotary-powered 787B.
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