Wankel Days
10/24/2012
Around a year ago, Mazda built the last series-produced Wankel vehicles, and since then the engine developed by Felix Wankel has once again been reduced to a research object. In the sixties and seventies, the rotary piston engine celebrated its heyday, with many vehicle manufacturers planning models with this rotary drive set, which had the additional advantages of a small number of parts and compact dimensions.
Today, as then, Wankel vehicles are among the exotic vehicles on the road. All the more special is the experience of being able to drive three of the most famous Wankel vehicles within 24 hours, the NSU Ro 80, the Citroën GS Birotor and the Mazda RX 7. They all have the twin-disc Wankel engine in common, but the three exponents differ greatly in their design details and, above all, in their driving experience. This is not only, but also due to the age of the respective design. Around five years separate one from the next.
We have already presentedand shown most of the Wankel vehicles in a collection article . We will soon be writing about our impressions of the NSU Ro 80, Citroën GS Birotor and Mazda RX 7 models in individual vehicle reports.
