While other carmakers have tried and failed to bring the rotary to mass production, Mazda managed it in 1967 with the Mazda Cosmo Sport, saving the Hiroshima-based carmaker in the process. From there, Mazda continued to refine the performance of their rotary engines improving output, fuel economy, and durability, and maintaining their position as the only automaker mass-producing rotary engines.

This year, Mazda resumed production of the rotary engine for the first time in 11 years, after having ended production of the RX-8 in 2012.

“The rotary engine is a special part of Mazda history and represents our ‘never-stop challenging spirit.’ The rotary engine is much loved by customers around the world, and we are excited to resume production and see it make a comeback. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us on this journey—in particular, the many customers who have purchased rotary engine vehicles, our rotary engine fans, and all our business partners who were involved in development and production. Moving forward, we will continue to pass on this ‘never-stop challenging spirit,’ offering attractive vehicles that provide our customers with an exciting driving experience even in the age of electrification,” commented Takeshi Mukai, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer at Mazda.

Most recently, Mazda showed off the Iconic SP Concept at the first-ever Japan Mobility Show. The two-seater sportscar, heralded as a spiritual continuation of the RX-7 features pop-up headlights and a two-rotor electrified engine making 370 horsepower.