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Watch what happens inside a rotary engine

Since it looks like Mazda may very well revive the Wankel rotary engine as a range extender for electric cars, there's no better time to become reacquainted with the quirky internal-combustion engine. And there's hardly a better way to become reacquainted than by peering into a running rotary engine, which you can do with the video above. The video comes to us from the YouTube channel Warped Perception. The channel has already shown what happens inside a conventional internal-combustion piston engine by putting a clear cylinder head on top of a flathead engine. This new video shows off the rotary engine by adding a clear side to a tiny model-airplane engine, something that we weren't aware existed and are glad to know about now. Despite the tiny size, the engine is functionally almost exactly like the bigger versions you'll find in Mazdas from about 1967 to 2012. It has intake and exhaust ports on the edges of the rotor housing, and the triangular rotor swings about in a peanut-shaped housing. For maximum effect, jump to right around the 7:40 timestamp. This is the point at which a bit of acetylene is added to the air-fuel mix for a brighter flame. It's at this point that you can really see when the mixture combusts and how the pressure of the flame pushes the rotor to produce rotational motion. Each stage of the video does slow things down to make everything as clear as possible. Even if you already knew how rotary engines worked, it's still fascinating to watch, first because it's something you don't get to see usually, and also because of the engine's elegant simplicity. Related Video: Image Credit: YouTube / Warped Perception Weird Car News Mazda Technology Videos rotary rotary engine

Mazda6 AWD: More evidence surfaces

Last month, we learned that Mazda was seriously considering adding all-wheel drive to the Mazda6 line-up due to high demand. Now, more evidence has surfaced that an all-wheel-drive Mazda6 could be coming sooner than later. As first reported by Motor Trend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website has listings for both the 2018 Mazda6 with the standard front-wheel-drive powertrain and a 2018 with all-wheel drive. Clicking on the all-wheel-drive link reveals that it has the exact same safety ratings and features listed as the front-wheel-drive model. Both pages also have links to the same technical data sheets, all of which are for the 2016 Mazda6. This is the case with the 2017 model listed on the NHTSA site, too. Naturally, this by no means confirms that Mazda is bringing an all-wheel-drive version to the United States. It's possible the inclusion was a mistake, or someone might have even typed an "A" instead of an "F" when creating that page. But also considering Mazda's interest in offering all-wheel drive, the existance of all-wheel-drive Mazda6 variants overseas, and the likely minor technical hurdles to overcome, we'd say the odds are pretty solid that we'll see four driven wheels in a Mazda6 in the near future, even if not this model year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda6: LA 2017 View 16 Photos News Source: NHTSAImage Credit: Drew Phillips Rumormill Mazda Safety Sedan

Mazda zooms into SEMA 2016 with lighter MX-5 Speedster and RF Kuro concepts

It's almost time for the 2016 SEMA aftermarket show again, if you haven't guessed already by the steady parade of early looks at various show cars. Mazda's MX-5 creations are generally a highlight for us, unapologetic Miata junkies that we are. This year's cars should be just as exciting as last year's, one being a revision of last year's Speedster concept and the other based on the brand new, sexy RF retractable targa top model. Both SEMA MX-5s were designed and built in-house at Mazda's Irvine design studio. This year's Speedster is somehow even lighter than before. Mazda carved 100 pounds out of it, making it a staggering 350 pounds less than a production soft top model. It's also been repainted in a color called "White Ether", which we're imagining looks something like the "Blue Ether" paintjob on last year's highly reflective Speedster minus the blue tint. Mazda will probably never sell a roofless Miata or anything this lightweight, but maybe it should. It looks like it'd be a blast to drive at a road course. And then there's the RF Kuro concept, the first RF-based SEMA show car, which is shown in the teaser above. It doesn't seem terribly extreme, to be honest. It's wearing a matte charcoal paint, which explains the "Kuro" moniker – kuro means "charcoal" in Japanese. A set of 17-inch RAYS forged wheels and MX-5 Cup suspension, and that's about it. Not to knock it; the RF is a sexy looking thing as it sits, and Cup suspension should make it handle even more like a go-kart. Of course, both concepts will be fully revealed at the show next month in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for a dose of concept Miata hotness.Related Video: