Which car has a Wankel engine?

Today, the only new car on sale with a Wankel (rotary) engine is the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, where the rotary serves as a compact range-extender generator. Historically, the most famous Wankel-powered cars include the Mazda RX-7 and RX-8, along with earlier pioneers such as the NSU Ro 80 and Citroën GS Birotor. This article explains what a Wankel engine is, which cars have used it, and why the technology remains rare but relevant.

What is a Wankel engine?

Invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, the Wankel engine is a rotary combustion engine that uses a triangular rotor spinning inside an oval-like housing to complete the four strokes of internal combustion. Compared with conventional piston engines, Wankels are compact, smooth, and high-revving, but they’ve historically faced challenges with fuel economy, emissions, and apex-seal durability.

The cars that use (or used) Wankel engines

Currently on sale: Mazda brings the rotary back

Mazda reintroduced the rotary in 2023 as a range-extender in the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV. The car is an electric vehicle driven by an electric motor; a newly developed 830cc single-rotor gasoline engine operates solely as a generator to recharge a 17.8 kWh battery. WLTP electric-only range is quoted at up to about 85 km (approximately 53 miles), with the rotary providing long-trip flexibility once the battery is depleted. As of 2025, the MX-30 R-EV is sold in select European markets and Japan; Mazda has not announced U.S. sales.

Iconic historical models

While Mazda kept the rotary flame alive longer than anyone, several brands experimented with the design from the 1960s onward. The following models represent the core of Wankel-powered production cars across decades and markets.

The list below highlights notable production cars that used Wankel engines, their eras, and why they matter to enthusiasts and historians.

• NSU Wankel Spider (1964–1967): The first production car with a Wankel engine, establishing the concept in the market.
• NSU Ro 80 (1967–1977): A forward-looking sedan famed for its advanced design and rotary power; early reliability woes overshadowed its innovation.
• Citroën M35 (1969–1971): A limited test program loaned to customers to trial rotary tech in real-world use.
• Citroën GS Birotor (1973–1975): A rotary variant of the GS; produced in small numbers amid the oil crisis and emissions pressures.
• Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S (1967–1972): Mazda’s first rotary sports car, proving the engine’s performance potential.
• Mazda Luce R130 (1969–1972): An elegant Giugiaro-styled coupe with a transverse rotary layout.
• Mazda Familia Rotary/R100 (1968–1973): Helped bring rotary power to broader markets in a compact package.
• Mazda Capella Rotary/RX-2 (1970–1978): A family sedan/coupe that popularized Mazda’s twin-rotor engines.
• Mazda Savanna/RX-3 (1971–1978): A successful model in both road and motorsport use, cementing Mazda’s rotary reputation.
• Mazda Luce Rotary/RX-4 (1972–1978): A larger rotary offering with grand-touring character.
• Mazda Cosmo AP/RX-5 (1975–1981): A stylish grand tourer keeping rotary power alive through the late 1970s.
• Mazda RX-7 (1978–2002): The best-known rotary sports car across three generations (SA/FB, FC, FD), famed for balance and high-rev performance.
• Mazda Eunos Cosmo (1990–1996): Luxury coupe offering the 20B-REW, the only production three-rotor twin-turbo engine.
• Mazda RX-8 (2003–2012): The last mass-produced rotary sports car, using the Renesis engine with side exhaust ports for cleaner emissions.

Taken together, these models show how the Wankel engine moved from daring prototypes to mainstream performance icons, before retreating to niche roles under tightening emissions and efficiency demands.

Why the Wankel became rare—and why it’s back

For decades, the rotary’s strengths didn’t fully align with regulatory and market priorities. However, its compactness and smooth operation make it ideal as a generator for plug-in hybrids, explaining Mazda’s revival in the MX-30 R-EV.

Below are the main forces that shaped the Wankel engine’s trajectory in the car industry.

1. Emissions and fuel economy: Meeting ever-stricter standards has historically been harder for rotaries than for piston engines.
2. Seal durability and oil consumption: Early apex-seal wear and oil use hurt reliability perceptions, even as later designs improved.
3. Packaging strengths: Small, light, and smooth—advantages that now suit range-extender roles without direct drivetrain connection.
4. Mazda’s persistence: Mazda’s engineering investment kept the technology alive, culminating in the modern generator-only application.

These factors explain both the rotary’s decline in pure internal-combustion roles and its smart reappearance as a helper engine in electrified drivetrains.

What about future rotary sports cars?

Mazda continues to hint at rotary possibilities—such as the two-rotor generator concept showcased in the 2023 Iconic SP concept car—but as of 2025, no rotary-driven sports car has been confirmed for production. The near-term rotary story remains centered on the MX-30 R-EV’s range-extender architecture.

Where to find a Wankel car today

Shoppers seeking a new Wankel-equipped vehicle will find the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV in select European countries and Japan. Enthusiasts can look to the used market for classical and modern icons like the Mazda RX-7 and RX-8, noting that knowledgeable maintenance is essential for longevity and performance.

Summary

The only new car currently using a Wankel engine is Mazda’s MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, where the rotary serves as a compact, smooth-running generator. Historically, standout Wankel cars include Mazda’s RX-7 and RX-8, NSU’s Ro 80, and Citroën’s GS Birotor, among others. While pure rotary sports cars remain off the market for now, the engine’s unique strengths have found a modern niche in electrified range-extender applications.

Do any cars have Wankel engines?

It’s only fitting that 60 years after the very first production car powered by a Wankel rotary engine was launched – the cute Bertone-bodied and surprisingly spritely 497cc NSU Spider – Mazda is now reintroducing this revolutionary rotary motor as a range-extender as part of the sophisticated mechanical specification …

Did Ford make a rotary engine?

Ford experimented with the rotary engine, as well. It, too, licensed the design to develop and manufacture its own version of the engine, but it never released a Wankel-powered car.

What was the last car to have a Wankel?

RX-8
Mazda last built a production street car powered by a rotary engine in 2012, the RX-8, but had to abandon it largely to poor fuel efficiency and emissions. It has continued to work on the technology, however, as it is one of the company’s signature features.

Which car comes with a rotary engine?

The Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R:EV is the most recent production car to have a rotary engine.