By Colin Wood
Jun 26, 2025
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Rotary engine
Did you know that you don’t actually need a 10-cylinder engine to make a car sound like an old-school, V10-powered Formula 1 car? In fact, you don’t even need any pistons at all.
As this wild track machine shows, all you need is five rotors. (Skip to around the 6:55 mark for the soundtrack.)
Dubbed the “Mazzei Formula Five” by its creator, the build is based on the chassis from an Superlite SL-C and inspired by Mazda’s legendary 787 race car.
If we had a working time machine, we’d definitely use it to show this to Felix Wankel.
6/26/25 2:20 p.m.
Such an expensive motor, such a cheap air filter missing...
6/26/25 9:20 p.m.
@Stueck0514 Yes, indeed, there is nothing over that turbo. Dust, pollen, bugs, small children, etc., can be sucked into that massive turbo and this all can be avoided with a simple filter. No telling how it will fit near that lexan, but hey, I'm sure they could make it work.
Car does sound exceptional and looks like it could eventually be very fast. Crazy motor idea. Just sayin'.
6/26/25 9:44 p.m.
It's not like a rotary's lifespan is messured in minutes without an air filter or anything.
Any dirt or debris from the airflow that finds its way between the side seals and the oil control rings will have no real way to leave that area, where it turns into grinding compound. The results are severe.
6/27/25 11:14 a.m.
Agreed, but any objects in the combustion chamber of a rotary have a looonger way to travel versus a piston.
Beautiful car, always loved odd rotor count engines.
6/27/25 11:30 a.m.
Love the sound but I bet that thing is complete misery to drive on the street.
7/2/25 5:15 p.m.
rotories will survive far better than pistons when it comes to dust getting into the intake. Where as in pistons powered vehicles that dust will enter the oiling system quite quickly cause main bearing , connection rod or cam bearing failures. which are catastrophic in nature.
Rotaries will just loose power over a longer time period (in comparison to catastrophic) which is why they are preferred kt engine for kit plane use.
I had raced the 13B's in hydroplane racing back in the 70's using a garret turbocharger with no air filter, no modified porting. Raced the entire season with no issues except plug fouling at the beginning.. 300hp @ 6500 rpm - no intercooler but used water/ alcohol blend to control detonation.
For street use yes air filters are needed. but in racing for the most part you don't need air filters. Mazda did use filters on their winning Le Mans car - its was 24 hr race and the air filters used didn't really impede air flow. They also lowered their redline to insure they would finish the race. if they would have used their max rpm of 11000rpm they would have produced 900+hp.
I'm surprised that they are using a turbo with 5 rotors, but that maybe to keep it within tolerable noise levels - they are painfully loud without them.
7/2/25 5:15 p.m.
rotories will survive far better than pistons when it comes to dust getting into the intake. Where as in pistons powered vehicles that dust will enter the oiling system quite quickly cause main bearing , connection rod or cam bearing failures. which are catastrophic in nature.
Rotaries will just loose power over a longer time period (in comparison to catastrophic) which is why they are preferred kt engine for kit plane use.
I had raced the 13B's in hydroplane racing back in the 70's using a garret turbocharger with no air filter, no modified porting. Raced the entire season with no issues except plug fouling at the beginning.. 300hp @ 6500 rpm - no intercooler but used water/ alcohol blend to control detonation.
For street use yes air filters are needed. but in racing for the most part you don't need air filters. Mazda did use filters on their winning Le Mans car - its was 24 hr race and the air filters used didn't really impede air flow. They also lowered their redline to insure they would finish the race. if they would have used their max rpm of 11000rpm they would have produced 900+hp.
I'm surprised that they are using a turbo with 5 rotors, but that maybe to keep it within tolerable noise levels - they are painfully loud without them.
7/2/25 6:07 p.m.
Falser statements have not been made. Dirty air is a rapid death for a rotary. I had a small leak in an air filter kill an engine in one weekend, Mazda has very specific recommendations for air filtration.
7/2/25 6:27 p.m.
In reply to stealthdeburgo :
I'm sure Mazda uses filters regardless ever since their RX-3's engine got chewed up by the sandy air at a Daytona 24H.
Everything from Mazda says the R26B made 700hp, and that was short of their 730hp goal. If it had 900 it would have won more races than Le Mans, which it did only after the Mercedes C11 broke down.
Not least because it looks like a tight fit for the dude.
He also had a 4 rotor 3rd gen RX-7 that had the exhaust tuned to sound like the 787B even with turbos.
7/2/25 6:51 p.m.
Even before it gets to the rotors, dirt is going to chew up the compressor blades on the turbo.
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