Around 100,000 rotarydriven cars were sold in the US in 1972 alone and the rest of that decade saw half of Mazda’s car production powered by the rotary engine.
The Cosmo Sport was Mazda’s first rotary engine-powered car.
With its help, we went to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and climbed into two bonkers race cars from the rotary’s peak.
The recurring problem was scratching — nicknamed ‘devil’s claw marks’ — on the inner surface of the engine casing.
The test proved successful, with no chatter marks appearing on the inside surface of the engine.
There, the team found that there was a huge technological obstacle to the development in the form of “chatter marks.”To tackle the challenge, Mazda assembled a team of 47 young engineers, who formed a rotary engine research department. You won’t see one on the road, but the Furai is a star of numerous video games including ‘Gran Turismo’ and ‘Forza Motorsport’.Driving stories on the great & challenging roads and journeysStories about the craftsmanship and design evolution of MazdaThe spirit of Mazda owners, collectors, clubs and aficionados around the world