The Rotary Engine: A Rare and Unique Piece of Automotive History

One of the main factors that contributed to the decline of rotary engines is the complexity of their design. The rotor engine has multiple levels, which can make it difficult to keep the rotor lubricated properly. This requires a certain level of expertise and maintenance to ensure that the engine runs smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, the rotor ceiling, where the intake and combustion occur simultaneously in different parts of the housing, creates uneven temperature conditions. This makes it challenging to maintain a consistent operating temperature, which can lead to reduced performance and increased emissions.

The rotary engine also has a unique advantage over piston engines: its compact size. This allows for more interior space and cabin flexibility, making it an attractive option for car manufacturers looking to optimize their designs. Additionally, the rotary engine is relatively light, which reduces the overall weight of the vehicle. This can improve fuel efficiency and handling, especially in city driving conditions.

However, there are also some challenges associated with the rotary engine. One major issue is that it has a short lifespan between rebuilds and typically lasts less than 100,000 miles. Some owners have reported being able to extend this lifespan by maintaining their vehicles regularly, but this can be time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, the rotor engine is relatively rare compared to piston engines, making it harder to find parts and repair services.

The rotary engine also has some unique benefits over piston engines. One advantage is its use as a range extender. Since the rotary engine is smaller than traditional piston engines, it can be more easily integrated into an electric vehicle (EV) without compromising the overall design of the car. This allows for better optimization of the primary parts of the EV and more interior space. Additionally, the rotary engine's compact size means that wasting electricity is less of an issue, as there is less energy being stored in the battery pack.

Another benefit of the rotary engine is its smooth power delivery. Unlike piston engines, which can produce vibration and noise, the rotary engine provides a more balanced and quiet driving experience. This makes it an attractive option for car manufacturers looking to create a more refined and comfortable driving experience.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the rotary engine, particularly with the introduction of the Mazda MX-30 Rev. The battery electric version of the MX-30 was initially met with skepticism, as it started at $33,470 and had limited range due to its 35.5 kilowatt hour battery. However, the addition of a rotary range extender has significantly improved the driving range and overall performance of the vehicle.

The MX-30 Rev is now available in California, but it remains unclear whether it will be brought to other markets. Mazda has stated that the battery electric version was initially planned for wider release, but it seems that this may not have come to fruition. Despite this uncertainty, the MX-30 Rev represents an exciting development in the world of rotary engines and offers a unique solution for car manufacturers looking to create more efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles.

Honda's New V6 Engine: A Comparison

The introduction of Honda's new V6 engine marks an interesting development in the automotive industry. As a manufacturer known for its commitment to innovative technology, Honda has always been at the forefront of engineering advancements. The new V6 engine is no exception, offering improved performance and efficiency compared to previous models.

However, as with any engine design, there are trade-offs to consider. Some car enthusiasts may prefer traditional piston engines over rotary or hybrid designs, citing their proven track record and wider availability of parts. Others may appreciate the unique benefits offered by Honda's new V6 engine, such as improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

Ultimately, the choice between Honda's new V6 engine and other options will depend on individual preferences and driving habits. Some drivers may prioritize performance and power, while others may focus on efficiency and environmental sustainability. Whether you prefer Honda or Toyota, there is no denying that both manufacturers have made significant contributions to the automotive industry in recent years.

Conclusion

The rotary engine remains a unique and fascinating piece of automotive history. With its compact size, smooth power delivery, and potential as a range extender, it offers several advantages over traditional piston engines. However, its complexity and limited availability also present challenges for manufacturers and owners alike. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how rotary engines are used in future vehicles.

The introduction of Honda's new V6 engine marks an exciting development in this space, offering improved performance and efficiency while still maintaining the manufacturer's commitment to innovative technology. Whether you prefer traditional piston engines or rotary designs, there is no denying that both have their unique benefits and drawbacks. As we look to the future of automotive engineering, it will be fascinating to see how these different technologies continue to shape the industry.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enit's codenamed j35y8 and it's the new V6 for the 2023 Honda Pilot except that this time Honda's dropped its iconic variable valve timing VTEC and added an additional camshaft for each Bank I'm talking about the first naturally aspirated dual overhead cam V6 in any Honda or Acura since the first generation NSX today we're looking at the new V6 engine why Honda dropped v-tec and how this engine will be significantly cheaper let's just Dive Right In so the new V6 has the same bore stroke and compression ratio as the previous engine in other words the diameter of the cylinder is the same also the phase of the engine cycle when the Piston travels from top to bottom or vice versa is the same and the ratio of the volume of the cylinder combustion chamber with its piston at the bottom position and top position is also the same but now here's what's interesting it's not what this new engine has but what the engine has left behind instead of Honda's iconic VTEC System it has an additional set of camshafts by way of the TLX type s's double overhead cam heads to appreciate the change you have to understand what VTEC is in the first place most car enthusiasts have heard of VTEC but to be honest not many understand or appreciate how it works v-tec is a type of variable valve timing system then Honda specifically developed it's been used in Honda and Acura models since 1989 including the Acura NSX and Integra Type R as well as the Honda S2000 the Civic type VTEC helps improve the efficiency of the engine and enables the engine to perform a lot better at higher RPMs and the VTEC System also gets you low fuel consumption at lower RPM but here's the thing the Honda VTEC System is distinct and is nowhere near the average variable valve timing system you find in other cars most other systems increase the oil pressure to ship the timing of the camshaft and open the valves earlier but the Honda v-tec engine has two different cam profiles on a single camshaft first we have two rocker arms with their own low profile cams for each cylinder the engine operates these when you're at low RPM and low load and the rocker arms are on Lock and then there's also a central Rock rack with its own high profile cam it's unused at low RPMs but at higher RPMs the engine operates with a larger cam profile as engine speed Rises the Piston inside the Rockers gets pressurized with oil and that locks all three cams together to increase valuable in other words the opening gets bigger and therefore enables more air to get into the engine and actually that's why you hear the iconic sound under the VTEC kicking in it's that raw loud high revving signature sound to get your adrenaline running funny enough Honda first came up with the VTEC Concept in the 1980s it used it first for its CBR 400 motorcycle back in 1983. at that time the concept was called Revolution modulated valve control or rev for short it wouldn't be another six years until Honda would first add VTEC to one of its cars the 1989 Honda Integra XSI thereby creating an uproar in the car industry other car makers use variable valve timing but they use different mechanisms and Technologies for example BMW has valve trim Toyota's technologist called vvtl slash I Honda wasn't the first to use variable valve timing but it was a Pioneer with its v-tec technology because it was the first car maker to combine lockable rocker arms and dual profile cams it enabled Honda to combine two engine characteristics into one single engine and change it while it was still running the concept and mechanism itself is so simple in hindsight yet the output result was remarkable anyway here's the thing about the Honda's new V6 it doesn't have Honda's signature VTEC System at all and it comes as a prize since VTEC has been so iconic Don it begs the most obvious question if vtecs are great why is Honda ditching it on this engine the new j-35y8 V6 engine boosts the horsepower up to 285 horses in total in the new Honda Pilot that's just the nominal gain of five horsepower and the car retains its current 262 pound-feet of torque but where the new engine really shines is when it comes to emissions and that's why Honda ditched its VTEC so you can blame it on emissions and regulations it turns out the new engine is significantly cleaner than preceding ones we're talking some 40 to 50 percent reduction in emissions with this new engine part of sufficiency Improvement comes down to the engine's improved direct injection system this improved system means more precise fuel delivery on top of that the system can also add up to three sprays for combustion cycle and in the process it uses smaller injector holes and because there's no v-tec the cam phasers can now continuously and precise adjust intake and exhaust timing but well let's just say that there hasn't been too much excitement around the new engine actually some Honda fans are pretty disappointed since it doesn't have the same performance gains that Honda owners were hoping for but here's the thing its intent is to help Honda bridge the gap until it either electrifies its current lineup or develops new EVS Honda is another Lake Bloomer in the EV game it's trying to catch up with this newer cleaner V6 as a stock amp measure in the car World Honda's been neck to neck with Toyota these two Japanese car Giants have been making waves for years if you ask me I think competition in the car industry is a good thing it's what moves the car makers to constantly up their game take risks and innovate and that's good for the end consumer us Honda and Toyota's rivalry have been described as one of the hottest rivalries in the industry each offer its own unique cars some of which have become very iconic with a cult like follow each company has influenced the entire car industry for decades but of course the two companies aren't exactly alike they may share similar interests but there are key differences between the two for example if you look in Honda you'll see that Honda puts its focus on speed and handling contrast to the Toyota which priority has dependability and reliability instead despite different strategies each you've put out some of the most legendary car engines today Toyota just doesn't have one specific famous engine rather Toyota is generally known for everything from its tiny three cylinders to a V10 and even iconic inline sixes Honda on the other hand is quintessentially fan games for VTEC engines speed Tech's been around for 30 plus years in fact there are five particular VTEC engines that are notable in my book as the top Honda engines of all time you could say these engines were VTEC milestones in their own right we first started with the 1989 Honda Integra XSI that was the first Honda to ever use the VTEC System and it came with a B16 engine which somehow on the fans still call one of the greatest engines of all time the first generation b16a engine was a 1.6 liter four-cylinder double overhead cam p-tech engine it output 160 horsepower at 7 600 RPM and 110 pound-feet of torque at 7000 RPM it was also a milestone because it was the first ever mainstream nationally aspirated engine to hit the 100 horsepower per liter Mark I say mainstream because if you want to get technical the first production car to hit that Mark was the Ferrari 250 GTO but let's be real Ferrari's not really mainstream a year later we saw the c30a and we saw it in the NSX which is Honda's first attempt at a super sports car that's when Honda started getting into Formula One the first generation c38 was a three liter double overhead cam VTEC naturally aspirated V6 engine and this engine turned out 270 horsepower at 7 300 RPM 209 pound-feet of torque at 6 500 RPM half a decade later we then had the b18c in the 1995 Honda Integra Type R dc2 I'm talking about a 1.8 liter four-cylinder double over cam V-Tech engine the engine pumped out 197 horsepower 8 000 RPM Max torque was 131 pound-feet at 7200 RPM in fact it was hailed as the ultimate Honda v-tec others called it the greatest front-wheel drive performance car ever and even the best handling front-wheel drive car ever and it was for its time another notable v-tec was the f20c the first car to be blessed with that engine was a 1999 Honda S 2000 Roadster it was a front engine rear-wheel drive sports car with an open top we're talking a 2-liter four-cylinder engine that generated 246 horsepower and 8600 RPM and a maximum torque of 150 pound-feet of torque at 7 500 RPM the f20c won the record for the highest specific output of a naturally aspirated engine and a production car and in fact it held that wreck for a solid 11 years it wasn't until 2010. when Ferrari beat the record with four five eight and even that it only trumped the record by Amir one horsepower per liter ha and of course we have the famous k-series engine it was the successor to Honda's iconic B series engine it's a flagship four-cylinder double overhead cam engine it was larger than the B series since its engine displacement ranged from 2 to 2.4 liters compared to the B series engine which ranged from 1.6 to 2 liters we saw the k-series engine in Honda from the early 2000s till the mid-2010s and actually it's still even used in current Civic type bars in particular the k20a is especially noteworthy it's a high performance variant that you see in the type R models like the dc5 Integra Type R and the fd2 Civic Type R I'm talking 222 horsepower at 8 000 RPM and Peak torque of 159 pound-feet of torque at 6100 RPM but let's talk a bit about the pros and cons of a VTEC engine even though Honda's new engine doesn't have VTEC previous models do so if you're in the market for a Honda for example it'll help you know the pros and cons of VTEC I'd say that the biggest advantage to VTEC is while basically VTEC is the replacement for displacement V-Tech gives you a ton of power at very high RPM contrast that with an average ordinary Engine with standard variable valve timing and it's not possible so if you're looking to get power and you want to save a few bucks VTEC is probably one of your best bets and even if your vehicle outputs let's say 110 horsepower it'll feel a lot faster than a car that generates more power that's because you'll have to shift later and beat a car with more power in a straight line they say the sky's the limit when you're running a VTEC V-Tech also delivers significant fuel economy at lower RPMs especially if it's a single overhead cam VTEC reason is it has one camshaft but bear in mind VTech has a set of disadvantages too I say one of the biggest is that turbo engines are longer vtecs I mean they might be called VTEC but that's not the case that's because the V10 is moved to the exhaust camshaft instead of the intake so no more performance or the sounds of the VTEC kicking in the first thing any real Toyota fan notices about the 20 22 Tundra is that it's missing a V8 engine instead this year's model comes with a twin turbo V6 or hybrid V6 this definitely helps with fuel economy but let's be real if you need a tundra for work purposes you want to prioritize a strong Workhorse with power and performance and you'll care less about EPA ratings or green energy and the year 2000 when Toyota first released the tundra it was the first ever full-size pickup built by any Japanese car maker in North America to this day the tundra is only Built and sold in North America it's been a staple in the trucking Community for in 20 years now 20 years might sound like a lot but actually Toyota's American routes aren't really deep when it comes to full-size trucks when you're comparing it to its largest competitors like Ford Chevy and Dodge Toyota initially produced the thunder in Indiana later production moved to the Toyota plant in San Antonio Texas that was in 2008 and that's where they're still manufactured the same plant that Tacomas used to be made no the Tacomas are made in Mexico not many people know this but the word tundra actually came after a loss kind of fitting given that America is a land of lawsuits The Story Goes the Toyota originally wanted to call the truck the t-150 because it replaced a smaller truck the t-100 Believe It or Not Ford actually sued Toyota signed that the name t-150 was too similar to their well-known F-150 series saw Toyota reconsidered and bowed out and that's how the tundra was born historically the Tundras have always come with the option of either a V8 or a V6 but now this new 2022 model kicks off the third generation so I had to completely redesigned the truck and for the first time ever consumers do not have an option for a V8 at all it's a bit ironic actually because when Tundra was first introduced America's hailed it for its V8 in fact Toyota deliberately made the tundra to replace the t-100 which only came with a V6 now it's as if they're going in reverse beep beep beep so will this be a deal breaker for some if you're wondering what the big deal is anyway well whether Toyota Nixon the V8 is good news for you and that depends on the type of vehicle you really need at the end of the day that's the bottom line if you're driving around a family every day for General daily use then a V6 is fine what are the biggest advantages of a V6 is that it has less cylinders than a V8 so it weighs less less weight means it's less nose heavy which means better navigation and acceleration in other words it's easier to manage your Corners curves and turns if you time your acceleration correctly you'll notice an improved performance compared to the V8 that's because the V6 has less tendency to fade or drift to the outside if you were to get a V6 instead of a V8 you'd also have the Avenger fuel economy and no one would reject that given today's gas prices pH on the other hands are really thirsty beasts another advantage to the V6 is the fact that it has fewer Parts compared to a V8 design fewer Parts mean less maintenance and less maintenance means less stress true there can still be expensive problems that will happen to a V6 look it's not perfect but when it comes to the overall lifetime expense in general v6s will be less to repair in the long run point is for light or general everyday passenger use you're not going to lose out on anything necessarily by choosing a V6 over a V8 but let's prepare the output of a V6 versus V8 in general take the Ram 1500 for example a Ram 1500 with a standard 3.6 Liter V6 engine can output 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque and it has a towing capacity of 7730 pounds the Ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi V8 will give you 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque without its e-torque feature the V8 can tow more than 11 600 pounds so you see a V6 power truck can't tow as much as a V8 powered one that all said there's some high quality SUVs on the market today that can tow large weights without requiring the V8 under the hood take the Ford Expedition EcoBoost for example you can tow up to a whopping 9 200 pounds that's all thanks to its 460 pound-feet of torque this vehicle actually has the highest tow rating of its classification within the V4 to V8 class did you know that back in the day V6 muscle cars are actually pretty sad and slow say the least anything other than the V8 engine was considered embarrassing but today it's completely different story cars like Camaro that actually feature v6s produce decent power in today's automatic transmissions are more up to the test than they used to be even Land Rover has transformed their lineup mostly V8 engines to the V6 variety you can still work with the manufacturer to upgrade your vehicle if you want to but their V6 engine still give you horsepower and torque that the average daily driver needs but now if you're not an average driver this is a different story for example let's say your work requires you to use a Workhorse every day well in that case a V6 is probably not the engine for you if you regularly need to pull heavy equipment with your truck a V8 engine will be more efficient really the top reason why anyone should choose a V8 over V6 is because of the advantage when it comes to hauling something V8 provides a necessary torque and balance the rear torque ratio is a V8 are designed for optimal Towing performance many drivers also say the V8 produces a smoother and quieter ride than a V6 can a V6 truck get your job done maybe but there would be an extra unpleasant Factor you might want to consider like noise if you that said I'm getting a V6 then your best bet to getting anywhere close to Towing power of a V8 is to have an upgraded V6 diesel if you commute to your work site a lot of equipment on your truck I address SUV or cargo van then you need the power of V8 provides you've got a better launch off the line or an improved start with a heavy load only a small handful of V6 sports cars and trucks come even close to creating the power of a V8 now let's jump back to Towing for a bit not many people know this but historically many full-size truck meters loaded the towing ratings naturally this created a lot of confusion among consumers solve the Society of Automotive Engineers or SAE for sure created standards for vehicle Towing basically it was a series of tests to determine the real towing capacity of a truck that was back in 2010. it's called J2 807 and it applies to Vehicles up to 14 000 gross vehicle weight believe it or not when these standards came out initially the tundra was the only full-size truck on the market that was j2807 compliant Toyota called it the truth and towing standard initially many other truck makers refused to use a standard and suffice to say they received criticisms it's then there are other trucks on the market today that are also J2 807 compliant you're wondering why this year's Toyota Tundra doesn't have a V8 option well previously there were iterations of the tundra that did in fact previously it came with a 5.7 liter V8 it was capable of generating 381 horsepower but that doesn't mean the V8s are completely dead at least not yet Factory in Japan will allegedly continue to produce the V8 for a few vehicles that still need it but this wasn't a long-term plan to begin with so why next to VA well Toyota dished it simply because they decided it wasn't ideal or necessary since they're gas guzzlers the VA only gets 13 miles a gallon in the city and 17 miles a gallon on the highway so you can see that is dismal but being unnecessary wasn't the only bad news for the VA there are also the epa's fuel economy standards last year the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA for short released some stricter and more aggressive fuel economy standards they stated that officially their goal was to promote an electrification all that did was encourage more cars to have smaller engines that are just turbocharged and these won't come anywhere close to what we need to haul and Tow heavy loads it's not like for like performance capabilities required of the V8 now by the 2026 model year automakers will have to meter exceed the fleet-wide average of 55 miles per ounce for cars and light trucks all thanks to the EPA during the Trump Administration we had a 43 miles per gallon standard it was set for the 2026 model year so you can see the standard has only gone up since then the EPA defended Itself by saying this move will save drivers here in the U.S somewhere between 210 billion and 420 billion in fuel costs and that is supposed to be all the way through 2015. if you're thinking yeah right well BPA firmly believes that by the year 2026 consumers will save up to a thousand bucks by buying an EVO for the lifetime of their vehicle and if you think GPA has done well you're in for a surprise they aren't finished with their plans by a long shot they also announced the plan to initiate a separate round of legislations for new multi-pollutant emission standards using the Clean Air and these standards Target 2027 model year vehicles so what's the point well President Biden announced an executive order called strengthening American leadership and clean cars and trucks which is geared towards getting cars and light trucks in the US is close to zero tailpipe emissions as possible but this isn't something that's being passed through the U.S Congress it's a legislation through an executive order and administration of law that means you got a small group of people with the power and authority to decide on the future of your car they can even decide on what kinds of vehicles you're allowed to own or what can be under their hoods unless you turn to the 2022 Toyota Tundra sure doesn't have a V8 engine but Toyota actually completely reside and engineered the tundra for the 2022 model year and here's one re-engineering feat and the tundra that's got everybody talking Toyota was able to bump the Toyota's Max towing capacity from 10 200 pounds to 12 000 pounds that means Tundra can tow more than the heavy duty Nissan Titan XD so does that make the 2022 Tundra a heavy duty truck well the answer will surprise you heavy duty trucks are not actually classified by their tow rates they're classified by their gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR for sure GVWR means that buying weight of the truck and its maximum payload is above 8 500 pounds now the all-new Toyota Tundra can haul between 1575 1940 pounds in its bet that's a far cry from the heavy duty truck payload requirement that means the technically the 20 200 is still a light duty contract it's not heavy duty like that after 250 Ram 2500 and up but being a light truck doesn't mean that the tundra is completely useless the 2022 Toyota Tundra does have some noteworthy features worth mentioning the 2022 Tundra is among the first Toyota vehicles ever to take advantage of connected Technologies with a completely redesigned multimedia system you have the option of either standard 8 inch or 14 inch touchscreen panel you can interact with this interface through touch sight and voice it's native navigation system is entirely cloud-based which means you can get real time over-the-air updates and the Toyota's voice assistant is Advanced with a wider range of natural voice activated responses saying anything from high to yo can get the attention personally I'm undecided on that for now but anyway we'll see how customers feel about this new system there's been a lot of hype about Mazda's plans to add a rotary engine to the mx-30 but here's the thing it's just a compact rotary engine and it doesn't even power the car actually it's a range extender in other words it Powers the charger to add more battery capacity think of it like a generator that's why some consumers are saying Mazda's rotary engine is just a marketing gimmick basically Mazda took the EV been added a rotary combustion engine and turned it into a plug-in hybrid or phev if you look inside the Mazda mx-30e skyactiv rev you'll find a 17.8 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery a 160ps electric motor and the new 830 CC single rotor 70ps Wankel rotary engine now I don't know if you're a member but back when Mazda first announced the psychonic Winkle rotary engine will you make it a comeback Mazda fans got excited but then they clarified that the rotary engine would come in the form of a range extender for an electric vehicle and the battery Electric version of the mx-30 the battery Powers the motor which then turns energy into moving at the wheels through the car's drivetrain pretty simple right but the problem with the mx-30 Bev is that it's powered by a 35.5 kilowatt hour battery pack tiny battery means tiny range I'm talking only about 124 miles and that's on a good day to put that into perspective just look at the EVS that the mx-30 is competing against take for example the undy Kona electric it offers more than double that range on top of that the Kona electric has a slower starting MSRP so it's a no-brainer which EV offers more value if you're wondering why Mazda even released to the market an EV with lower range while evidently Mazda felt the driving range would be sufficient apparently it did some research and found that the average commuter only travels 30 miles a day so from that perspective it has 124 miles of ranges there's plenty enough for those small trips anyway I'm sure this all had a bearing on why Mazda went back to the drawing board and now its solution is to add a compact rotary engine internet will serve as a generator to help with the EB's driving range but now remember the rotary engine doesn't power the wheels of the mx-30rev it runs between 2500 to 4 500 RPMs to generate more charge for the mx-30s onboard battery and here's the beauty of it it extends the EVS range from a measly 124 miles to an impressive 400 miles so you can see it's quite a jump but that's not the only change we'll see in the mx-30 because of the addition of the rotor extender the mx-30rev is getting a smaller battery pack by small I mean a 17.8 kilowatt hour battery pack compared to the 35.5 kilowatt hour battery pack and the battery electric version of the mx-30 to understand what this means if we're to rely solely on the Rev smaller battery without the rotary engine extender we're looking at 53 miles of range in electric only mode now the rotary engine Range Extender on the mx-30rev is super light I'm talking 33 pounds lighter than rx8's twin rotor Genesis that's because the whole block is only 33 inches and the single rotor's radius spans 4.7 inches the mx-30rev's rotor engine also has direct fuel injection instead of port injection if you ask Mazda it'll say it means the economy of the wank or rotary Tech is about 25 percent better than a normal rotary and that carbon dioxide emissions are lower too Mazda increases rotor engine's compression ratio to 11.91 top extend the engine's life Mazda also made the Apex seals thicker these seals come with a new and specially developed coating to reduce wear and tear and evidently you can use the Reb's rotary engine to generate electricity for emergency camping or job sites blood clarify something else about the rotary engine if you're a cult fan of the rodeo engine you're probably wondering if it can work on a new RX sports car well the answer is no at least for now the thing is for now Mazda's priority is to Electrify its lineup that's just where the current focuses and besides they're having to play catch-up as it is since they're a bit behind in the EV game but now that's all said keep in mind that the rotor engine is the symbol of Mazda consider too that there's almost a cult-like following of the rotary engine which has grown over the years Mazda executive Coda masui has casually stated that it's an engineer's dream to have a sports car with a rotary inch but he also said that right now this isn't the time for it but who knows maybe in a distant future Mazda May reconsider expanding its focus yet again so is a rotary range extender a good thing before we get to that let's rewind a bit and look at the fundamentals of a rotary engine the wanker rotary engine was actually invented by Felix Wankel he worked throughout the 1950s to develop a new engine that wasn't based on cylinders and pistons and that's how it came to an engine that uses triangular rotors and oval-shaped housings here's how it worked in general the rotor revolves around the house a small pocket of air then expands into a larger pocket to create a vacuum air and fuel get injected into this vacuum through the intake ports on the combustion chamber the air and fuel mixture is then compressed against the flat side of the housing this combustible mixture gets ignited by two spark plugs and then the exhaust gases are forced out at high pressure now the Winkle engine was new exciting and Innovative for its time but it was also controversial and slowly started to fade away from the market in the 2000s the main reason for this was due to laws and regulations but not American or Japanese laws actually it was due to European laws primarily the strict Euro 5 emissions regulations Mazda has stop selling its RX8 and you're up in 2010. it just couldn't meet the emissions regulations of Europe the reason came down to inherent design flaws with the rotary engine for example the rotary engine has lower thermal efficiency than piston engines that's because of its long combustion chamber which often leads to on burnt fuel leaving the exhaust which thereby causes the engine to backfire if you remember the original Mazda Cosmos is those things you turn them off and bang they backfire all the time now rotary engines burn oil by Design since oil gets injected directly into the combustion chamber I'm talking about an oil guzzer so you have to regularly check oil levels to keep the rotor lubricated properly and it also means you'll see more yucky stuff come from tailpipe which is not good for the environment another thing that impacts emissions is the rotor ceiling the thing is the intake and combustion occur simultaneously but in different parts of the housing that's why the top of the housing is cooler where the bottom is hotter the uneven temperature makes ceiling a lot harder you can use coolant jackets to help even out the heat load and reduce the problem but you can't eliminate it entirely even worse because the rotary engine is more rare than common it's not easy to find parts when repairs are needed and even if you're able to find the right parts you still need to find a mechanic who's skilled in fixing rotary engines and sadly there aren't that many of them out there there's also the matter of City driving when it comes to City Driving the rotary engine has a short life span between rebuilds and usually lasts less than a hundred thousand miles some RX8 owners were able to get a longer life span out of the rotary engine but it was used to the same people who mainly drove their vehicles on highways at steady speeds all this is to say these are the main factors that contributed to the rotary engine dying out and combustion engine cars in recent times that's not to say that rotor engine snake Believe It or Not There are a few big advantages to using a rotary engine over a piston engine as a range extender first of all you got the size rotary engines are smaller than piston engines so you don't need to design the car around the engine instead it's the other way around you can first optimize the primary parts of an EV then decide where to place the rotary range extender this also helps to improve the overall usefulness of the car's interior and cabin space another Advantage is that the rotor engines are light here's the thing that not many people think about most owners of typical plug-in hybrid cars charge the cars at night that means that most of the time they're lugging around a heavy piston engine which drags down the car's fuel efficiency on the flip side when you have a small and light rotary engine as a range extender wasting electricity isn't as much of an issue another advantage of the rotary engine is that it doesn't reciprocate in other words you don't get the engine vibration and car noises that you experience with piston engines now that's not to say rotary engines are completely silent they're not but they're definitely quieter than a piston engine that's a more balanced engine with smoother power delivery to appreciate the mx30 Rev you have to understand the battery electric version of the mx-30 before it got the rotary range extender the battery electric crossover attracted customers because it looks similar to the more popular cx-30 and for the most part was a safe car on the Nitza ratings it received a maximum five stars on the front of crash test for both the driver and the passenger it also got five stars on all side crash tests and four stars on the rollover wrist test with a rollover risk of 11.6 percent but Mazda sales took a real hit with the mx-30 battery electric car in 2021 Mazda sold less than 200 mx-30s for the last half of 2022 you couldn't even order an mx-30 because Mazda said it was sold out but by Year's End Mazda sales in the mx-30 were just 300. part of the problem was the battery electric crossover wasn't affordable the base price started at 33 470 bucks and that was 11 000 bucks higher than its rival the Hyundai Kona electric for example the other problem with the mx-30 battery electric vehicle was the 35.5 kilowatt hour battery which had to be charged at least every 100 miles that's 36 minutes on a level 3 charger which is a DC fast charger for a little less than three hours on a level two chargers for 20 to 80 charge since most charging stations are typically level two obviously family road trips could be a drag that's why the 2023 mx30 rev now comes with the rotor your engine tensor to bump up the driving range of the car Beyond rival cars anyway suffice to say the mx-30rev will up its own game and Mazda fans are already asking the big question and that's whether the new mx-30rev will be coming to the U.S well there was a time when Mazda said it would be in the works but if you ask Mazda today it's a different story all we know for sure is that the battery electric version is available in California and only California but now you tell me what do you think of Honda's new V6 engine and what do you prefer Honda or Toyota please share by commenting below if you like this video please like share and subscribe thanks for your supportit's codenamed j35y8 and it's the new V6 for the 2023 Honda Pilot except that this time Honda's dropped its iconic variable valve timing VTEC and added an additional camshaft for each Bank I'm talking about the first naturally aspirated dual overhead cam V6 in any Honda or Acura since the first generation NSX today we're looking at the new V6 engine why Honda dropped v-tec and how this engine will be significantly cheaper let's just Dive Right In so the new V6 has the same bore stroke and compression ratio as the previous engine in other words the diameter of the cylinder is the same also the phase of the engine cycle when the Piston travels from top to bottom or vice versa is the same and the ratio of the volume of the cylinder combustion chamber with its piston at the bottom position and top position is also the same but now here's what's interesting it's not what this new engine has but what the engine has left behind instead of Honda's iconic VTEC System it has an additional set of camshafts by way of the TLX type s's double overhead cam heads to appreciate the change you have to understand what VTEC is in the first place most car enthusiasts have heard of VTEC but to be honest not many understand or appreciate how it works v-tec is a type of variable valve timing system then Honda specifically developed it's been used in Honda and Acura models since 1989 including the Acura NSX and Integra Type R as well as the Honda S2000 the Civic type VTEC helps improve the efficiency of the engine and enables the engine to perform a lot better at higher RPMs and the VTEC System also gets you low fuel consumption at lower RPM but here's the thing the Honda VTEC System is distinct and is nowhere near the average variable valve timing system you find in other cars most other systems increase the oil pressure to ship the timing of the camshaft and open the valves earlier but the Honda v-tec engine has two different cam profiles on a single camshaft first we have two rocker arms with their own low profile cams for each cylinder the engine operates these when you're at low RPM and low load and the rocker arms are on Lock and then there's also a central Rock rack with its own high profile cam it's unused at low RPMs but at higher RPMs the engine operates with a larger cam profile as engine speed Rises the Piston inside the Rockers gets pressurized with oil and that locks all three cams together to increase valuable in other words the opening gets bigger and therefore enables more air to get into the engine and actually that's why you hear the iconic sound under the VTEC kicking in it's that raw loud high revving signature sound to get your adrenaline running funny enough Honda first came up with the VTEC Concept in the 1980s it used it first for its CBR 400 motorcycle back in 1983. at that time the concept was called Revolution modulated valve control or rev for short it wouldn't be another six years until Honda would first add VTEC to one of its cars the 1989 Honda Integra XSI thereby creating an uproar in the car industry other car makers use variable valve timing but they use different mechanisms and Technologies for example BMW has valve trim Toyota's technologist called vvtl slash I Honda wasn't the first to use variable valve timing but it was a Pioneer with its v-tec technology because it was the first car maker to combine lockable rocker arms and dual profile cams it enabled Honda to combine two engine characteristics into one single engine and change it while it was still running the concept and mechanism itself is so simple in hindsight yet the output result was remarkable anyway here's the thing about the Honda's new V6 it doesn't have Honda's signature VTEC System at all and it comes as a prize since VTEC has been so iconic Don it begs the most obvious question if vtecs are great why is Honda ditching it on this engine the new j-35y8 V6 engine boosts the horsepower up to 285 horses in total in the new Honda Pilot that's just the nominal gain of five horsepower and the car retains its current 262 pound-feet of torque but where the new engine really shines is when it comes to emissions and that's why Honda ditched its VTEC so you can blame it on emissions and regulations it turns out the new engine is significantly cleaner than preceding ones we're talking some 40 to 50 percent reduction in emissions with this new engine part of sufficiency Improvement comes down to the engine's improved direct injection system this improved system means more precise fuel delivery on top of that the system can also add up to three sprays for combustion cycle and in the process it uses smaller injector holes and because there's no v-tec the cam phasers can now continuously and precise adjust intake and exhaust timing but well let's just say that there hasn't been too much excitement around the new engine actually some Honda fans are pretty disappointed since it doesn't have the same performance gains that Honda owners were hoping for but here's the thing its intent is to help Honda bridge the gap until it either electrifies its current lineup or develops new EVS Honda is another Lake Bloomer in the EV game it's trying to catch up with this newer cleaner V6 as a stock amp measure in the car World Honda's been neck to neck with Toyota these two Japanese car Giants have been making waves for years if you ask me I think competition in the car industry is a good thing it's what moves the car makers to constantly up their game take risks and innovate and that's good for the end consumer us Honda and Toyota's rivalry have been described as one of the hottest rivalries in the industry each offer its own unique cars some of which have become very iconic with a cult like follow each company has influenced the entire car industry for decades but of course the two companies aren't exactly alike they may share similar interests but there are key differences between the two for example if you look in Honda you'll see that Honda puts its focus on speed and handling contrast to the Toyota which priority has dependability and reliability instead despite different strategies each you've put out some of the most legendary car engines today Toyota just doesn't have one specific famous engine rather Toyota is generally known for everything from its tiny three cylinders to a V10 and even iconic inline sixes Honda on the other hand is quintessentially fan games for VTEC engines speed Tech's been around for 30 plus years in fact there are five particular VTEC engines that are notable in my book as the top Honda engines of all time you could say these engines were VTEC milestones in their own right we first started with the 1989 Honda Integra XSI that was the first Honda to ever use the VTEC System and it came with a B16 engine which somehow on the fans still call one of the greatest engines of all time the first generation b16a engine was a 1.6 liter four-cylinder double overhead cam p-tech engine it output 160 horsepower at 7 600 RPM and 110 pound-feet of torque at 7000 RPM it was also a milestone because it was the first ever mainstream nationally aspirated engine to hit the 100 horsepower per liter Mark I say mainstream because if you want to get technical the first production car to hit that Mark was the Ferrari 250 GTO but let's be real Ferrari's not really mainstream a year later we saw the c30a and we saw it in the NSX which is Honda's first attempt at a super sports car that's when Honda started getting into Formula One the first generation c38 was a three liter double overhead cam VTEC naturally aspirated V6 engine and this engine turned out 270 horsepower at 7 300 RPM 209 pound-feet of torque at 6 500 RPM half a decade later we then had the b18c in the 1995 Honda Integra Type R dc2 I'm talking about a 1.8 liter four-cylinder double over cam V-Tech engine the engine pumped out 197 horsepower 8 000 RPM Max torque was 131 pound-feet at 7200 RPM in fact it was hailed as the ultimate Honda v-tec others called it the greatest front-wheel drive performance car ever and even the best handling front-wheel drive car ever and it was for its time another notable v-tec was the f20c the first car to be blessed with that engine was a 1999 Honda S 2000 Roadster it was a front engine rear-wheel drive sports car with an open top we're talking a 2-liter four-cylinder engine that generated 246 horsepower and 8600 RPM and a maximum torque of 150 pound-feet of torque at 7 500 RPM the f20c won the record for the highest specific output of a naturally aspirated engine and a production car and in fact it held that wreck for a solid 11 years it wasn't until 2010. when Ferrari beat the record with four five eight and even that it only trumped the record by Amir one horsepower per liter ha and of course we have the famous k-series engine it was the successor to Honda's iconic B series engine it's a flagship four-cylinder double overhead cam engine it was larger than the B series since its engine displacement ranged from 2 to 2.4 liters compared to the B series engine which ranged from 1.6 to 2 liters we saw the k-series engine in Honda from the early 2000s till the mid-2010s and actually it's still even used in current Civic type bars in particular the k20a is especially noteworthy it's a high performance variant that you see in the type R models like the dc5 Integra Type R and the fd2 Civic Type R I'm talking 222 horsepower at 8 000 RPM and Peak torque of 159 pound-feet of torque at 6100 RPM but let's talk a bit about the pros and cons of a VTEC engine even though Honda's new engine doesn't have VTEC previous models do so if you're in the market for a Honda for example it'll help you know the pros and cons of VTEC I'd say that the biggest advantage to VTEC is while basically VTEC is the replacement for displacement V-Tech gives you a ton of power at very high RPM contrast that with an average ordinary Engine with standard variable valve timing and it's not possible so if you're looking to get power and you want to save a few bucks VTEC is probably one of your best bets and even if your vehicle outputs let's say 110 horsepower it'll feel a lot faster than a car that generates more power that's because you'll have to shift later and beat a car with more power in a straight line they say the sky's the limit when you're running a VTEC V-Tech also delivers significant fuel economy at lower RPMs especially if it's a single overhead cam VTEC reason is it has one camshaft but bear in mind VTech has a set of disadvantages too I say one of the biggest is that turbo engines are longer vtecs I mean they might be called VTEC but that's not the case that's because the V10 is moved to the exhaust camshaft instead of the intake so no more performance or the sounds of the VTEC kicking in the first thing any real Toyota fan notices about the 20 22 Tundra is that it's missing a V8 engine instead this year's model comes with a twin turbo V6 or hybrid V6 this definitely helps with fuel economy but let's be real if you need a tundra for work purposes you want to prioritize a strong Workhorse with power and performance and you'll care less about EPA ratings or green energy and the year 2000 when Toyota first released the tundra it was the first ever full-size pickup built by any Japanese car maker in North America to this day the tundra is only Built and sold in North America it's been a staple in the trucking Community for in 20 years now 20 years might sound like a lot but actually Toyota's American routes aren't really deep when it comes to full-size trucks when you're comparing it to its largest competitors like Ford Chevy and Dodge Toyota initially produced the thunder in Indiana later production moved to the Toyota plant in San Antonio Texas that was in 2008 and that's where they're still manufactured the same plant that Tacomas used to be made no the Tacomas are made in Mexico not many people know this but the word tundra actually came after a loss kind of fitting given that America is a land of lawsuits The Story Goes the Toyota originally wanted to call the truck the t-150 because it replaced a smaller truck the t-100 Believe It or Not Ford actually sued Toyota signed that the name t-150 was too similar to their well-known F-150 series saw Toyota reconsidered and bowed out and that's how the tundra was born historically the Tundras have always come with the option of either a V8 or a V6 but now this new 2022 model kicks off the third generation so I had to completely redesigned the truck and for the first time ever consumers do not have an option for a V8 at all it's a bit ironic actually because when Tundra was first introduced America's hailed it for its V8 in fact Toyota deliberately made the tundra to replace the t-100 which only came with a V6 now it's as if they're going in reverse beep beep beep so will this be a deal breaker for some if you're wondering what the big deal is anyway well whether Toyota Nixon the V8 is good news for you and that depends on the type of vehicle you really need at the end of the day that's the bottom line if you're driving around a family every day for General daily use then a V6 is fine what are the biggest advantages of a V6 is that it has less cylinders than a V8 so it weighs less less weight means it's less nose heavy which means better navigation and acceleration in other words it's easier to manage your Corners curves and turns if you time your acceleration correctly you'll notice an improved performance compared to the V8 that's because the V6 has less tendency to fade or drift to the outside if you were to get a V6 instead of a V8 you'd also have the Avenger fuel economy and no one would reject that given today's gas prices pH on the other hands are really thirsty beasts another advantage to the V6 is the fact that it has fewer Parts compared to a V8 design fewer Parts mean less maintenance and less maintenance means less stress true there can still be expensive problems that will happen to a V6 look it's not perfect but when it comes to the overall lifetime expense in general v6s will be less to repair in the long run point is for light or general everyday passenger use you're not going to lose out on anything necessarily by choosing a V6 over a V8 but let's prepare the output of a V6 versus V8 in general take the Ram 1500 for example a Ram 1500 with a standard 3.6 Liter V6 engine can output 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque and it has a towing capacity of 7730 pounds the Ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi V8 will give you 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque without its e-torque feature the V8 can tow more than 11 600 pounds so you see a V6 power truck can't tow as much as a V8 powered one that all said there's some high quality SUVs on the market today that can tow large weights without requiring the V8 under the hood take the Ford Expedition EcoBoost for example you can tow up to a whopping 9 200 pounds that's all thanks to its 460 pound-feet of torque this vehicle actually has the highest tow rating of its classification within the V4 to V8 class did you know that back in the day V6 muscle cars are actually pretty sad and slow say the least anything other than the V8 engine was considered embarrassing but today it's completely different story cars like Camaro that actually feature v6s produce decent power in today's automatic transmissions are more up to the test than they used to be even Land Rover has transformed their lineup mostly V8 engines to the V6 variety you can still work with the manufacturer to upgrade your vehicle if you want to but their V6 engine still give you horsepower and torque that the average daily driver needs but now if you're not an average driver this is a different story for example let's say your work requires you to use a Workhorse every day well in that case a V6 is probably not the engine for you if you regularly need to pull heavy equipment with your truck a V8 engine will be more efficient really the top reason why anyone should choose a V8 over V6 is because of the advantage when it comes to hauling something V8 provides a necessary torque and balance the rear torque ratio is a V8 are designed for optimal Towing performance many drivers also say the V8 produces a smoother and quieter ride than a V6 can a V6 truck get your job done maybe but there would be an extra unpleasant Factor you might want to consider like noise if you that said I'm getting a V6 then your best bet to getting anywhere close to Towing power of a V8 is to have an upgraded V6 diesel if you commute to your work site a lot of equipment on your truck I address SUV or cargo van then you need the power of V8 provides you've got a better launch off the line or an improved start with a heavy load only a small handful of V6 sports cars and trucks come even close to creating the power of a V8 now let's jump back to Towing for a bit not many people know this but historically many full-size truck meters loaded the towing ratings naturally this created a lot of confusion among consumers solve the Society of Automotive Engineers or SAE for sure created standards for vehicle Towing basically it was a series of tests to determine the real towing capacity of a truck that was back in 2010. it's called J2 807 and it applies to Vehicles up to 14 000 gross vehicle weight believe it or not when these standards came out initially the tundra was the only full-size truck on the market that was j2807 compliant Toyota called it the truth and towing standard initially many other truck makers refused to use a standard and suffice to say they received criticisms it's then there are other trucks on the market today that are also J2 807 compliant you're wondering why this year's Toyota Tundra doesn't have a V8 option well previously there were iterations of the tundra that did in fact previously it came with a 5.7 liter V8 it was capable of generating 381 horsepower but that doesn't mean the V8s are completely dead at least not yet Factory in Japan will allegedly continue to produce the V8 for a few vehicles that still need it but this wasn't a long-term plan to begin with so why next to VA well Toyota dished it simply because they decided it wasn't ideal or necessary since they're gas guzzlers the VA only gets 13 miles a gallon in the city and 17 miles a gallon on the highway so you can see that is dismal but being unnecessary wasn't the only bad news for the VA there are also the epa's fuel economy standards last year the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA for short released some stricter and more aggressive fuel economy standards they stated that officially their goal was to promote an electrification all that did was encourage more cars to have smaller engines that are just turbocharged and these won't come anywhere close to what we need to haul and Tow heavy loads it's not like for like performance capabilities required of the V8 now by the 2026 model year automakers will have to meter exceed the fleet-wide average of 55 miles per ounce for cars and light trucks all thanks to the EPA during the Trump Administration we had a 43 miles per gallon standard it was set for the 2026 model year so you can see the standard has only gone up since then the EPA defended Itself by saying this move will save drivers here in the U.S somewhere between 210 billion and 420 billion in fuel costs and that is supposed to be all the way through 2015. if you're thinking yeah right well BPA firmly believes that by the year 2026 consumers will save up to a thousand bucks by buying an EVO for the lifetime of their vehicle and if you think GPA has done well you're in for a surprise they aren't finished with their plans by a long shot they also announced the plan to initiate a separate round of legislations for new multi-pollutant emission standards using the Clean Air and these standards Target 2027 model year vehicles so what's the point well President Biden announced an executive order called strengthening American leadership and clean cars and trucks which is geared towards getting cars and light trucks in the US is close to zero tailpipe emissions as possible but this isn't something that's being passed through the U.S Congress it's a legislation through an executive order and administration of law that means you got a small group of people with the power and authority to decide on the future of your car they can even decide on what kinds of vehicles you're allowed to own or what can be under their hoods unless you turn to the 2022 Toyota Tundra sure doesn't have a V8 engine but Toyota actually completely reside and engineered the tundra for the 2022 model year and here's one re-engineering feat and the tundra that's got everybody talking Toyota was able to bump the Toyota's Max towing capacity from 10 200 pounds to 12 000 pounds that means Tundra can tow more than the heavy duty Nissan Titan XD so does that make the 2022 Tundra a heavy duty truck well the answer will surprise you heavy duty trucks are not actually classified by their tow rates they're classified by their gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR for sure GVWR means that buying weight of the truck and its maximum payload is above 8 500 pounds now the all-new Toyota Tundra can haul between 1575 1940 pounds in its bet that's a far cry from the heavy duty truck payload requirement that means the technically the 20 200 is still a light duty contract it's not heavy duty like that after 250 Ram 2500 and up but being a light truck doesn't mean that the tundra is completely useless the 2022 Toyota Tundra does have some noteworthy features worth mentioning the 2022 Tundra is among the first Toyota vehicles ever to take advantage of connected Technologies with a completely redesigned multimedia system you have the option of either standard 8 inch or 14 inch touchscreen panel you can interact with this interface through touch sight and voice it's native navigation system is entirely cloud-based which means you can get real time over-the-air updates and the Toyota's voice assistant is Advanced with a wider range of natural voice activated responses saying anything from high to yo can get the attention personally I'm undecided on that for now but anyway we'll see how customers feel about this new system there's been a lot of hype about Mazda's plans to add a rotary engine to the mx-30 but here's the thing it's just a compact rotary engine and it doesn't even power the car actually it's a range extender in other words it Powers the charger to add more battery capacity think of it like a generator that's why some consumers are saying Mazda's rotary engine is just a marketing gimmick basically Mazda took the EV been added a rotary combustion engine and turned it into a plug-in hybrid or phev if you look inside the Mazda mx-30e skyactiv rev you'll find a 17.8 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery a 160ps electric motor and the new 830 CC single rotor 70ps Wankel rotary engine now I don't know if you're a member but back when Mazda first announced the psychonic Winkle rotary engine will you make it a comeback Mazda fans got excited but then they clarified that the rotary engine would come in the form of a range extender for an electric vehicle and the battery Electric version of the mx-30 the battery Powers the motor which then turns energy into moving at the wheels through the car's drivetrain pretty simple right but the problem with the mx-30 Bev is that it's powered by a 35.5 kilowatt hour battery pack tiny battery means tiny range I'm talking only about 124 miles and that's on a good day to put that into perspective just look at the EVS that the mx-30 is competing against take for example the undy Kona electric it offers more than double that range on top of that the Kona electric has a slower starting MSRP so it's a no-brainer which EV offers more value if you're wondering why Mazda even released to the market an EV with lower range while evidently Mazda felt the driving range would be sufficient apparently it did some research and found that the average commuter only travels 30 miles a day so from that perspective it has 124 miles of ranges there's plenty enough for those small trips anyway I'm sure this all had a bearing on why Mazda went back to the drawing board and now its solution is to add a compact rotary engine internet will serve as a generator to help with the EB's driving range but now remember the rotary engine doesn't power the wheels of the mx-30rev it runs between 2500 to 4 500 RPMs to generate more charge for the mx-30s onboard battery and here's the beauty of it it extends the EVS range from a measly 124 miles to an impressive 400 miles so you can see it's quite a jump but that's not the only change we'll see in the mx-30 because of the addition of the rotor extender the mx-30rev is getting a smaller battery pack by small I mean a 17.8 kilowatt hour battery pack compared to the 35.5 kilowatt hour battery pack and the battery electric version of the mx-30 to understand what this means if we're to rely solely on the Rev smaller battery without the rotary engine extender we're looking at 53 miles of range in electric only mode now the rotary engine Range Extender on the mx-30rev is super light I'm talking 33 pounds lighter than rx8's twin rotor Genesis that's because the whole block is only 33 inches and the single rotor's radius spans 4.7 inches the mx-30rev's rotor engine also has direct fuel injection instead of port injection if you ask Mazda it'll say it means the economy of the wank or rotary Tech is about 25 percent better than a normal rotary and that carbon dioxide emissions are lower too Mazda increases rotor engine's compression ratio to 11.91 top extend the engine's life Mazda also made the Apex seals thicker these seals come with a new and specially developed coating to reduce wear and tear and evidently you can use the Reb's rotary engine to generate electricity for emergency camping or job sites blood clarify something else about the rotary engine if you're a cult fan of the rodeo engine you're probably wondering if it can work on a new RX sports car well the answer is no at least for now the thing is for now Mazda's priority is to Electrify its lineup that's just where the current focuses and besides they're having to play catch-up as it is since they're a bit behind in the EV game but now that's all said keep in mind that the rotor engine is the symbol of Mazda consider too that there's almost a cult-like following of the rotary engine which has grown over the years Mazda executive Coda masui has casually stated that it's an engineer's dream to have a sports car with a rotary inch but he also said that right now this isn't the time for it but who knows maybe in a distant future Mazda May reconsider expanding its focus yet again so is a rotary range extender a good thing before we get to that let's rewind a bit and look at the fundamentals of a rotary engine the wanker rotary engine was actually invented by Felix Wankel he worked throughout the 1950s to develop a new engine that wasn't based on cylinders and pistons and that's how it came to an engine that uses triangular rotors and oval-shaped housings here's how it worked in general the rotor revolves around the house a small pocket of air then expands into a larger pocket to create a vacuum air and fuel get injected into this vacuum through the intake ports on the combustion chamber the air and fuel mixture is then compressed against the flat side of the housing this combustible mixture gets ignited by two spark plugs and then the exhaust gases are forced out at high pressure now the Winkle engine was new exciting and Innovative for its time but it was also controversial and slowly started to fade away from the market in the 2000s the main reason for this was due to laws and regulations but not American or Japanese laws actually it was due to European laws primarily the strict Euro 5 emissions regulations Mazda has stop selling its RX8 and you're up in 2010. it just couldn't meet the emissions regulations of Europe the reason came down to inherent design flaws with the rotary engine for example the rotary engine has lower thermal efficiency than piston engines that's because of its long combustion chamber which often leads to on burnt fuel leaving the exhaust which thereby causes the engine to backfire if you remember the original Mazda Cosmos is those things you turn them off and bang they backfire all the time now rotary engines burn oil by Design since oil gets injected directly into the combustion chamber I'm talking about an oil guzzer so you have to regularly check oil levels to keep the rotor lubricated properly and it also means you'll see more yucky stuff come from tailpipe which is not good for the environment another thing that impacts emissions is the rotor ceiling the thing is the intake and combustion occur simultaneously but in different parts of the housing that's why the top of the housing is cooler where the bottom is hotter the uneven temperature makes ceiling a lot harder you can use coolant jackets to help even out the heat load and reduce the problem but you can't eliminate it entirely even worse because the rotary engine is more rare than common it's not easy to find parts when repairs are needed and even if you're able to find the right parts you still need to find a mechanic who's skilled in fixing rotary engines and sadly there aren't that many of them out there there's also the matter of City driving when it comes to City Driving the rotary engine has a short life span between rebuilds and usually lasts less than a hundred thousand miles some RX8 owners were able to get a longer life span out of the rotary engine but it was used to the same people who mainly drove their vehicles on highways at steady speeds all this is to say these are the main factors that contributed to the rotary engine dying out and combustion engine cars in recent times that's not to say that rotor engine snake Believe It or Not There are a few big advantages to using a rotary engine over a piston engine as a range extender first of all you got the size rotary engines are smaller than piston engines so you don't need to design the car around the engine instead it's the other way around you can first optimize the primary parts of an EV then decide where to place the rotary range extender this also helps to improve the overall usefulness of the car's interior and cabin space another Advantage is that the rotor engines are light here's the thing that not many people think about most owners of typical plug-in hybrid cars charge the cars at night that means that most of the time they're lugging around a heavy piston engine which drags down the car's fuel efficiency on the flip side when you have a small and light rotary engine as a range extender wasting electricity isn't as much of an issue another advantage of the rotary engine is that it doesn't reciprocate in other words you don't get the engine vibration and car noises that you experience with piston engines now that's not to say rotary engines are completely silent they're not but they're definitely quieter than a piston engine that's a more balanced engine with smoother power delivery to appreciate the mx30 Rev you have to understand the battery electric version of the mx-30 before it got the rotary range extender the battery electric crossover attracted customers because it looks similar to the more popular cx-30 and for the most part was a safe car on the Nitza ratings it received a maximum five stars on the front of crash test for both the driver and the passenger it also got five stars on all side crash tests and four stars on the rollover wrist test with a rollover risk of 11.6 percent but Mazda sales took a real hit with the mx-30 battery electric car in 2021 Mazda sold less than 200 mx-30s for the last half of 2022 you couldn't even order an mx-30 because Mazda said it was sold out but by Year's End Mazda sales in the mx-30 were just 300. part of the problem was the battery electric crossover wasn't affordable the base price started at 33 470 bucks and that was 11 000 bucks higher than its rival the Hyundai Kona electric for example the other problem with the mx-30 battery electric vehicle was the 35.5 kilowatt hour battery which had to be charged at least every 100 miles that's 36 minutes on a level 3 charger which is a DC fast charger for a little less than three hours on a level two chargers for 20 to 80 charge since most charging stations are typically level two obviously family road trips could be a drag that's why the 2023 mx30 rev now comes with the rotor your engine tensor to bump up the driving range of the car Beyond rival cars anyway suffice to say the mx-30rev will up its own game and Mazda fans are already asking the big question and that's whether the new mx-30rev will be coming to the U.S well there was a time when Mazda said it would be in the works but if you ask Mazda today it's a different story all we know for sure is that the battery electric version is available in California and only California but now you tell me what do you think of Honda's new V6 engine and what do you prefer Honda or Toyota please share by commenting below if you like this video please like share and subscribe thanks for your support\n"