bumflick

So why no rotary powered German cars? Can't let Mazda have all the fun..




All, just thought I'd share this. If the link does not work, try going to the grassroots motorsports facebook page

I was part of a group that built this 86 n/a 944 with a turbo Mazda 13B rotary motor to compete in the 2016 grassroots motorsports challenge.

It was a lot of fun to build, and I learned a bit about rotaries. The lack of detail on how the actual competition went is deliberate - I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say we are really ready for 2017.



Malcolm

Scott at Team Harco

When was the last time you saw an NSU?

bumflick

Fair point. There is a reason they went out of business.

But the 'why' question could be asked of any engine swap.

Scott at Team Harco

True. Most prefer to go with a V8 though. I'm sure there are plenty of good points for a rotary swap. It would be an interesting exercise to compare. I.e. considering cost, complexity, reliability, output, etc. A spider chart, perhaps.

I would not be inclined to consider either. I've got a nice 3.0, 16 valve engine that I am currently rebuilding. That's enough adventure for me.

jhowell371

I think NSU evolved into Audi. Never been around any rotary engines, always seemed a foreign concept to an old hot-rodder.

jennifer911

Wankels are (from an emission standard) very dirty engines that get poor fuel economy, and have a short life span. Modern cars, have engines (unless they are made by BMW or Porsche) that typically last the life of the car.

V2Rocket

Mercedes did a lot of research into Wankel engines and bought licenses for series production in the late 1960s because of the high specific output...

They were going to gear up into production right as the 1973 oil crisis hit and everything changed...

I think GM was really looking into them too.

jhowell371

The much ridiculed AMC Pacer was designed to use a GM supplied Wankel that never came to be. Good old reliable piston engine came to the rescue. I remember the big whoop surrounding the mid 60s Chrysler Turbine cars, we know where that went.

neunfünfeins

This. Because the other German engineers were smart enough to spot the Wankel problems from a mile away.

J1NX3D

i started crewing for this guys '77 924 in 2005 doing tarmac rally. It was converted to a 12A bridgeport in 2009 which let it compete in the same class.


After some conversion teething trouble it's been reliable for years and is street legal as tarmac rally is closed public roads with touring stages on open public roads.

and now competes in circuit racing against other rotaries and also dabbles in endurance racing.

thomasmryan

almost a 100 year old design but pretty cool

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourke_engine

V2Rocket

does that 924 have a PTO for a lawnmower attachment

bumflick

Love the 924

J1NX3D

This is some quick and nasty photos from a book I was given as a kid some 20 yrs ago. It was printed in the UK in 1963.

J1NX3D

Hope you wankel fiends found this interesting.