The rotary is the only new engine design in the 20th century - combustion engines have hundreds if not thousands of years on it from a development standpoint.

 

Well, let's take a look at 2 stroke motorcycles. Those have combustion for every up and down (twice as often as a 4 stroke) and the standing state displacement has been used as the conventional way of determining engine size. This is based on convention and by those same standards I would consider the rotary to be a 1.3L, regardless of ignition pattern.

2 stroke motorcycles also require much more maintenance than a 4 stroke counterpart and I personally would not consider it "inferior". It provides better performance through the larger hp output and lower weight due to less displacement. I understand MotoGP has moved away from 2 stroke technology but that's not because they were blowing engines left and right. Emissions were the largest factor and 4 stroke technology finally caught up in terms of power output and had smoother delivery. Aprilia has actually claimed to find a way to produce clean 2 stroke engines and I only hope they choose to put a 250cc engine or larger in a sports bike and not just a scooter.

-My 2 cents .

 

not true, again, I know of several FBs with the original engine and about 250k miles...the horrible turbo system and two stage cats (among other things) kill FD engines early...the REW engine runs best uncorked, with plenty of fuel, an aftermarket ECU, IC, radiator, and solid boost control...you must have all of those things for durability

 

Emissions restrictions in Europe were a major factor, the two stroke seems to be dead...I miss my KX500

 

And you know how many Honda's running on the stock engine well after 250K? I know my GMC truck has well over 250Kmi on the clock on the stock engine...

Rotaries tend to be either hit or miss. Either you get one that lasts forever, or one that doesn't last for anything.

 

Well, there's anecdotal evidence and there's trends. Rotary engines typically don't last as long as traditional combustion engines. I'm not just talking FDs either, but all rotaries. Apex seals are its achilles heel.

 

At one point, before I found out my girlfriend was pregnant, I was contemplating on getting an FC as a weekend toy

I searched up and down on Youtube, as well as scoured a few RX7 websites to gather as much information as I could. I just couldn't help myself, as the sound of a ported 13B was music to my ears.

Depending on how the future goes, I might still get one. Maybe I could pass it on to my child

 

Rotary is an excellent concept, but actual application has not done excellently. The RX8's engine is very smooth, but frowned upon by the poor gas mileage and anemic power.

 

yes, the mileage is poor, but not *that* much different than an S2000...I wouldn't call the engine "anemic", either, again relative to the S, but granted I would never personally own an RX-8

 

Well, not only that, but it also depends on who is taking care of the car. As most of you know, they are a high maintanence engine and require you to pay attention to every little detail.

The apex seals are truly an achilles heel if that can be improved to provide a longer life (of the seals) then I think it will have a bigger fan base. The thing is, apex seals do not cost that much to replace compared to conventional engine's rings or valves, or the hundreds of other parts.