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This 700-HP Rotary Engine Failed Before It Won Le Mans

Autos and Vehicles

This 700-HP rotary engine had already failed at Le Mans before Mazda finally got it right. The R26B was a naturally aspirated four-rotor racing engine producing 700 PS at 9,000 rpm. Mazda continued developing the engine with technologies including peripheral-port intake and exhaust, electronic fuel injection, a variable air-intake system, three-plug ignition and ceramic apex seals. The result was one of the most distinctive rotary racing engines ever built — a high-revving four-rotor designed not just for power, but for endurance racing. This is the story behind the rotary engine technology that finally delivered a Le Mans overall victory in 1991. #rotaryengine #4rotor #lemans #lemans24 #wankel #wankelengine

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