Dave Plowman wrote:

In article ,
IMM wrote:

Mazda make a number of cars with rotary engines, but not sold here.


They sell rotary engined cars here.


The Wankle is best suited to high revving applications, hence the
sports car. The RX8 is an improved rotary and of only 1300cc giving 225
HP. See if a 1300cc piston engine can deliver that.


Since its specific fuel consumption is terrible for the power output, who
cares what the nominal capacity is? Apart from the likes of you, of
course. You could easily achieve 173 bhp/litre from a piston engine by
turbo or supercharging.



Its also very arguable what the capacity of a wankel actually is.

F1 engines exceed 200bhp per litre with no forced charging.
Top[ fuel drag cars are doing about 1000 bhp per liter with full nitro
and supercharging. Well for 5 seconds anyway :-)



Also these engines are physically
small with a very high power to weight ratio.


That, at least, is true.



Mmmm. I checked out some model plane electric motors. About a kilowatt
and 3/4 pound, so about 2bhp per pound. 200 brake horsepower for 100lb
weight anyone? and no gearbox or clutch? No wonder that electric Lithium
car at AC propulsion is gettin 0-60 times in under 4 seconds, and a 300
mile range...

They beat the fuel cell cars on everything at the tests.

www.acpropulsion.com