The rotary engine is an engine with a unique structure that uses rotational movement of triangular rotors to generate power. The first vehicle Mazda equipped with a rotary engine was the Mazda Cosmo Sport (Mazda 110S), introduced in 1967.

From there, Mazda continued to refine the performance of its rotary engines, making improvements to output, fuel economy, and durability, and maintaining its position as the only automaker mass-producing rotary engines for many years. In June this year, Mazda resumed production of rotary engine vehicles for the first time in eleven years after having ended production of the Mazda RX-8 in 2012, and is set to begin sales of the twelfth rotary engine vehicle, the Mazda MX-30 e-SKYACTIV R-EV, in certain markets in the coming days.

Using a two-rotor rotary EV system, the MAZDA ICONIC SP vision study revealed at this month’s Japan Mobility Show also demonstrates the high degree of layout flexibility and future development potential that the rotary powertrain continues to offer. 

Takeshi Mukai, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer at Mazda, made the following statement in response to reaching two million total production units.

“The rotary engine is a special part of Mazda history and represents our ‘never-stop challenging spirit.’ The rotary engine is much loved by customers around the world, and we are excited to resume production and see it make a comeback. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us on this journey—in particular, the many customers who have purchased rotary engine vehicles, our rotary engine fans, and all our business partners who were involved in development and production. Moving forward, we will continue to pass on this 'never-stop challenging spirit,’ offering attractive vehicles that provide our customers with an exciting driving experience even in the age of electrification.”