Every Car Powered By A Rotary Engine, Ranked By Price

Invented by a German but perfected by the Japanese, the Wankel rotary engine is best-known for powering a slew of brilliant Mazdas

from the ’60s to the ’90s. Unfortunately, it hasn’t fared as well in more modern times. Its unreliability, fuel-thirsty nature and high emissions have made it fall out of favor as times have moved on. But, a lot of enthusiasts still love the smooth power, quirky character and great noise of a rotary.

Have you ever wanted to get into owning a rotary-powered car? Well, there are a lot of options out there. Some of them are surprisingly affordable, while some are so expensive that only the most determined enthusiasts can afford them.

14

Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R:EV

Used Price: $17,031-17,242

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R:EV is the most recent production car to have a rotary engine. This is a bit of a weird one, though, as the rotary engine doesn’t drive the wheels. It’s a petrol generator in a series hybrid setup, charging the battery pack whenever it starts getting low.

Does that make it a true rotary? Well, that’s up to you to decide. It does have a rotary engine, even if that engine doesn’t ever drive the wheels. The MX-30 is a Mazda that went through a bit of rough judgment by both journalists and the general public. It was seen as being too quirky and too impractical. While the R:EV did solve the original fully-electric version’s range issues, that still didn’t convince enough people to get one.

The MX-30 was only recently discontinued, and the earliest models only just count as being a used car. Kelly Blue Book estimates that a fair value for an MX-30 ranges between $17,031 – $17,242. That makes it the cheapest car in this list on average, and one of the cheapest ways of getting something with a rotary engine.

13

Mazda Roadpacer

Used Price: $19,300

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda Roadpacer is one of the most interesting cars that Mazda’s ever made. It was a collaboration between Mazda and Holden. Mazda wanted a big executive sedan to rival the Toyota Century, Nissan President, Isuzu Statesman de Ville and Mitsubishi Debonair. Mazda didn’t want to spend lots of money on developing its own car from scratch, though. So, Mazda struck up a partnership with Holden, and began dropping its 13B rotary engine into re-badged Holden Premiers.

Putting a Mazda rotary engine into a badge-engineered Holden sedan seemed like a good idea at the time. But, the 13B engine’s lack of torque became a noticeable problem in a 3,472-lb car. When people realized this, they knew that its rivals from Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu and Mitsubishi were probably better bets for a big luxury sedan.

The Roadpacer was only made from 1975-1977. It also sold very poorly, due to people finding its shortcomings out very quickly. As a result, they’re incredibly rare cars, and you’ll very rarely find one for sale. One was listed several years ago by J-Spec Imports in Australia, selling for $19,300.

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12

NSU Ro80

Used Price: $4,030-$20,000

Specs

Source: NSU

The NSU Ro80 is one of the very first cars you could buy with a rotary engine. It’s powered by a version of the rotary engine that’s very close to Dr. Felix Wankel’s original design. It’s only 1 liter in size, and produces a fairly healthy 107 hp and 101 lb-ft of torque. The engine isn’t the only thing that was quirky and forward-thinking in the Ro80. It has a 3-speed automated manual that you shift like a regular H-pattern transmission, except with no clutch.

While the Ro80’s rotary engine provided smooth power, it soon became notorious for reliability problems. A lot of owners ended up swapping it out with the much more reliable Ford V4. This was the only engine option at the time that could fit into the Ro80’s small engine bay, while offering similar power. It’s not very often that Ro80s come up for sale. When they do, you likely won’t have to pay more than $20,000 for one. These cars are well on the way to being properly appreciated classics, though. Those values will soon climb, and anyone who buys one now will likely make a nice profit.

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11

Mazda RX-8

Used Price: $11,032 – $20,315

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda RX-8 is probably the most maligned of Mazda’s rotary cars. It’s always had a reputation for being a black sheep in Mazda’s rotary family. It’s not held in as high regard as the RX-7 that came before it. Some have even claimed that the RX-8 is responsible for almost killing the rotary engine. But, others argue that it’s still a fun car despite all its problems.

Thanks to the RX-8’s unfavorable reputation, used values have stayed pretty low. You can expect to pay an average of just over $11,000 for a fairly basic one, with some selling for as low as $2,000. The prices tend to stay that low across the car’s entire run. The only exception to this is the 40th Anniversary Edition, made to celebrate 40 years of Mazda producing rotary-powered cars. These sell for an average of $20,315, and some examples sell for more than $40,000.

10

Mazda Luce

Used Price: $20,360 (Luce R130), $8,850 (HC)

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda Luce wasn’t exclusively offered with a rotary engine. It was just an engine option that was available on some trim levels over multiple generations. But, the fact that it was ever offered with one at all means that it makes this list.

Several generations of the Luce were available with a rotary engine. The original rotary option was the R130 coupe. The LA2/LA3, LA4, HB and HC generations also had rotary options. The rotary engine it was offered with was always Mazda’s standard choice at the time. The R130 had the 13A engine, while later models had the 12A and 13B versions. In the HC generation, the 13B was turbocharged.

Rotary-powered Mazda Luces are very hard to come by. They barely ever come up for sale. So, when they do, the prices can vary a lot. You can expect to pay just over $20,000 for a Luce R130. Meanwhile, an HC Rotary Turbo Limited sold for $8,850 a few years ago.

9

Mazda REPU

Used Price: $21,357

Specs

Source: Mazda

The REPU is one of the quirkiest vehicles here. Unlike everything else on this list, it’s not a car. It’s a pickup truck, and the only production pickup truck to ever be fitted with a rotary engine. It was produced from 1974-1977, and used the 13B engine as its rotary powerplant.

You’re not that likely to see a Mazda REPU out and about. It’s even more unlikely that you’ll see one up for sale. If you do, expect them to be valued at around $21,357 according to Classic.com.

8

Maxton Rollerskate

Used Price: $14,650 – $27,250

Specs

Source: Maxton

The Maxton Rollerskate is one of the quirkiest cars on this list. It’s also the only American car here! It’s a very basic, lightweight roadster, powered by a Mazda rotary engine. The options you got were either the 1.2-liter twin-rotor 12A or the 1.3-liter twin-rotor 13B. The Rollerskate’s name came from it being described as handling like one by a test driver.

As you’d expect from such a niche car, it wasn’t sold in great numbers. They rarely ever come up for sale, too. If you do find one for sale, expect it to cost between $14,650 and $27,250, depending on the model and condition (Classic.com).

7

Mazda RX-2

Used Price: $28,663

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda RX-2 is the export version of the rotary-powered variant of the Mazda Capella. Interestingly, it’s also the only rotary-powered car to have ever been built in New Zealand, as some export models were built there under licence. Available with the 12A or 12B engine, it only lasted for the first generation of the Capella’s run (1970-1978).

Mazda RX-2s are pretty rare, so its unlikely that you’ll see one for sale. When you do see one appear, Classic.com says you’ll pay an average of $28,663 to get it. That value will likely only go up over time, too.

6

Mazda RX-7

Used Price: $14,373 (SA22), $15,684 (FC), $32,813 (FD)

Specs

Source: Mazda

There aren’t many rotary-engined cars that are more iconic than the Mazda RX-7. A mainstay of Mazda’s model line-up for multiple decades, the RX-7 always stayed true to being a sporty coupe that embraced the quirky characteristics of its rotary powerplant.

While the first and second-generation RX-7 had multiple rotary engine options to choose from, the most famous FD generation only had the option of the 13B-REW twin-turbocharged twin-rotor unit. This is possibly the most famous Mazda rotary engine of all, producing anywhere from 236-276 hp. Many tuners have also found a way to get well past that factory output, creating absolute monster sports cars with barely believable levels of power.

RX-7s are getting genuinely desirable now. You can expect to pay around $32,813 for an FD (Classic.com), and the RX7’s value is only going to go up. Older models of the RX-7 are more affordable. You can get an SA22 for an average of $14,373, and an FC for an average of $15,684.

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5

NSU Spider

Used Price: $13,650-$35,000

Specs

Source: NSU

The NSU Spider is probably the most important car on this entire list. Without it, none of the other cars here would have been made. This was the first production car ever to have a rotary engine. Compared to later rotary-engined cars, it was a bit pathetic. It could only manage an output of 50-54 hp and 58 lb-ft of torque. But, the fact that the rotary engine actually worked was proof enough, and the design developed further into the engine found in the NSU Ro80.

NSU Spiders coming up for sale is a rare event. When they do, they can sell for up to $35,000, according to Classic.com.

4

Mazda RX-3

Used Price: $48,000

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda RX-3, known as the Savannah in Japan, was based on the conventionally-engined Mazda Grand Familia. It was produced throughout the 1970s. Early models came with the 1.0-liter 10A engine from the Mazda R100, but later models upgraded to the 1.2-liter 12A engine.

The RX-3 is a very rare Mazda. So, when they do come up for sale, they sell for big money. They often sell for around the $48,000 mark, but there are plenty of examples that have reached much higher than this.

3

Mazda RX-4

Used Price: $3,200 – $59,163

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda RX-4 is an export version of the rotary-powered variants of the LA2/LA3 Mazda Luce. The most known version of the RX-4 is the coupe, but it was also sold as a sedan and a station wagon.

It’s very rare that you’ll even see an RX-4, let alone find one up for sale. When they do appear, ones in good working order will go for a hefty price. An example in Malta was advertised for the equivalent of $59,163! On the other end of the scale, one in desperate need of restoration was sold in the US for $3,200. Considering how valuable an RX-4 can get when they’re in mint condition, taking a financial gamble on restoring one could pay off!

2

Mazda Cosmo

Used Price: $91,459 (L10A/L10B), $19,180 (JC)

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Cosmo is one of Mazda’s most important rotary-powered cars. The original L10A Cosmo was the first Mazda you could buy with a rotary engine. The Cosmo nameplate stuck until well into the 1990s, never straying from its ethos of being sporty and futuristic. The only real difference that happened is that the CD and HB versions weren’t exclusively rotary-powered. The CD was also available with a 1.8-liter and a 2.0-liter inline-4, while the HB was available with 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline engines and a 2.2-liter diesel.

The most advanced of the Cosmo versions was the final JC model. This one was far more upmarket than previous Cosmos. Firstly, it was badged under the Eunos brand, Mazda’s attempt at making a luxury sub-brand for the Japanese Domestic Market. Secondly, it featured technology that was borderline science-fiction back in the ’90s. Among other things, it was the first production car to have a GPS installed from the factory.

If you want a Cosmo, the cheapest entry into it seems to be the final JC Eunos Cosmo version. These cars go for an average of $19,180. You’re more likely to find ones with the 1.3-liter twin-rotor engine, as many that had the 2.0-liter triple-rotor were taken apart so the engine could be swapped into a project car. On the other end of the scale, the original L10A/L10B Cosmos go for a staggering average price of $91,459 as per Classic.com.

1

Mazda R100

Used Price: $94,715

Specs

Source: Mazda

The Mazda R100, known as the Mazda Familia Rotary in its native Japan, was a variant of the coupe and sedan versions of the Mazda Familia. It used the 1.0-liter 10A engine, developed from the unit used in the original Mazda Cosmo.

Mazda R100s are rare beasts. Because of that, they tend to go for very high prices. They can sell for up to the equivalent of $94,715 in Australia. This makes this rotary-powered version of an unassuming Japanese family car one of the most expensive rotary choices on the market. In fact, they can be worth more than an original Cosmo!

Sources: Mazda, barnfinds.com, beforward.jp, bringatrailer.com, carsales.com.au, classic.com, H&H Auctions, J-Spec Imports, KBB, theparking-cars.co.uk