Past few times i've been out......gas attendants and random people are like.....nice car blah blah, it has a v6 right? or its a v6 right? and i'm trying to be polite but annoyed lol......and i'm like no it doesn't have a v6, its a rotary, no cylinders and they look at me all dumbfounded and almost like am i sure that i know what i'm talking about that it doesn't have any cylinders...

I had a few G35 owners asking me. how big your v6 in your car? and i'm like huh? It doesn't have a v6, its a rotary and theyre like OH, whats a rotary? and agh. . You would think people would know what a rotary engine considering the fact that the RX-7 had it for the longest time.

I wish i had internet connection in my RX-8, i would show them this clip about a rotary engine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrD7FTFLJc

When i try to explain the rotary and the rotor housing. people are even more baffled like i'm crazy cause my car doesn't pack a v6. It gets quite annoying. and i wish there was some pamplets that i could pass out to strangers about what a rotary engine is and how it looks like.

Anyways do you guys have people asking you if its a v6 in our 8s? How do you explain to them about our rotary engines, or do you guys just play along and nod and go yes it has a v6 to screw with people minds. i'm so tempted to say yup its a v6. ..but i feel like owning an 8. it is my duty to explain to people it has a rotary when asked what kind engine is in there or it has a v6 right??

 

I have seen adds at dealers (not Mazda dealers) that advertise a used RX8 as having a v8. A couple of weeks ago I was at a Mazda dealership and a salesman was arguing with a receptionist that the RX8 was turbo charged! The receptionist insisted that it was not and that she knew that even though she knows nothing about cars. He kept telling her she did not know what she was talking about. She saw me and looked at me like she was saying, "help me. Please." I chimed in and said, "I have one. It is not." Thank dog I was not there to buy anything.

 

Not only v6, but most people seem to think it's FWD too.

 

I've also seen RX-8's advertised with V-8's - usually used ones at non-Mazda dealers. I get asked if mine is a 6 or 8 cylinder by my wife's family, and I always respond, "Nope, it’s a zero cylinder". That always throws them for a loop. One thought that it meant it was a hybrid. One gas station mechanic (seeing me at the pump, not working on my car) asked me if it was a V-6 or a V-8, and I replied, "Its more like a triangle-in-a-circle". That threw him for a loop, so I had to explain it is a rotary. He thought they had stopped making them in the '70's since they always blew up...

 

When onlookers seem clueless as to what's under the hood, I just tell them it's a high-tech steam engine.

1.3L

 

VRzoomzoom, LoL
pop that video clip in a video Ipod and your ready to explain it.

 

Two of my best are the MAZDA DEALER telling me you cant compression test a rotary, and second a guy gave me the v6 question and when I followed up with the "it doesn’t have any cylinders" response he said and I quote "You obviously don’t know much about cars do you."

 

Same thing for me. Each times somebody ask me about my engine, they don't understand that not a piston engine !!!! And they repeat, a V8 or a V6 !!!!

They don't want understand....

 

It is necessary and your duty as well...
Wankel Evangelism has been a part of my life ever since my first 12a RX7

You can try keeping a small printed diagram in your glove box, that seems to help.
Although I must admit, I get a little tired of having to explain to onlookers,
where the "valve covers" are. However, now that you brought the question up,
I realized that I may be able to utilize my ipod to illustrate the loveliness of the Wankel. I love technology.

I have grouped the unknowing / un believers into the following categories...

When I say it's a rotary, I may get a response like

"Oh like a turbine aircraft jet engine?"

These people at least know what a turbine engine is, I can usually explain within 30 seconds about the rotors and eccentric shaft and housings, etc.

And they get it.

"How can an engine run without pistons?"

I little more difficult to explain. However, because they are at least aware of what pistons do / work, I usually have them grasping the idea in 30 seconds to a minute and a half... (This scenario is where the aforementioned glove box cheat book pays off in dividends)

When I get a question like...

"I love Maseratri's / Porsches" "Are the V12's / Flat 6's hard / expensive to work on?"

I say "No pistons , Mazda rotary"

response "huh?,right.. whatever dude.."

If I'm feeling particularly helpful / sympathetic that day I will try to explain.
If it still isn't working, I resort to answers like:

"Magic" or "reverse engineered alien technology..."
I know, I know, I'm going to hell...

Some are just not reachable (It took me a while to come to that conclusion, and that I just have to let go.)

Otherwise, to quote a saying from my Porsche 912 / 356 days
I just have to.
"Keep the faith"
sorry Harry, but I know you would understand. R.I.P.

 

Times like that that the rotary key chain comes in handy.

 

titling the car is awesome. On ours, it says 4 cylinder, 2 doors, 5 passengers. Gotta love the DMV

 

The confusion can work to your advantage though:

According to my insurance policy, our 8 is a 1.3L 4-banger with four doors Insurance ends up less than our IS!

 

^^TMAK26B
When I first bought in 2003 my insurance read 4 cyl and 2 doors. I insisted that they change it to 4 doors (in the hopes of paying less) but they told me that their system didn't have any data on the rx-8. Duh really?

 

When questions like these comes up. I often just smile and walk away.

I will explain only if

Im in extreme good mood.

Or

Im extremely **** off by the person's attitude.

Cuz some of them are really rude, u know.

 

I love the steam engine line... When one of my wife's friends asked what a rotary is, I told her that it is a belt that a little wolverine runs on kind of like a tread mill. It is great on gas, but my raw meat bill has gone through the roof!

An unrelated note: I'm not sure why all of my wife's friends think I am a smart ***.

 

My insurance says that it is a 4-cylinder, 4-door. We sold my wife's 1999 Honda Accord 2-door 4 cylinder in 2006 when we got my 8, and my insurance is less than $200 more per year for the 8!

 

Thanks for my laugh of the day. I've seen a lot of funny pictures on the internet to make me laugh under my breath.. but this deserved, and received, a real laugh.

 

They shouldn't even own a G35 if they don't know what type of engine is inside a RX8!!!

 

explaining (albeit in futility) the wonder that is the rotary engine is a prerequisite duty of a rotary car owner since the beginning of time... or whenever you began owning a rotary car lol

 

Ahh, nice to know that i'm not the only one getting, it has a v6 right comments. I really need to find some or create some pamplets. the IPOD video sounds cool if i had an ipod video, only have a nano lol. sucks for me. I feel like Mazdas should provide like 100 pamplets in the glovebox to give out to uninformed people. haha. Make my duty as a rotary owner easier.

 

This is exactly why I LOVE this car. I love telling people what it has for motivation at it leaves them speechless!

The flip side is a 350Z with the same motor as the soccer mom in her Quest. Um.... no thanks.

 

true, but it burns less gas and makes more power

 

On my insurance they rate it as a "2 cyl. 1.3L engine" 4 door, 4 pass. I pay less for my 8 than I did for my 1994 525i.

I get the V6 question all the time. If Im near my car I get the little pamphlet that has a picture of the rotary working. If Im not Ill usually give up and just tell them "Its not a regular piston engine, just trust me."