Using a two-rotor version of Dr. Felix Wankel's rotary engine, the RX-7's 1.1-liter mill (designated 12A) produced 100 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque. That was enough to push its 2350 pounds to 60 mph ...

The RX-7 was powered by Mazda's 1,146cc twin-rotor 12A engine, good for 100 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque, which placed it well ahead of the competition at the time. This displacement would grow to ...

What they came up with was the 1146-cc 12A rotary, which was light, free-revving, and didn’t take up much space. In other words, the ideal engine for a sports car, which is where the RX-7 came ...

The Mazda RX-7 Model 12A Rotary Engine It still goes hmmmmm but it's a lot more reliable. Felix Wankel, inventor of the rotary engine, was probably aware of the shortcomings of his rotating ...

The carb-fed 12A rotary was rated at just 100 hp (101 PS ... was still faster than its Porsche 924 rival in the US – this RX-7 would make going slowly a pleasure. You can imagine cruising ...

Despite carrying over its live rear axle setup, the RX-7’s driving experience was further improved by way of a 10-horsepower boost to its 12A engine, a figure which would leap to 160 horses ...

The RX-7 GSL-SE's 13B rotary engine is only 14.1 percent larger in displacement than the 12A powerplant (1308 versus 1146 cc), yet it develops 33.6 percent more power and 24.3 percent more torque.

I love rotary engines. My first car was a 1983 Mazda RX-7 with a carbureted 12A engine, and while it wasn't technically "fast" or "quick" or even really very "good," I loved it. Since then ...