The very last Mazda vehicle using the famous rotary engine will roll off the assembly line this month at the company’s Hiroshima factory. Despite conquering the hearts of many driving enthusiasts with its ability to generate more power than traditional engines of the same size, the Wankel consumed a fair amount of oil and gas, which didn’t please Mother Nature.

Photo: Mazda

The only remaining model that used this powerplant was the RX-8 and it sold only 2,896 units in 2010. The car stopped being distributed in Europe two years ago after it failed diagnostics tests for the new emission requirements.

Mazda now banks on its highly efficient SKYACTIV technologies to reduce its carbon footprint and attract more customers in hope of turning a profit.

Still, the Japanese automaker is reportedly planning to introduce an electric car using hydrogen to fuel the rotary engine and generate power for the battery. Could 2013 mark a resurrection? We’ll see.

Source: bloomberg.com