Wankel Rotary Engine
The Wankel rotary engine is considered to be the most effective rotary engine in the world. The engine here utilises rotary methods to convert pressure in an internal combustion engine instead of a standard piston movement (known as a reciprocating engine). So here a rotor that is triangle shape goes round a central shaft.
This engine was the brainchild of Felix Wankel in the 1950s. The engine design he devised was so successful because it needed fewer parts and was smaller and less heavy than a standard reciprocating engine. It also allows vehicles that utilise the engine to achieve higher speeds and gave a better efficiency at the time because there were fewer parts in the mix.
The smaller size of the Wankel rotary engine means that it can be fitted into vehicles of all shapes and sizes. So, it is suitable for motor cycles, racing cars, model aircraft and go karts for example. In fact Wankel's first engines were used in motor cycles before being adapted for cars (the NSU Wankel Spider and the NSU Ro80).
These types of engines were successfully used by Mazda in their racing cars in the 1970s and 1990s. One of their Le Mans wins was actually the first to be won by a non reciprocating engine.