Mazda's Last RotaryAny topic surrounding the rotary engine is bound to bring Mazda into the conversation. After all, it's the only automaker that still believes in its practical applications. Cars like the RX-7 and RX-8 will come up, and for those who really want to flex their rotary knowledge, you'll hear historic names like Cosmo or Luce. No, not that Luce.It's been over a decade since the last rotary-powered sports car was made, the RX-8. However, it wasn't Mazda's last Wankel car. That title actually belongs to the MX-30 R-EV, and it's still being made in (presumably) limited numbers today. That said, the rotary in the MX-30 is a range extender and thus doesn't directly power the vehicle.MazdaMazda Loves TrianglesEither way, Mazda loves its triangle-shaped propulsion system, and has been saying for years that it'll come back someday. One could argue the R-EV was a test run of sorts, but the brand confirmed its next act will see a rotary actually move the car, not just serve as a generator.Speaking to Car Magazine, Moritz Oswald, project manager for product planning and co-creation at Mazda Motor Europe, said that the brand (for the nth time) will properly bring rotary power back into the fray. In an interview, he said, "The reason why people love the rotary is because of the revving, because of the sound, because of the vibration. So, I think if we want to bring that to an audience, the easiest way is if you could let the customer experience how that engine revs."Admittedly, some Mazdafarians are probably jaded by now, and understandably so. Given today's automotive climate, emission challenges alone make it nearly impossible. However, Mazda could still do it.MazdaHybrid May Be the WayPer Oswalt, he implied that one way around the emissions hurdle is to go hybrid. Whether or not it'll be a regular hybrid or a plug-in is a different matter, but he had this to say. "In theory, there's a lot of opportunities. If you have a battery and you can control that, the car will always turn on in EV mode, and then the rotary heightens up [later]. So, there's a lot of potential ways there." It's also worth pointing out a recent patent the company filed for a clever exhaust gas regulator that helps curb emissions, a long-time weakness of the rotary engine.If that's the case, Mazda will have to engineer a special battery management system. It'll need to ensure there's always enough charge in the hybrid system to let the car run in EV mode before the engine kicks in. However, a potential compromise could be shorter electric-mode range, so it relies more on the engine to keep the charge up. Of course, we're not saying that with absolute certainty, but Mazda's determination (and stubbornness, to a degree) means that if it's bringing back rotary power, it's doing it properly.USPTOPotential Use Cases?Oswalt had mentioned the sensations of driving a vehicle with that sort of engine, so it's a no-brainer that we'll see it in a sports car. As to which sports car, it's unknown, but if Mazda wants to keep the MX-5 light even with hybridization, switching to a rotary might be the way. Of course, there's also a potential production version of the Iconic SP concept shown at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.But it could also be used in more everyday vehicles. A hybrid rotary Mazda3 might sound feasible and amusing in equal measure, and so would a CX-5 with the same setup. Besides, this is the company that once put a Wankel in a bus, so you can be certain that the brand that loves rotaries will stick it in anything applicable.