Quote:
Originally Posted by OverDriven
I've never owned an RX8 (and wouldn't) but I have owned 2 RX7 turbos and rebuilt and modded the engines in both by myself. Rotaries are very cool and an ingenious design in many ways, but if you're going to act like they're not temperamental, unreliable engines then you're crazy. IMO rotaries are great for enthusiasts, but they're a terrible choice for a daily driving road car.
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When talking about rotary reliability, there is a big difference between NA and turbo. Yes, heat can be an issue for rotaries (though I have my doubts on a daily driver). More importantly, they don't tolerate knock at all. And that is commonly tied to turbo rotaries.
My team has done 3 endurance races on an NA rotary. We've had modest success despite having zero prior racing experience, and the #1 factor I'd attribute that success to is the reliability of the motor. Call me crazy, but for a daily driver, I wouldn't be concerned about NA rotary reliability at all. I might be concerned about gas mileage though.