INNOVATE

Immortal engines

As Mazda ignites a new chapter for the rotary engine, we meet rotary specialists around the world who have kept this unique legacy going strong.

When it comes to maintenance and servicing, there is no better place for a modern Mazda than in the hands of an authorized dealership, with the skill and knowledge to act as a direct extension of the takumi craftsmanship that goes into every factory-built vehicle.

For Mazda’s rotary engine, however, authorized dealerships are only half the story. The ingenious piece of motoring engineering has created a global community of enthusiasts, drivers, and engineers alike, who have dedicated their lives to personalizing and customizing these unique engines.

As the engine once again makes global headlines with the arrival of the Mazda Iconic SP concept and its multi-fuel two-rotor rotary EV system, Mazda Stories visits a selection of rotary specialist garages around the world to hear how they are keeping the rotary alive. 

THE SOLOIST

Yoshiya Yajima
NepTune Speed, USA

“The appeal of the rotary engine is its unique sound and the feeling of high-revving rotation.”

Yoshiya Yajima, NepTune Speed, USA

For Yoshiya Yajima, only one path has ever seemed straight and true—ultimately, it turned out to be an elliptical one. “Ever since I was a child, my hobby has been cars and mechanical engineering,” says Yajima, the owner of NepTune Speed, a California-based repair workshop and tuning house for Japanese cars that specializes in Mazdas and rotary engines.

For man and machine, that path began in Japan. Working as a control systems engineer for a sheet metal manufacturer led Yajima to start modifying his car. “I enjoyed making parts for it using the company’s machines,” he says. When he was transferred to the United States in 1996, he bought a 1991 Mazda RX‑7 convertible, inspired by a friend’s car back in Japan: “The appeal of the rotary engine is its unique sound, like a two-stroke, and the feeling of high-revving rotation.”

Learning to service and rebuild it led him to open NepTune Speed in Huntington Beach in 2006. It’s now a respected fixture on the lively California rotary scene, especially for RX‑7s and RX‑8s. “The climate here keeps cars in good condition, and many 1970s to 1990s rotary cars gather here, including for the annual SevenStock event.”

The 56-year-old is on a lifetime mission to extend the lives of aging rotaries by perfecting the basics—but loves maximizing their sporting potential, too, often with a turbo. He’s even built a 320 bhp Bridgeport engine for his own car. “I’m looking forward to Mazda releasing more advanced hybrid rotary engine cars,” he says. “I hope that rotary engines will be used for a long time.”

THE DUET

John van ’t Hoff and Midas van der Ploeg
R&P Performance, The Netherlands

“We want to keep rotaries on the road and make our customers happy.”

John van ’t Hoff, R&P Performance, The Netherlands

A shared love of Japanese cars brought John van ’t Hoff and Midas van der Ploeg together—and Rotors & Pistons (R&P) Performance was born just a few weeks later in 2017. The friends set it up initially as a space to work on their own hobby cars. Army engineer van der Ploeg, now 28, had a Mazda RX‑8, his first-ever car; while van ’t Hoff, 34, with experience in sales at car dealerships, had owned a wide range. Both were handy enough at fixing and tuning cars that they decided to make a business of it.

Based in Zuid-Beijerland, south of Rotterdam, R&P Performance operates two evenings a week, and has become popular with people wanting to customize their rotary engine builds. “The rotary engine has great capabilities,” says van ’t Hoff. “As much as possible, we want to keep rotaries on the road and, of course, make our customers happy.”

Some of their more extreme customer projects have seen them overhaul virtually every inch of a car, and they enjoy getting elbow-deep in the technology. “We love to be different, and that’s exactly what rotaries are,” enthuses van ’t Hoff about Mazda’s rotary legacy. “Our favourite car is the RX‑7 FD, which has great possibilities to tune. And the Mazda 787B’s engine has one of the best sounds a car has ever made.” This is why the notion of a new generation of rotary technology from Mazda excites them: “It will keep the rotary spirit alive.”

The Mazda 787B: Rotary Royalty

The legendary scream of the Mazda  787B’s Le Mans-winning engine is perhaps the pinnacle of rotary history. No other rotary-powered car had ever won the gruelling European endurance race until the 787B crossed the finish line in 1991. The engine, of course, was no ordinary rotary; it was the legendary 2.6 litre 700hp four-rotor R26B, designed specifically for sports prototype racing cars and, of course, winning Le Mans. Some 33 years later, the 787B is showcased at the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, and its iconic roar can still be heard—just press play.

THE SYMPHONY

Simon Ioannou and team
Promaz Automotive, Australia

“If you push boundaries, you break things and you learn.”

Simon Ioannou, Promaz Automotive, Australia

The occasional distinctive throaty hum offers a clue to the treasure trove tucked away among the quiet backstreets of Thomastown. Known for its high-performance rebuilds and stunning race mods, Promaz Automotive is a mere half an hour from Melbourne’s city centre and is run by rotary specialist Simon Ioannou.

Ioannou, 50, grew up drag-racing with his dad at the local track, and was an apprentice mechanic in his teens. The sound of rotary engines reeled him in and their high-revving smoothness had him hooked. Experimenting with his own 1974  Mazda RX‑3 eventually led to a stint at a rotary garage, before he started Promaz in 1999.

The expansive workshop is fully kitted out, with facilities spanning rotary plate machining, engine balancing, custom fabrication, and two dynos to measure results. And what results they are: from a customer’s gleaming RX‑7 FB all the way to Ioannou’s own ProRX‑8—a storming 1,600 hp RX‑8, which he enters in Pro Street drag-race events.

The family legacy has continued into another generation: the nine-strong Promaz team, with Ioannou’s wife in back-office operations, now includes 18-year-old daughter Olivia as a machinist in the workshop. He credits Promaz’s success to “passion, giving the customer what they want, and going above and beyond.” He adds: “We’re always trying to push boundaries. If you push, you break things and you learn. If you’re not always challenging yourself, you’re not progressing.” Mazda’s rotary renewal resonates with Ioannou’s constant drive for improvement. “A hybrid rotary is a great idea,” he says. “You get the best of both worlds—meeting emissions to go with the times, while keeping the rotary engine alive.”

Words Sachin Rao

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