Mirage

Make
Mitsubishi
Segment
Hatchback

Mazda made a name for itself with its rotary engine and while there have been a lot of rumors about reviving the technology, there's been nothing concrete to prove it's in the works. Until now. The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published US patent application 20160084158, which is titled "Rotary Piston Engine Mounted on Vehicle." The patent application outlines a new rotary engine that is rotated 180-degrees so the exhaust port is on top of the engine with the intake at the bottom.

This new configuration is expected to allow for better intake and exhaust flow thanks to a long lower intake manifold that boosts performance, while the top-mounted exhaust port allows for a more direct gas passage into the turbocharger housing. That's right, there will be at least one turbocharger on the engine as the housing is mounted directly to the upper exhaust port. This advanced rotary engine will not only be more fuel-efficient than others, but should also be more powerful. There's no word on how many turbochargers the rotary engine will have, but two sounds like the perfect amount. Even if the engine came with one, we're thrilled to see that Mazda's back with a new rotary engine.