a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
kleinbl00  ·  3129 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: BMW: All Models Electric Within Decade

    Not only is the power just not there compared to a traditional piston engine

Yeah, you're just straight-up wrong about that. I had an RX-4 with a whopping 1.3L of capacity and little fucker made 250HP or so in 1974. 3-cornered Wankel rotary engines make rippin' power and if you go more exotic, like 5 or 6 corners, they start making stump-pulling torque, too.

    the fact that apex seals really do wear out about every 70-80,000 miles and need to be replaced seems like a design flaw.

Shit, son, used to be 20k. Problem is, either the engine casing's gonna wear or the apex seals are gonna wear. Go for the seals, they're cheaper. But yes. It does mean that you end up pulling the engine a lot, and nobody enjoys that. Said-same RX-4 had no governor on the distributor and a 4-barrel Hitachi carb every bit the right size for a Chevy small block and with no reciprocating parts on a rotary, there's nothing to float. As a consequence, you could stuff your foot in it and if the tires weren't locked up, the little thingie would tear ass clear through 13,000 RPM without even pausing for breath. You do that a few times and you get to replace the apex seals now.