See A Rotary Perform In Slow Motion, The Wankel.

Within an engine, there are tons of processes happening at one time. All of these processes need to be perfectly timed in order to make everything function smoothly. Even for the most basic of engines, picturing all of these concepts working at one time in one’s head can be something that’s pretty close to impossible for some folks. Those who classify themselves as visual learners might just have a little bit of trouble seeing through those engine walls into the internals of such machines. However, displays like this are here to help!

In steps the rotary engine. This isn’t just any rotary but a shrunken down version that takes the liberty of operating with see-thru sides. Essentially, the function of such an engine would be to take the process of internal combustion and flip it on its head, providing a different look at the concept.

With the plan of using far fewer parts than a traditional internal combustion engine, the rotary engine was quite promising. In fact, in concept, many people would argue that it might even be a good bit better than a traditional piston engine. However, in practice, it was never really a set up that caught on in full effect.

In the video below, we get to see one, up close and personal, as the shrunken down engine gives us a vantage point unlike ever before. The clear walls here give us the opportunity to really absorb what’s happening inside while those RPMs are screaming. Unfortunately, as any rotary fan will tell you, the ape seals that sit in between the rotor and the walls would simply prove to be an engineering nightmare. As such, the rotary isn’t used in any mass produced vehicles but Mazda promises to bring it back as a range extender for a future electric model.