The Mazda Cosmo is Japan's Forgotten Rotary Sportscar

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The Mazda Cosmo was Japan's first attempt at putting a rotary aka "Wankel" engine into a production car, which started a brand lineage that continues to this day. It was built to be a halo car for the brand and its technology eventually lead to the first Japanese manufacturer win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the 787B, yet the Cosmo does not share the fame of many of its contemporaries. Watch as I take you around this piece of automotive history and then take it out on the road to hear the wonderful sound of vintage two-rotor engine!
Credits:
Historical Mazda Photos: Mazda USA and Mazda UK
Road from thumbnail image: Image by 4045 on Freepik
Explosions: AnimatedXtreme9292 on KZbin
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[@letsdriveit_]

CLARIFICATION: NSU was a German manufacturer who helped introduced the Wankel/rotary engine, but the Cosmo was the first car from a Japanese manufacturer to successfully use this type of engine, who continued it’s development for several decades after NSU was phased out as a company. This has lead to a stronger association with the rotary type engine used in production vehicles to Japanese manufacturers, thus the importance of the Cosmo’s development and place in history!

[@TRxilla]

Wow,less than 1200 ever made!you really lucky to get to review one😯

[@letsdriveit_]

For sure! Very rare and I loved getting to spend the day with this one

[@tiggs8862]

What a cool unique car, without the Cozmo, there would be no rx7. "With a full size spare" like they had space savers in the 60's😄

[@anguirosuchus55]

Unknown unless you're an Ultraman fan (the MAT car from Return of Ultraman was a Cosmos)

[@incription]

Dont forget misato had a cosmo in the rebuilds

[@hertzwave8001]

i saw this thing in automodellista first

[@-handala-]

Cant believe this is the first time i’m learning of this car. Great idea.

[@deliverstringbeans]

what a stunning design. wonderful.

[@gav240z]

Lovely example, looks like a lot of fun for sunday drives.

[@patrickbateman331]

thanks for this vid, I've been in love with this car ever since discovering about it a while ago. But I couldn't find any video on youtube that went into detail as much as your video did.

[@letsdriveit_]

That’s exactly why I was so excited to make this video! I love the Cosmo and want more people to know about it so just doing my part. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CalebDBarnes]

Cool video about a car I'd never heard of before! Keep up the good work

[@letsdriveit_]

Thanks you! I’ll have more videos on fun cars out soon 😁

[@cesaremonti3]

Great car and great video. Thanks

[@TomBudin]

i hated the look of this car when i was young but now i love it, even more than all the crappy new cars

[@batelargo]

Originally came with the 10A rotary. And first licensed rotary wankel in a car. Later Mazda redeveloped the engine into the 12A with enhanced power and performance. Mostly we’re junked or swap a 12A.

[@angelperez7891]

Only 6 of these R110S coupes were brought to the USA. All of them were 1972-spec fitted with the 12A engine, the clear covers were removed from the headlamps and the bumpers were modified. These were based on the Series II and the interior by all logic converted to left-hand drive and may have even borrowed the dashboard from the Rx-3.

[@oldschoolman9878]

First saw it as a kid playing Sega GT 2002 on Xbox, I’ve loved it ever since.

[@dostavki]

Very interesting looking big steel rims - just like on a Renault 10/Alpine/Bulgaralpine 👌

[@jwalster9412]

Most 50 year old cars look old, but this looks good still.

[@davidbarnes6410]

Then came the R100 then RX-2,3,4 and 5 in the late 70’s RX-7 in the 80’s

[@robt8042]

Very cool.

[@akyhne]

For those who don't know, you can't compare a 0,9 l Wankel rotary engine, to a 0,9 l piston engine. For example, the Mazda 787B Le Mans winner used a 2,6 l engine, with 700 hp, at 9000 RPM, while other cars in the same class had much larger engines. The way to measure volume on a rotor engine, is incompatible with a piston engine, and the engine in the Mazda was eventually banned. I'm not sure, if it was the 787B, but I know other Le Mans team protested over "a" Mazda rotary engine, and the rules on how to compare engine size between a piston engine and a rotary engine, was changed in the rule set.

[@DivineMisterAdVentures]

Swear to God this thing sold for $100,000 equiv?? I can't wrap my head around that unless they were aiming at world class super-cars. I'm not sure what would have been comparable in Italy or Germany.

[@Journey_Awaits]

It’s the price of a 300Sl

[@l_o_n_e_l_y__k_u_n6128]

In wangan midnight its a meta car and very heavy in battle

[@SamuelEvan]

Love using it in Wmmt6rr😅

[@manitolas]

Great car, 😀🤟

[@letsdriveit_]

Agreed!

[@nathanchristopher6121]

Jay Leno has one.

[@TheKilgore666]

Like 2 stroke NRD trabant 😂

[@williampflugfelder7099]

Lotus Europa in the front.

[@mrtnsh2859]

I only know about this car because of hot wheels diecast version.

[@athenakielpusing2927]

3:43 - 3:47

[@boltgaming248]

according to bladed angel in four words: always respect your elders

[@azertyQ]

>Rotary Engine >Never goes above 5k rpm

[@Roland_Karma]

У меня такая в гта 5 есть

[@spacewizard69r96]

Stop moving your hands ffs

[@phillipallen6212]

Later model Cozmo had a try rotor 20b