blog

「初試乗　走った！！Nissan ロータリー」
"First test drive ran! Nissan rotary"

Driver magazine 1972.12.20

All the performance of a Skyline 2000 GT-X in a small package

Attach file:

---

  1972.12 Driver.jpg (107.60 KB)


  First test drive ran! Nissan rotary.jpg (84.87 KB)


  on the racetrack.jpg (59.09 KB)


  wankel.jpg (69.52 KB)


  stock 1972 interior with 6400 rpm redline tachometer.jpg (53.50 KB)


  KPB110 Coupe.jpg (77.52 KB)

Driver 1977.11

第１９回（４７年）のショー期間中、１０月２８日に本誌ではプロトタイプのニッサン・ロータリーに試乗
During the 19th (47 years) show, on October 28, we tested the prototype Nissan Rotary in this magazine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Motor_Show#1972

awesome effort but should have joined with Mazda on this project
or formed a japanese group of makes trying to improve the rotary
like occurs today where many makes share the same engine development.
The 1200 coupe rotary could have been positioned between the R100
and rx3 which are the lightest and most successful early rotaries.
The s1 2 and later rx7 are where they hit their sweetspot.
rx7 fd today is still the best handling rwd in japan from factory
ever made where even today the rx8 doesnt really pip it.

The Nissan rotary engine was upplied by Toyo Kogyo (Mazda) for the Datsun. It was quite different from Mazdas of the day -- it was a PP design (peripheral port) like a racing rotary

Nissan was the second automaker to license the Wankel engine, after Mazda. Nissan president Kawamata signed the agreement at the NSU head office in Neckarsulm, West Germany in October 1970. GM signed a similar agreement a month later.

Mazda had a technology sharing program which solved the emissions problems but ultimately none of the automakers used it. But there were two motorcycles and snowmobiles use the rotary in production

Nissan missed out for being conservative, thats why I like Mazda and Subaru