A description of the development history of Mazdas rotary power plant, and the model timelines of the vehicles these engines powered how one small Japanese automaker remained independent and became famous using a unique engine. Examines the commercial ups and downs in North America, using rotaries to become a high performance icon and V8 alternative, and charting the racetrack achievements of Mazda rotary racers around the world including in home-country Japan. Also reveals the pollution control and fuel economy challenges facing Mazda as they strove to keep rotary engines in production to satisfy high performance fans globally.