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rotaries are unfortunately inefficient at low load due to the inefficiently shaped combustion chamber (large amount of surface area compared to the volume). A cylinder is a very normal 3 dimensional shape with alot of volume for how much surface area there is.
Rotary engines make great racing engines though. At high load, they are very efficient, and, properly built, they are inherently reliable due to the few moving parts and their simplistic design. A 400 hp rotary engine will use less fuel than a 400hp piston engine when driven hard on a racetrack
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1988 rx7 convertible. Streetported, racing beat header and presilencer replacing all 3 catalytic converters. Atkins 6 port sleeves. K&N cone filter intake. 22mpg average, 27mpg max. Spreadsheet (updated regularly):
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5310442/198...%20mileage.xls
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