So what's in store for the future? Can Rotary Performance squeeze more power out of the 13B rotary and still keep it smog legal?
"We've considered switching to a ball-bearing turbo to enable the system to spool up more efficiently," Ott professes, "and that might get us to 450 hp, but after that I think it's the end of the line." Short of using nitrous or race fuel, that is. All things considered, this is one project that has achieved every goal it set out to, and in the grand scheme of things, that's what makes a great project vehicle. Even without the extra 50 hp, I'd say there aren't many cars on the street that can take this Mazda toe-to-toe. If they can, can they do it and still pass smog?
"The car has been unbeatable on the street," Ott testifies. "Living in Texas, the land of redneck pickups, Camaros and Mustangs, it's been endless fun. Especially knowing the car will pass a smog test."