What do you think of when you think of a rotary engine? Maybe it's Han's mad RX-7 from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, a drift-happy car which puts the rotation into rotary machines. Or maybe it's the more sedate and largely forgotten NSU Wankel Spider, or the Corvette Aerovette concept, with its rotary engine in the middle. What you might not think of when it comes to rotary engines, however, is sub-six-second drag cars.
But one team has set a new world record for a twin-rotor rotary car over at Orlando Speed World Dragway, dipping below the magic six-second mark. For anyone thinking that these quirky engines didn't have enough punch, it's time to think again.
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The Grey Bullet Is A Rotary Drag Car That Lives Up To Its Name
Firstly, it's grey. And with a best time of 5.93 seconds at Orlando Speed World Dragway, the Grey Bullet certainly goes like it has been fired out of a gun. This Mazda 13B-powered racer is a two-rotor maniac, posting a trap speed of 236.34 miles per hour. Moncho Performance built the record-setting engine, with Pito Tuning taking care of the ECU calibration. The team has claimed the Grey Bullet has just made history as the first 2-rotor car to enter the 5-second zone, making it officially the quickest and fastest rotary car in the world.
The Record-Breaking Rotary Drag Car Is A True Labor Of Love
The record-breaking car is powered by a custom 2-rotor engine, boosted by Next Gen XPR Pro Mod turbocharger technology. Juanchy Illanas was behind the wheel for the historic run. Moncho Performance said that the Mazda-powered car is a true labor of love, born out of "real work, sacrifice and clear vision".
The company added: "Under the firm and precise mechanics of Moncho Performance, the mastermind of Pito Tunning in programming, the adjustments of Choly Race Works, Juan Illanas in the controls and Siquitraki Motorsports in charge of the Auto Completely and many positive decisions and in the clutch... everything lined up to make the impossible, possible. This record isn't just about the car. It's from every sleepless night, from every failed test, from every adjustment repeated a thousand times."
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This Rotary Darg Car Is Astonishingly Quick
In the video above, you can see how the Siquitraqui Motorsports “Grey Bullet” 2021 Mazda RX9 explodes down the track, with driver Illanas wrestling with the wheel to keep it going arrow straight. Olivo, the man behind Siquitraqui Motorsports in Puerto Rico, normally pilots the RX9, says Drag Illustrated, but said of the decision to put Illanas in the cage of the Choli Race Works chassis: “I had to work from outside to accomplish this."
The 79-cubic inch screamer was put through a series of runs, starting with a 6.09, then 6.06 and 6.01, before the 5.935 was in the bag. At the Adelaide Jamboree in October 2025, George Rehayem produced a new Rotary World Speed Record at 237.63mph and 6.15 personal best, reported Drag News Magazine, meaning the PAC Performance RX9 still has the highest rotary top speed in the world.
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The Fastest Production Rotary Road Car
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R edition front three quarter pic
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R edition front three quarter pic
Mazda
Few cars have championed the rotary engine as successfully as the iconic and beautiful Mazda RX-7. Launched in 1978, the Mazda RX-7 was the company's first mass-market sports car and went on to become the best-selling rotary powered vehicle in history. When the RX-7 bowed out in 2002, an official total of 811,634 units had been produced — by far the most of any rotary model. The Mazda RX-7 FD (or third-gen) is a JDM legend, but there is one that can also lay claim to being the fastest production rotary car on the planet.
The fastest RX-7 in a straight line is the rare swansong "Spirit R" version. This car features a 1.3-liter twin-turbo Wankel mill, with 276 horsepower and 231 lb-ft of torque. The sprint to 60 mph is taken care of in 5.4 seconds and the top speed is 162 mph. To put this production rotary sports car into context with the Grey Bullet drag car, the standard '93 showroom model posted a quarter mile time of 14 seconds, so that's almost ten seconds slower.