There must’ve been around 1 million pieces of news about the Mazda rotary engine being gone for good, but it seems that the spectacular engine is set to make a comeback after all. Mazda is preparing to bring back rotary power thanks to a new tech development that will allow the powerplant to leave its traditional issues with efficiency and long-term reliability behind.

The carmaker’s General Manager of Powertrain Development, Mitsuo Mitomi, has revealed that Mazda wants to finish the development of a rotary unit that meets future fuel efficiency and emissions standards.

We think we’ve found a way to improve the rotary’s fuel economy to be truly equal to that of conventional piston engines and, if so, we believe we can reintroduce the rotary to the market,” Hitomi recently told Ward’s Auto.

To be more specific, the most important technological breakthrough is a modification in the shape of the troichoid housing that will allow the seals to remain flush to the housing, which will bring superior performance, as well as better fuel efficiency. Thus, the carmaker wants to solve the sealing issue that has haunted the rotary engine since its inception.

In addition to that, the auto automaker also wants to enhance the ingintion of the new engine, but didn’t offer details on that.