YouTuber Warped Perception built a transparent Wankel rotary engine in his shop, and the resulting footage of the combustion process is absolutely stunning.

The Wankel rotary engine is one of the most unique and innovative engine designs ever created. Unlike the conventional piston engine that relies on reciprocating motion, the Wankel rotary engine ...

So, a Wankel engine needs constant oil top-ups while dealing with the products of that burnt oil. And those apex seals wear down. " [The Wankel] has this long, skinny, moving combustion chamber.

"This sealed, self-pressurizing system uses blow-by gases from the combustion process, which are continuously recirculated through the engine’s rotor and integrated intercooler," AIE explains.

Manufacturers have always sought to innovate and push the limits of engines. Here are some of the weirdest engines ever found in production cars.

But as with the Astron Omega, the Tomahawk TX Trick-Cycle turbine engine’s combustion causes rings to rotate, so it’s technically a rotary.

Group of rotors from test engines showed little wear. Note the combustion chamber cavity in each face of the rotors. D-B has been studying, designing and testing the Wankel for nine years.

Apex seals in a Wankel rotary engine perform a similar function as piston rings in internal combustion piston engines. However, the weak link of the Wankel engine could lie with the apex seal.