The future of the rotary is secured according to this article

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Se...es-stop-start/

Relevant rotary section from article wrote:
Sounds like Mazda’s busy!
You bet. CAR was briefed on what’s coming and there are new direct-injection petrol engines coming in 2010, said to be 20 percent faster and more economical. Mazda's fabled rotary engine will get direct injection too, and grow in capacity (to 800cc x 2), which will yield more torque, power and (phew) economy.

The oddball rotary's future is secured, as it’s key to Mazda’s plans for clean-fuel hydrogen-IC hybrids (which can also use regular unleaded), as a step towards hydrogen-electric fuel cells. A rotary-electric hybrid Mazda 5 is already running, as rotarys thrive on somewhat volatile H2. There is also a canny new ‘SISS’ stop-start, much more advanced than current systems, albeit limited to those direct-injection petrols for now.

 

bigger ,more torque ,and better mpg