Eunos Cosmo 20B Type E
Mazda put three spinning rotors and two turbos into a quiet luxury coupe, creating the first production car powered by a three-rotor rotary engine.
Eunos E-JCESE Cosmo 20B TYPE-E (23110313120).jpg · 先従隗始 · CC0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
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More than a set of wheels.
The fourth Cosmo arrived under Mazda's upscale Eunos channel during Japan's high-tech luxury-car boom. Mazda called it the best rotary-powered car it could make: a long, low grand tourer that paired the new 20B three-rotor engine with sequential twin turbocharging and an automatic transmission. The Type E emphasized leather-lined comfort while keeping the same headline powertrain. This profile does not borrow the touchscreen navigation claim from the separate Type E CCS grade.
Look a little closer.
Mazda compared the three-rotor engine's smoothness with a V12—even though the rotary has no conventional cylinders at all.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Three rotors changed the rhythm
A single rotary chamber makes power in a different pulse pattern from a piston cylinder. Linking three rotors gives more frequent overlapping pushes, which is why Mazda could chase both strong acceleration and unusual smoothness. Sequential turbos widened the useful power band instead of asking one large turbo to do every job.
Source: Mazda 100th Anniversary · Eunos Cosmo (4th) ↗Luxury without borrowing the CCS story
Type E was the elegant grade, with leather, wood trim, cruise control and power adjustment. Mazda also sold a more expensive Type E CCS with its celebrated control screen. Keeping those grades separate matters: an ordinary 20B Type E is still historically important without claiming equipment that belonged to the CCS version.
Source: Goo-net catalog · 1990 Eunos Cosmo 20B Type E ↗Where these facts come from
- Mazda 100th Anniversary · Eunos Cosmo (4th)
- Mazda Newsroom · Eunos Cosmo previous model
- Goo-net catalog · 1990 Eunos Cosmo 20B Type E
- Automobile-Catalog · 1990 Eunos Cosmo 20B Type E
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.