Mazzei Formula via YouTube The latest in car news and reviews, without the nonsense. Our free daily newsletter delivers the most important stories straight to your inbox every weekday. What you see here is the Mazzei Formula Five—or, to be precise, the Mazzei Formula Five. This unique supercar was created by David Mazzei, merging a Superlite SL-C kit car body with a custom-built five-rotor engine. Attached to this engine is a 106-millimeter Garret G57-3000 turbocharger, and as anticipated, it produces some astonishing sounds. Remarkably, it also generates 1,120 wheel horsepower on the dynamometer. Incredible. Mazzei has been working on this car for quite a while. He mentioned back in 2021 his intention to develop a five-rotor engine for this project, and he has certainly fulfilled that commitment. His background in car building includes installing a four-rotor in an FD RX-7, so he was well-prepared to create a powerhouse like the Formula Five. Along with running a 106mm turbo, the peripheral-port five-rotor features billet housings and a six-stage dry sump oiling system. The exhaust is insulated with inconel, and surprisingly, it utilizes Vibrant titanium race mufflers. I can hardly imagine how loud it must be. All that power from the boosted 3.3-liter engine is transmitted to the rear wheels via a pneumatic Holinger MXT sequential transaxle. You’ll definitely notice this as you hear it flat-shifting on the dyno. A Tilton twin-plate clutch is adapted for this custom setup, and considering the Formula Five produces 806 lb-ft of torque—an impressive figure, rotary or otherwise—this clutch seems quite robust. What’s even more astonishing is that the dyno run achieved 1,120 hp at the wheels with only 12.5 psi of boost. That enormous turbo is clearly capable of producing more power, and Mazzei himself acknowledges that they could increase the boost to reach 1,500 or 1,600 hp. He explains that during this initial phase of dyno tuning, they are working to improve volumetric efficiency. This issue might stem from the peripheral porting, which allows for greater overlap when both the intake and exhaust ports are open simultaneously, leading to a vacuum. Consequently, the turbo may be reintroducing inert gas, resulting in a decrease in oxygen density. Even with this inefficiency, the Formula Five manages to achieve one flywheel horsepower per pound, which is remarkable. Take a listen: This is far beyond anything I would ever attempt to build, but that’s not saying much, as I often feel challenged by my 1966 Ford dump truck. I think I’ll leave the supercar creations to Mazzei. Do you have a tip or question for the author? Reach out directly at: [email protected]

      Northwood University

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      Located in Michigan, Northwood University provides educational programs in various sectors of the automotive industry. It offers an Automotive & Mobility MBA program, an auto marketing and management curriculum, and an aftermarket management course. Starting in Fall 2025, the university will launch a Motorsports Essentials workshop series. Additionally, next year, it will introduce a course titled Fundamentals of Motorsports, which focuses on management rather than driving.

      I only learned about Northwood this week upon receiving a press release regarding their programs. With approximately 6,000 colleges across the United States, my high school guidance counselors never mentioned any schools beyond New England during my own college search.

      For those currently exploring courses, if you're passionate about cars, this university may be worth considering. The auto business and aftermarket management courses are already established, but the new motorsports classes will commence this fall, just about a month away.

      According to the university, “students will engage in a combination of Northwood courses and experiential learning opportunities at motorsports industry events, alongside the motorsports workshop series,” as part of the Motorsports Essentials workshop program. Students will reportedly receive a badge on their degree. Next year, the Fundamentals of Motorsports class will be available for both new and existing students.

      The inaugural workshop is scheduled for October 18th, 2025, at the Northwood University Idea Center. Attendees will hear insights from Northwood faculty and guest speakers from the motorsports and sports management fields, including executives, media figures, engineers, and team leaders, as mentioned in the university's catalog.

      Mr. Steve Madincea, a Northwood graduate credited by the university for “developing innovative commercial activities in Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA,” will oversee the motorsports programming and coordinate guest speakers.

      “The motorsports workshop series and fundamentals course will be conducted by a blend of Northwood faculty and industry guest lecturers from motorsports and sports management, such as executives, media figures, engineers, and team principals. The experiential learning model guarantees that graduates will gain both thorough academic understanding and highly sought-after real-world experience from prominent global motorsports organizations and events,” states Northwood’s announcement.

      I cannot judge whether the worth of this curriculum will match its cost (Northwood estimates expenses at approximately $49,600), but I appreciate the concept of studying the intricate details and business challenges of motorsports. The conventional wisdom I’ve encountered about the financial aspects of racing suggests that “to make a small fortune in motorsport, begin with a large one,” so here’s to hoping that participants in these classes will fare better.

      Have a story tip? Or know of any other intriguing automotive courses? Feel free to reach out at [email protected].