building reliable engines with a lifespan above . Those findings were not taken into account when the cancellation order was issued. The ending of GM's rotary project required AMC, who was to purchase the engine, to reconfigure the Pacer to house its AMC straight-6 engine driving the rear wheels. AvtoVAZ In 1974, the Soviet Union created a special engine-design bureau, which in 1978, designed an engine designated as VAZ-311 fitted into a VAZ-2101 car. In 1980, the company commenced delivery of the VAZ-411 twin-rotor Wankel engine in VAZ-2106 cars, with about 200 being manufactured. Most of the production went to the security services. Ford Ford conducted research in rotary engines, resulting in patents granted: , 1974, a method for fabricating housings; 1974, side plates coating; , 1975, housing coating; , 1978: Housings alignment; , 1979, reed-valve assembly. In 1972, Henry Ford II stated that the rotary probably would not replace the piston in "my lifetime". Car racing The Sigma MC74 powered by a Mazda 12A engine was the first engine and only team from outside Western Europe or the United States to finish the entire 24hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, in 1974. Yojiro Terada was the driver of the MC74. Mazda was the first team from outside Western Europe or the United States to win Le Mans outright. It was also the only non-piston engined car to win Le Mans, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their four-rotor 787B ( displacement), rated by FIA formula at ). In the C2 class, all participants had only the same amount of fuel at their disposal, besides the unregulated C1 Category 1. This category only allowed naturally aspirated engines. The Mazdas were classified as naturally aspirated to start with 830 kg weight, 170 kg less than the supercharged competitors. The cars under the Group C1 Category 1 regulations for 1991 were allowed to be another 80 kg lighter than the 787B. In addition, Group C1 Category 1 had only permitted 3.5-liter naturally aspirated engines and had no fuel quantity limits. As a vehicle range extender Due to the compact size and the high power-to-weight ratio of a Wankel engine, it has been proposed for electric vehicles as range extenders to provide supplementary power when electric battery levels are low. A Wankel engine used as a generator has packaging, noise, vibration and harshness advantages when used in a passenger