Enthusiasts have long awaited the return of the rotary engine. Since its death alongside the RX-8, the Wankel faithful have all but begged Mazda to resuscitate the Dorito-based engine layout. Until now, their cries had only been met with the promise of , but a new patent filing from the company shows a rotary-electric hybrid that still drives the wheels with gas. Even better: the wheels being driven are in the rear.

The patent may primarily focus on the cooling system for this rotary-electric design, but it’s also very explicit about the layout for which this packaging is intended: Front engine, rear-wheel-drive. While the car in the patent sketch, with its , seems unlikely to ever see production, that FR layout appears to be here to stay.

Interestingly, the patent also seems to call for something Mazda hasn’t built since the Cosmo: a three-rotor Wankel. In the image above, the group of boxes labelled “10" is defined as the drive unit, including “one or more engines 11 to 13 and a motor 14.” A three-rotor hybrid, with a rear-wheel-drive layout, would be an incredibly interesting entry into Mazda’s current lineup.

Perhaps even more interesting, however, is the seemingly boring core purpose of the patent: Cooling. EV makers have been experimenting with different cooling methods, but a beefed-up system for dissipating heat could also fix one of the greatest issues with rotary engines.

Because of the Wankel engine’s design, there’s never a moment when the combustion chamber of the engine gets to relax and cool off. That buildup of heat has led to all sorts of issues, including dry-rotting of hoses in the engine bay. A Wankel that could run colder, with less heat spreading around the rest of the car, could see a much longer useful life — and maybe even some more power.

Of course, automakers file patents all the time, and the existence of some drawings on a page doesn’t necessarily presage the immediate release of a related product. Still, it shows that Mazda hasn’t quite given up on its Dorito-dusted history — and maybe the enthusiasts shouldn’t either.