The problem was that there was an episode of contaminated gas that was clogging jets and fuel injectors all over the area. The GS-550 is a 4 cylinder inline and it was a major pain to pull the carbs. I had pulled them once to rebuild them and it cost a bunch just to get them synced and tuned. There was no way I could scrounge up the bucks for a major cleanup, since I was going through a divorce, and paying for 2 kids. So it sat.. and sat... and sat. By now, all the gas is long gone, so everything is probably like concrete in there. You'll probably have to drop the carbs in a bucket of cleaner for several weeks.
The problem with the Wankel was two fold... first it's a "2 stroke" type engine, power generated 3 times on every rotation, but it needs oil injected into the gas to lubricate the seals. That put it on the EPA's shit list. They used a thermal reactor to clean things up. Plus, it is pretty thirsty, so that made it hard to make the fuel economy numbers that the government (and public) was demanding. I used to average about 18mpg with a 2000lb car and that was mostly highway driving. By the time they got to the RX8 with twin turbos and a 13b based engine, it was a low volume, expensive car. Boosting power causes issues because the motor doesn't heat evenly. The firing side stays hot and the intake side stays cooler. It makes for uneven expansion of the metal, which can cause problems. Mazda didn't necessarily have the allure of a Porsche or Ferrari to command the high prices needed to cover the cost. The MX-5 became the company's sport entry and the RX was dropped.
Don't worry about turning it into a "car thread". You're doing exactly what you were wanted .. not being a "leach".