Could the new sports car concept – set to make its global debut at the Tokyo Motor Show – mark the return of rotary-engined RX sports cars at Mazda?
Cross your fingers Mazda fans: this could be the new RX-8.
Not that the company has confirmed either way of course, the ‘details’ about its new sports car concept limited to a curvaceous design (hidden with an enormous amount of shadow) that ‘clearly embodies the carmaker’s lineage’ and its debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.
Speculation not only concerns potential rivals for the concept when (presumably) it hits production – though the sleek styling suggest the Jaguar F-TYPE could be up there – but also the unit that will power it. Amid a recent wave of models boasting SKYACTIV Technology, there is talk that Mazda is about to re-introduce rotary engines to its line-up. It’s no secret that the Japanese company still has a dedicated engineering team focussed on rotary engine development. An even stronger hint will be the presence of a 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S at Tokyo, the company’s first rotary powered mass-production car.
The last production model to get the rotary-treatment was the previous RX-8, which was dropped from the line-up in 2012 owing to ever-tightening emissions regulations. The ‘RX’ badge that adorned the four-door coupe though could be gearing up for a return as early as 2018, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the original RX-7.
