Is Mazda teasing a new rotary-powered coupe?

A new video from Mazda's official YouTube is messing with our heads, and our rotary-powered hearts.

2y ago
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Mazda’s got a series of commercials out with quotes from media outlets that are comparing their products to luxury offerings from Audi and other similar brands, but I’m not thoroughly convinced that Mazda can go toe-to-toe with the Germans, at least for now.

Mazda has released a video showcasing 50 years of rotary powered legends including the original Cosmo, the 787B and many others.

Near the end of the video, a brilliantly styled red coupe is seen alongside the Cosmo. It's called the RX-Vision concept, and Mazda has been playing around with the idea of bringing it to production.

It’s easy to get this and Mazda’s Straight-6 powered sedan concept confused, as they look nearly identical. I’m excited for the prospect of a new rotary powered Mazda, because Mazda is the only company to give rotary engines a fair shake, and they’ve developed quite the cult following.

The video and article both showcase Mazda’s successes with rotary engines, so why is this concept car sitting at the end? Is it the RX-? Will it take on some new nameplate and spawn a line of new sports coupes? Will it even make it to production? There’s a lot of questions to be asked here.

The Takeaway

Mazda has been gearing up for a big push up-market that could result in the Germans getting quite the wake up call. The RX-Vision concept is a beautiful piece of machinery, but the concept itself is nearly four years old, so what gives? Why is Mazda showing us a four-year-old concept if they aren't going to bring it to production? I think Mazda has been testing the waters with these breathtaking concepts, and is going to make a big push into the luxury car segment over the next few model years. Of course, I could be wrong.

What do you think of Mazda teasing us with the RX-Vision concept in this video? Comment Below!

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Comments (42)

  • Dear Mazda,

    Pleeeeaaaaase put that into production. It's brilliant. Oh, and don't change a thing. It's brilliant just the way it is.

      2 years ago
    • Oh, and stop being like BMW and teasing us with cars that'll never be put into production simply to show us what you can do. Put this coupe into production. I implore you

        2 years ago
    • This is the new furai, catching fire a little bit

        2 years ago
  • Sorry, but the rotary is dead. The fuel economy is terrible(a 2015 Stingray does 17mpg on the city with a 6.2L V8 but the RX-8 barely manages 16mpg with a 1.3L engine. On the highway, it's even worse), the thermal efficiency isn't any better, and all of these result to poor emissions. I am a great fan of rotaries and its sound, but the fundamental drawbacks of it make it almost impossible for it to come back. Maybe, maaaayyybe, they might bring it back as a race engine, and if that's the case, I'm more than welcome. Just remember to bring your Renown livery with you.

      2 years ago
    • It doesn't really have to be an FIA though. It could be a Japanese domestic one-make race or god knows what. But I agree the chances are still low.

        2 years ago
    • True, traditional rotary engines may be dead due to the lack of efficiency, not even gonna going into the fact that the average consumer doesn't have any clue how to maintain them properly, but Mazda has been working on a hydrogen powered...

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        2 years ago
  • Please be the new RX.

      2 years ago
  • Come on guys... I know a slow news day is a drag, but you don’t have to keep beating this horse. Listen, I love Mazda (I’ve owned/own many) but we have to be realistic. The rotary being used as means of propulsion is gone. The future is electric (look what Ford recently debut... yikes!). As much as we hate to see the inevitable happen, Mazda is introducing electric just like all the other manufacturers. They’re a small company and they have to produce vehicles for the masses to stay afloat now. Would I love to see 1 of their vision cars become reality? Of course. Is it realistic to believe? Sadly, no.

    Let’s see what their upcoming straight 6 sedan is going to be. More than likely it’ll be the transition to go to full electric using the same platform.

      2 years ago
  • Don’t think it’ll be happening, enthousiast cars are really difficult to make unless you have a large enough company and enough spate parts. Plus most people who are drooling over the concept will only buy it second hand

      2 years ago
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