But will it have the same charm in the era of electrification?
The third-generation FD Mazda RX-7 remains one of the all-time Japanese sports car greats, melding sultry styling and low weight with an iconic brap-brap rotary engine design. However, ever since the RX-7's discontinuation in 2002 and the relatively lackluster response to its successor, the RX-8, rotary fans have hungered for a next-gen Mazda RX model capable of eliciting the same passion as the FD. Now, it sounds like Mazda is bringing back the rotary, once again reigniting rumors of a new Mazda RX-7 successor. There is, however, something of a caveat.
Several caveats, actually. For starters, fans are likely highly reluctant to believe any news about a possible next-gen Mazda RX model given the seemingly endless supply of rumors that have paraded forth over the years. The broken promises are starting to add up.
Nevertheless, the latest does sound a bit more promising than the usual hearsay and gossip surrounding Mazda's famous Dorito-shaped engine. During the recent 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro announced the formation of a new rotary engine development team. The announcement follows widespread enthusiasm for the Iconic SP concept that debuted at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, which presented a design with a decidedly RX-7-ish flair to it.
"With your encouragement, we are launching a rotary engine development group on 1 February to move closer to this dream," Mazda's CEO said, referencing the Iconic SP.
That all jives with what we've been hearing, as well. Sources familiar with the matter confirm with Tuner Fan that Mazda has indeed considered development of a new rotary-powered sports car for quite some time now, but consistently failed to produce a workable business plan around the project.
Which, of course, brings us to our second caveat - Mazda's latest business case for the rotary will involve some form of electrification. The Iconic SP concept, for example, envisioned the sports car burning some kind of biofuel or hydrogen fuel to generate electricity for the onboard hybrid system.
While we're not so sure that Mazda will actually launch a biofuel- or hydrogen-powered production vehicle any time soon, gasoline could still be within reach. In fact, the Japanese automaker offered exactly that with the MX-30 R-EV compact crossover.
All of which leads us to ask - with the advent of electric vehicles and an ever-increasing grip on emissions on the part of regulators, is there any chance this potential new rotary-powered Mazda sports car will have anywhere near the same personality and fun factor as the FD RX-7? Hybrid systems add weight, and not only that, but if the rotary engine is simply acting as a generator, will the rev-tastic antics made famous by the RX-7 continue in the era of electrification?
Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Until then, keep it locked at Tuner Fan for all the latest on the brap-brap and beyond.