‘Insane’ Number Of Enthusiast Employees Want A Rotary Sports Car

There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Mazda’s rotary engine ambitions. Although the MX-30 failed to catch on with the rotary-range-extended engine crossover, the RX dream lives on. A new sports car perched atop the Miata has been an on-again, off-again affair since the iconic SP broke in October 2023. This beautiful concept hasn’t been given the green light for production, but one company high-end isn’t closing the door entirely.

In an interview with Auto ExpressMazda Europe’s project manager and supervisor of product planning, kept the flame alive for the RX revival. Moritz Oswald said there was an “insane” number of enthusiasts within the company who wanted a flagship sports car. The Zoom Zoom brand is actively looking for a spiritual successor to the RX-7 or RX-8, but that decision ultimately depends on financial feasibility.

‘The amount of car enthusiasts in this company is crazy. Everyone loves cars, so of course there is a deep desire to keep launching emotional products. So, what are we looking for? Yes, of course, but again, we are also a company that has to bring in revenue. ‘

If the RX does return one day, Mazda will do things differently than the popular SP. In both the concept and the unmanned MX-30 R-EV, the rotary engine acts as a generator to charge a battery, which is then powered by electric motors. Gives strength. However, the rotary engine in a production RX sends power directly to the wheels.

Last year’s Vision X Coupe also featured a rotary setup, this time with two rotor engines in a plug-in hybrid configuration. Mazda insists that these concepts are more than just a tease, as the company is using them to gauge interest in a possible rotary return: “We want to see how it resonates, what the feedback is, to try and find out how big the opportunity we have is.”

Although Mazda has a dedicated team actively working on rotary engines and extensive internal support for a new RX, Chief Technology Officer Ryoichi Umeshita recently pointed out the elephant in the room: “The only remaining issue is financial.” If it does, it won’t come at the price of the beloved Miata. The MX-5 will continue regardless of whether a larger, more expensive performance model joins the lineup.

Given that no RX revival has yet been approved, it’s unrealistic to expect the rotary sports car to go on sale before the end of the decade, if at all. The dream is still alive, but for now, it remains just that: a dream.

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Take Motor 1: Mazda is still a relatively small company, so it’s understandable that there’s no rush to approve a new RX for production. Now in his 11th with the ND Miata^Th year, a fifth-generation model is likely in the foreseeable future. Funding two low-volume exciters at the same time is not possible at this time.

We should see the glass as half full and be glad Mazda has committed to another MX5. It will retain the essentials: rear-wheel drive, manual gearbox, lightweight construction, and possibly a larger engine when naturally aspirated.