Mazda Possibly Bringing Rotary Powered Concept To Tokyo Motor Show
By Paulo Acoba
Mazda has confirmed that they are bringing a sports car concept to the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and have seriously hinted that it will be rotary powered.
Car show season is in full swing and the whole carnival heads to the far east as Tokyo gets ready to host its 44th event. And according to Mazda earlier yesterday (Sept. 29, 2015) they’re definitely not going to be disappointing on their home turf as they’ll have in total 14 models on display including one sports car concept semi-shrouded in mystery. In their press release we caught a glimpse of this special sports car concept and the internet is afire with rumors and speculations that this is the return of the rotary and a peak at what very well could be the Mazda RX-9.
First of all, there’s that teaser shot. Any car buff worth his weight will know that there are concrete clues that lead directly to the Mazda RX-7. That short rear decklid is a clear indication that RWD returns. The long svelte hood in proportion with the doors parallels the RX-7 as well (very similarly to what the RX-8 achieved.
"The design of the sports car concept to be unveiled in Tokyo is modern but maintains a sense of lineage and authenticity, appearing almost to condense Mazda’s entire history of sports car development into a single model.In line with the company’s theme for the Tokyo Motor Show this year, “Accelerate toward our dreams,” Mazda will make an appeal for the brand’s unique approach to driving pleasure."
Then there’s the question of whether it will be rotary powered. Rumors of a Rotary return have been circulating every since Mazda axed the RX-8 back in 2012. Mazda mentions that they will utilize their “unique approach” to sports car that follows in the “lineage” and “heritage” of their engineering philosophy. That sounds an awful lot like they’re going to tap their rotary roots. News already hit earlier this week that Mazda is actively fostering its rotary program but have many hurdles to make it a direct competitor to the conventional piston engine ( cold startups, better emissions and torque down low.)
Hopefully Mazda will throw more teasers our way that hints at an RX-8 successor. We won’t be surprised if they stuff one of their SkyActiv engines under the hood either.