Mazda filed a patent for a RWD sports car powered by a hybrid System that includes a rotary engine
This model could look like the RX-Vision concept of 2015
This patent might not lead to a production car due to strict emission laws due to be effective in Europe by 2025
Mazda has not abandoned the Rotary engine just yet, as proven by the new MX-30’s range extender and a new patent filed by the automaker for a rotary powered sports car.
The rotary engine is a technology that was developed all the way back in the 1950s but it has never gained much traction in the market place, with Mazda being the only automaker that stuck to it past the 70s.
The Japanese company has always been keen to refine this technology and enthusiasts have been longing for its return since the RX-8 stopped production in 2012.
Over the years, Mazda promised it return a few times but now its real, even if it is just as a range extender for the MX-30 electric car.
A recent patent application hints to a much more glorious return however, with a new rotary powered hybrid sports car that would be the spiritual successor to the RX-8.
This sports car would be rear-wheel drive and it would be powered by a triple-rotor rotary engine partnered with either a mild hybrid or a plug-in hybrid system. This powertrain would send power to a transaxle mounted between the rear wheels for better weight distribution.
This vehicle would be built on the automaker’s Large Product Group platform which is intended for longitudinally mounted six-cylinder engines and hybrid systems, so fitting a rotary engine should be no problem, since they can be physically smaller than inline engines for the same power output.
The styling of this sports car could take inspiration form the RX-Vision concept that was revealed back in 2015, at the Tokyo Motor Show.
This patent might not lead to a production model however, since Europe is planning to introduce Euro 7, a set of stricter emission regulations that could make a rotary engine impossible to sell there as soon as 2025, since this type of engine is usually less fuel efficient and more polluting than an equivalent piston-powered engine.
Since Mazda is a smaller automaker, it would probably not make much sense for it to develop an entirely new halo car that it could only sell in some select markets.
