It’s been 12 years since the Mazda RX-8 went out of production, leaving the world without any new rotary-powered cars (it made a return in the MX-30 REV, but that only uses the engine to charge the batteries rather than drive the wheels).
Ever since it went off sale, rumours of a new Wankel sports car from Mazda have persisted, rumours that were kicked up a notch last year with the reveal of the Iconic SP concept, which features a rotary engine as a range-extender for the electric motors that drive the car.
Mazda RX-Evolv concept – rear
Mazda has been very upfront about wanting to put something along the lines of the Iconic SP into production, even assembling a team of engineers to work on future rotary applications earlier this year. It’s not like the company doesn’t have past form with making its concept sports cars a reality, either.
Back at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, it displayed a concept called the RX-Evolv; a radical-looking rotary-powered sports car with 2+2 seating and a pair of small, rear-hinged rear doors. Sound familiar?
Indeed, the RX-Evolv concept would go on to become the RX-8, although in a slightly toned-down form. In the journey from concept to production (via a much more production-ready concept in 2001), it lost the slender headlights, full clamshell bonnet and dramatically truncated tail, but the lineage between it and the car that went on sale in 2003 is very clear.
Now, nearly 25 years after it debuted, the RX-Evolv is being fully restored by Mazda, ahead of it going back on public display in Japan later this month.
Mazda RX-Evolv concept – side; doors open
It’s unclear exactly where it’s going on display, but it’s nevertheless fascinating that Mazda has taken the decision to restore this concept right as it starts to make noises about another rotary sports car.
In reality, any new rotary sports car from Mazda will likely use the engine as an EV range extender, just as in the Iconic SP concept, and indeed the MX-30 REV you can buy right now. Regardless, the fact that the company’s chosen to restore this significant Wankel-powered concept just gets us even more excited that it could be seriously thinking about further applications of this deeply weird, hugely charismatic engine layout.
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