Today we go back to the 70s to honor one of the dream machines that was never produced.
It was at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show that Mazda, in the midst of expansion, first introduced its RX-500 Concept. Endowed with a futuristic design and a “shooting brake” style, it quickly stood out from the rest. But despite this sporty and bold look, the Mazda RX-500 was actually developed as a test model for the new security systems. For example, at the rear, “graduated” headlamps indicated whether the car was accelerating, braking or maintaining a constant speed.
The sports car was powered by a Wankel 10A engine in a rear position with 491 cc of capacity and 250 hp of power. According to the brand, this small rotary engine was capable of reaching 14,000 rpm (!), enough to reach a maximum speed of 241 km/h. All this with just 850 kg of total weight in the set, thanks to a body made mostly of plastic – much of the weight was due to the “gull wing” doors, which were very popular at this time.
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Despite being one of the first Mazda models with a Wankel engine, and consequently having contributed to their development, the Mazda RX-500 Concept never went beyond that, a prototype that was to be left unattended for more than three decades.But in 2008, the Mazda RX-500 was finally restored, with the help of members of the original development team. The prototype was on display the following year at the Tokyo Hall and more recently at the 2014 Goodwood Festival, before returning to the Hiroshima Museum of Urban Transport.