Bad news for those who yearned for the return of a Mazda with a rotary engine. Right now, the successor to the RX-8 is far from being a priority for the Japanese brand.
It looks like the future Mazda RX-9 is getting further and further away from becoming a reality. Contrary to expectations, the Japanese sports car with a 1.6-litre Skyactiv-R rotary engine may no longer reach the market in 2020, when the Japanese brand celebrates its centenary.NOT TO BE MISSED: Our interview with the father of the Mazda RX-8, Ikuo Maeda.
In an interview with Automotive News, Mazda's CEO, Masamichi Kogai, assured that compliance with emissions regulations and efficiency in consumption is the priority for now, leaving aside the development of a sports car above the Miata:
"Considering the regulations as the mandate of zero emission vehicles, electrification is a technology that we need to introduce in the near future. I think as an option for a sports car, the Mazda MX-5 1.5 or 2.0 liter, with its power and acceleration, turns out to be a more stimulating experience.”
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While it's not completely out of the question, the rotary-engine sport future won't hit the brand's production lines in Hiroshima anytime soon. “If we were to go back to producing a rotary engine, we would have to be sure it was a long-term engine,” says Masamichi Kogai.
Source: Automotive News Image: Mazda RX-Vision Concept