Every several months, it seems, the internet rumor mill fires up reporting a return of a rotary-powered flagship sports car from Mazda—often stemming from Mazda itself. As a change of pace, today’s Mazda RX rumor isn’t coming from the horse’s mouth, rather a Japanese publication called Levolant Boost.
As reported by Carscoops, a Mazda sports car will allegedly debut at this October’s Tokyo Motor Show and will be named the RX-9. Design-wise, it’ll reportedly take heavy inspiration from the RX-Vision concept car seen above and weigh in somewhere between a little over 1,300 kg (or 2,866 lbs).
The report didn’t go into many engine details other than that it would use rotary power, use some kind of forced induction, produce approximately 450 horsepower, and will be marketed as “Skyactiv-R”, with the R presumably denoting both “rotary” and “racing.” Clever, no?
Levolant Boost also said the Mazda RX-9 will cost around $71,000 (converted from 8 million yen).
More interestingly perhaps, is the fact that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Cosmo and the now-famed, Wankel rotary engine that came with it. Couple that with the advent of cars like the revived, hybrid Honda NSX and upcoming, maybe-hybrid Toyota Supra, there really isn’t a better time for Mazda to get back into the ’90s sports car nostalgia game as well.
Come on, Mazda. The teases and rumors have gone on for too long. Just think of it as a 50th birthday present to the Cosmo … please?