Mazda unveils new rotary engine, hints at upcoming RX-8 successor

An RX-8 successor may happen after all, Mazda says.

The Japanese manufacturer unveiled a brand spanking new rotary-hybrid powertrain for the MX-30 at this year’s Brussels Auto Show.

Now, this is great news, but what’s really exciting is Mazda said it is planning to make a rotary sports car in the future.

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Mazda’s rotary engine is sacred in the eyes of car lovers.

It was used in the RX-7 sportscar and the RX-8, which was discontinued a decade ago.

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There’s a very good reason for that: the Mazda rotary engine used to be expensive to run and famously unreliable.

However, it is also exciting, fast and smooth.

Mazda knows car fans want a new rotary engine and they brought it back.

Generally speaking, a rotary engine can generate the same amount of horsepower as a ‘normal engine’ that’s twice as large.

This is because it revs quickly and has fewer moving parts.

Even though the RX-8 was officially never replaced, Mazda has been planning a successor for nearly a decade.

Back in 2015, the company unveiled the RX-Vision concept, pictured above.

Mazda is paving the way for the return of the sportscar with a rotary upgrade for the MX-30 SUV.

The new engine combines an electric motor with a 73-hp rotary unit.

Even more importantly, the automaker has actually designed a brand-new logo for the rotary-powered MX-30.

Car companies generally do that when they intend to launch a new sub-division.

Mazda said the rotary engine is a symbol for the brand, and they want to bring a rotary sportscar back.

This is unlikely to happen in the near future, but at least we know it’s on the cards.

About the Mazda rotary engine

The rotary engine powers Mazda’s most iconic car, the RX-7, and its successor, the RX-8.

Both use a twin-rotor 1308 cc engine capable of delivering the same performance figures as a 2.0- or 3-0-liter engine from the era.

The engine in the RX-7, for example, puts out 276 hp and gives it a 0-60 time of just over 5 seconds.

The top speed is electronically limited to 255 km/h (155 mph).

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