Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Mazda's RX Concept is Less And More
Well, what we mean is less information is more frustrating. Or less exterior styling is more attractive. Or the less we know, the more we want to know. You get the gist.
Unveiled in Tokyo alongside its legendary 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport, the RX-Vision “represents a vision of the future that Mazda hopes to one day make into reality,” according to the automaker.
Mazda was pretty mum on the details, including how it plans to update its next-generation rotary engine, dubbed Skyactiv-R, to comply with modern fuel economy standards. Will it be a range extender for hydrogen power? Will it be boosted? Will it blend? These are all important questions, people.
According to Mazda “mass production is currently on hold” for its rotary engine, which borders on Tinder levels of baiting. What about limited production? Will the next-generation engine follow the previous generation?
Powertrain questions aside, the two-door, two-seater sportscar (with Jag and other British car making touches) presents an interesting question for Mazda’s future: Where is this all going? As sales of crossovers reach higher and higher, few automakers have room in their portfolios for one slow-selling sportscar — let alone two.
“I look forward to talking with you more about this vision we have revealed here today at the Mazda stand,” Mazda’s President and CEO Masamichi Kogai said in Tokyo. “Mazda will continue to take on new challenges in an effort to build a special bond with our customers and become their ‘one and only’ brand.”
Make that two?
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I'm with redav, if the intended engine for this thing is a rotary, why does the hood need to be 8 feet long? Belt-line is too high, greenhouse is too small, and the whole thing is too cartoonish. The front end is nice though. Just build a new RX-7 and put a 300hp 2-rotor turbo rotary in it already. Weight target should be under 2800 lb, price should be no more than a 370Z, redline should be 10k.
It looks like a very nice concept with many homage to past RX-7s (particularly FD/'91~'02). Remove some of the concept car flourishes (like the nonexistent greenhouse), of course, and I will really look forward to 2017. Keep it naturally aspirated and under $40K, and I will buy two.