We’re still hoping that Mazda will hurry up and
launch a brand new front-engine, RWD sports car, with the company’s KODO design
characteristics, as well as a next-generation SKYACTIV-R rotary power unit. Such a model was teased at the
2015 Tokyo Motor Show in concept form, featuring short overhangs and a stubby
rear. Dubbed RX-Vision, the concept measured 4,389 mm in length,
1,925 mm in width and stood 1,160 mm tall.
Right now, it’s hard to say if and how close the
Japanese automaker is to unveiling a production version of that concept,
although we did spot a suspicious-looking RX-8 mule last year undergoing track
tests at the Nurburgring.
As for a new rotary engine, some reports indicate
that it could be a turbocharged 1.6-liter two-rotor unit, dishing out around
400 HP. Meanwhile, other voices claim it could be a hybrid rotary engine, with
roughly 450 HP.
This RX-9 render by Carscoops reader Sean Sweeney
does a good job showing us what the RX-Vision could look like in production
guise. The overall form factor and design lines remain unchanged, as Sweeney
only added a few badges, license plates, new wheels, door handles, parking
sensors and side mirrors.
We reckon that just about any car enthusiast would
be thrilled to see the RX-Vision take shape into something real, while
retaining its sleek concept looks. With as much power as previously mentioned,
it could go against anything from the Porsche Cayman to the Jaguar F-Type.
