Mazda’s New Supra Rival Could Infuriate RX-7 Loyalists
Mazda’s rotary faithful have spent years waiting for the company to build another proper halo coupe. If the next chapter looks anything like this, the patience may finally pay off.
There’s just one problem. The 2028 Mazda RX-9 could arrive with the shape, badge and even a rotary engine, but still drive in a way that would have RX-7 purists reaching for the pitchforks.
Mazda Knows Exactly What RX-7 Fans Are Waiting For
A modern Mazda flagship almost writes its own design brief, doesn’t it? Keep it low, send the power rearward and make it look expensive enough to park beside a Porsche without apologizing. This rendered 2028 Mazda RX-9 checks the visual boxes pretty well. The long hood, cab-rearward proportions, swollen rear fenders and aggressive side cutouts give it the stance of a serious sports car rather than an MX-5 Miata with a roof and extra horsepower.
The details feel more production-minded than some of Mazda’s previous dream machines. A familiar shield-shaped grille replaces concept car details up front, slim headlights sit under sculpted fenders, and the rear uses a full-width light signature above a central exhaust outlet. Black multi-spoke wheels, large brakes and the low ride height make the whole thing look ready to harass a Nissan Z or Toyota Supra.
The Dream
Mazda’s already provided a believable blueprint for something bigger than the Miata. The Iconic SP concept measured 164.5 inches long and 72.8 inches wide, and it paired its sports-car proportions with a two-rotor rotary EV system. Mazda described the layout as compact enough to help create a low center of gravity, while plans surrounding a production version place it above the Miata rather than as its replacement. The RX-7 and RX-8 legacy makes the expectation obvious, even if emissions, fuel economy, oil consumption and sealing challenges made the old rotary formula increasingly difficult to justify.
The 2028 Mazda RX-9 Might Commit The Ultimate Rotary Sin
The obvious enthusiast fantasy is a new RX-9 with a screaming rotary directly driving the rear wheels. However, the more realistic version may put an electric motor in charge of propulsion and demote the rotary to electricity production. Cue sad music. That would technically preserve Mazda’s most famous engine architecture while removing it from the job enthusiasts actually care about.
Lest we forget, that idea’s not fantasy. The Iconic SP concept makes 365 horsepower using an electric drive motor, with a dual-rotor combustion engine acting as a generator to replenish the battery. In other words, the rotary can be aboard without being mechanically responsible for the car’s acceleration in the traditional RX-7 sense. Mazda’s already demonstrated the broader range-extender idea with rotary technology, so this is much more than a speculative engineering doodle.
Civil War
For emissions compliance and packaging, it makes a frustrating amount of good sense. A rotary working as a generator can operate within a narrower operating range instead of dealing with every throttle position and engine speed demanded by the driver. Electric propulsion can then deliver instant torque and potentially preserve the compact dimensions that make a rotary attractive in the first place. Mazda itself emphasizes the packaging freedom created by the engine’s small size.
That said, imagine explaining that. ‘Yep, it has a twin-rotor. What? Goodness, no, the twin-rotor doesn’t actually drive the wheels. What are you on about?’ For a crossover, clever. For something wearing an RX badge, that utterance could start a civil war. The RX-7’s mythology is wrapped around boost, revs, heat, noise and unmistakable rotary character. An electrically driven RX-9 might be quicker, cleaner and easier to live with, but be honest: objectivity’s never been the main reason people love rotary Mazdas.
A Real Rotary-Driven RX-9 Could Be Worth The Trouble
There’s a more combustible possibility, and it’s the one we hope Mazda chooses. Mazda’s also considered an alternative configuration in which the rotary itself drives the wheels with hybrid assistance. Rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission have been discussed around the future sports car, while a fully electric version is not the expected direction. None of that confirms the final RX-9 recipe, but it leaves the door open to something much closer to what the car fans have been demanding.
If Mazda goes that route for a 2028 production car, around 400 horsepower feels like the minimum target rather, doesn’t it? The Iconic SP already demonstrated 365 horsepower with its generator-based system, and a new flagship would need enough muscle to justify its place above the Miata. Early estimates have put a possible starting price around $50,000, placing it in the same broad conversation as the Nissan Z and former Toyota Supra (purely speculation, mind, rather than Mazda-confirmed pricing).
Fill In The Blanks
The smartest answer may be a hybrid that uses electrification to fix the rotary rather than replace its personality. Electric assistance could fill in the Wankel’s traditionally modest low-end torque, while the rotary handles the upper rev range where its smoothness and appetite for rpm become assets. Keep the battery modest and the chassis light, and the RX-9 could offer something the sports car market barely has: genuine mechanical weirdness/awesomeness.
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments