Mazda RX-9: What We Know About The Next Generation Sports Car
Mazda has been a cornerstone manufacturer in the Japanese automotive market, mostly renowned for its sleek design and innovative engine lineup. And the RX series has been part and parcel of Mazda’s reputation for decades.
The RX lineup of Mazda vehicles had become iconic due to the innovative yet problem-prone rotary engine. It’s evident that the end of the RX-8 left many afraid of what holds for Mazda in the future, but things are taking a big swing for the better.
The echoes of the arrival of the RX-9 sports car have been growing louder. Sadly, the RX-8 is no more but a new heir to the RX series is making its way to the automotive landscape.
The Mazda RX-9 has seen tremendous fanfare, due to its alluring mystery of what sits in the engine bay, and its design reminiscent of the RX-Vision concept. And the automotive space went wild when Mazda unveiled the RX-Vision at the Tokyo Motor Show. Ever since then, whispers of the RX-9's arrival continue on.
The Mazda RX-9’s Powertrain Is Full of Endless Possibilities
Mazda
So, what sits in the engine bay of the mysterious RX-9? Fans are eagerly awaiting Mazda to reveal what the future of the RX series holds for them, and Mazda has been silent for the most part. Rumors and hints reveal that we might be getting a turbocharged inline-six engine, honed from Mazda’s Skyactiv lineup.
This means that the Mazda RX-9 could arrive with a stock engine power of 300-400 hp from the get-go. If those power figures turn out to be true, the upcoming RX-9 is certainly going to give rival sports cars a run for their money.
Without a doubt, Mazda has been renowned for its rotary engine technology. And much recently, Mazda filed a patent for a next-gen rotary system – featuring a three-rotor setup. Looking back, Mazda stepped into a gray area, by installing a three-rotor engine in their luxury vehicle, the Cosmo.
While it was strange to see Mazda pull this unusual move, owing to the fact that it broke the Japanese unofficial rule of a 276-hp engine limit. Still, this move in the real world is pretty exciting, as it's likely that Mazda would repurpose the idea of an additional rotor for their next generation of sports cars, maybe the RX-9.
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And there’s the speculation of an electrified rotary RX-9, something that Mazda’s been keeping in its pockets. Similar to the Skyactiv R-EV, this idea introduces a hybrid concept with a rotary engine in the front, and two 23 hp induction motors driving the front wheels.
Not only that, we get an additional 36 hp permanent magnet synchronous motor at the rear of the combustion engine. While this brings all-wheel-drive into the mix, this unique combination could make for some sweet torque and performance metrics.
There’s still a lot of mystery to the RX-9’s powertrain, and Mazda isn’t willing to tell the world yet. But with all these options and possibilities in the cards, it’s likely that Mazda is willing to push boundaries when it comes to automotive innovation.
The RX-Vision Is The Closest Thing We Have To A Mazda RX-9
Earlier revelations of the RX-Vision baffled Mazda fans with renditions of a Mazda sports car that resembled modern-day supercars. But in contrast to supercars, the RX-Vision adopts the spirit of the good-old internal combustion engine. It steers clear of electrically powered drive-trains and meticulously blurs the line between high-performance supercars and luxurious sports coupes, similar to what we’ve seen with the Toyota GR Supra.
Mazda’s been making some big moves in secret, dictating where the company is heading in the future. So far, the company has expended a considerable amount of resources into Large Product Group (LPG), Mazda’s vehicle platform, in conjunction with the manufacture and development of what appears to be a new lineup of inline six-cylinder engines. We might be getting more Mazda SUVs in the future, and it goes to show that Mazda is pretty head-strong on going electric.
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In the future, Mazda is gunning to go green, with currently five PEV hybrids, five standalone hybrids, and three electric vehicles set to release sometime in 2025. Mazda’s still not slowing down with its goal of electrification and with these plans, we might never see the highly-anticipated RX-9 in the future. So far, all we have are some artistic renders that capture the spirit of what the RX-9 might look like when it graces motor shows.
The Mazda RX-Vision Makes Its Way To Gran Turismo 7
In a surprise turn of events, the Mazda RX-Vision has somewhat come to life, staying away from the world of concepts of imagination. It’s broken barriers and made its way to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. You can experience a rotary RX-Vision in Gran Turismo 7 and Gran Turismo Sport.
Mazda and Polyphony Digital have collaborated together to unveil the Mazda RX-Vision and what it could look like if it makes its way to the automotive market.
As evident, the RX-Vision has been carefully modeled in the virtual world, ensuring that you get a realistic experience driving this futuristic car. But the RX-Vision doesn’t come cheap in Gran Turismo 7.
You need a substantial amount of in-game credits to experience everything that the RX-Vision has to offer. In addition, gamers can use a Manufacturer Cup contract with Mazda to get into the driver’s seat of the RX-Vision. The contract is valid for a full season and allows you to complete in-game challenges using this futuristic car.
Bread-Crumb Trails Leave Clues About The Mazda RX-9
Gran Turismo 7
Surely, concept vehicles take time to make their way into the real world and grace auto shows. And the RX-9 is taking its time. While the concept continues to go through changes, owing to real-world feedback, its virtual model offers a taste of what Mazda has in store for us.
It’s likely that the upcoming RX-9 could share tons of similarities with the 2015 RX Vision. Sure, the exterior could see some changes, more or less, but it’s evident that the RX-9 would stave off the extremely futuristic and uber-sleek design of the RX-Vision.
In addition, we might get an Aluminum Space Frame construction, which is a technique used by mostly high-end sports car manufacturers. If you’re in the know, ASF constructions are commonplace in sports cars the likes of the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Audi R8. An amalgam of multiple alloys achieves a nimble yet rugged frame that is more than capable of providing vibration absorption capabilities along with a rigid endoskeleton.
With so many mysteries and questions still not answered, Mazda adds more to the chaos by trademarking a new “R” logo in Japan. A red triangle confines the logo, which pretty much resembled the iconic rotary engine. This subtly hints at the possible launch of a hybrid-rotary powertrain for the RX-9 with a possible power output of about 500 hp.
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The RX-9's pricing is still a mystery. There have been loads of estimations in regard to the RX-9. So far, rumors speculate the RX-9 will start at around $70,000-$80,000. This is a hefty price tag in contrast to its RX-8 counterpart.
Sadly, information is still pretty sparse on the reveal of the RX-9. All we can do is continue to put the pieces together to unravel the mystery of the RX-9 until Mazda gives us something more concrete.
Source: HotCars
