A Definitive Japanese Sports Car Is Still on the Path to Making a Comeback

The Japanese sports car wars are heating up, with Toyota, Nissan and even Honda reviving some of their most cherished nameplates. But as any sports car fan knows, the battle isn’t complete with Mazda and even Mitsubishi sitting out.

Mitsubishi might be stuck dealing with its own troubles, so expecting a 3000GT revival is unlikely. However, Mazda has been really and openly adamant about reviving its signature rotary sports car, the RX.

So, it’d be next in line to join the skirmish that once defined Japan’s love for speed and performance. However, the brand has run into a few issues along the way.

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Mazda remains committed to building an RX successor

Mazda

Over the past several years, Mazda made its ambitions to revive the RX sports coupe very apparent. It’s the sports car that put the Hiroshima-based automaker in the global spotlight back in 1978, long before the MX-5 Miata took over.

The company even went as far as producing the Iconic SP Concept in 2023 and the RX-Vision Concept in 2020, hinting at a new-gen model. Mazda also revived its signature rotary engine, the powerplant that defined the RX since its inception in 1978. But it found its way into the MX-30 as an electric range-extender.

Mazda

Recent skepticism also began to arise after several external factors, including a turbulent economy and geopolitical issues, threatened the RX’s revival. But despite the setbacks, Mazda remains steadfast, and the whole company is cheering on the effort.

The RX revival is all but dead

Mazda

In the latest update from Britain’s AutoExpress, who spoke with Moritz Oswald, one of Mazda Europe’s chief product planners, the rumors about the entire company advocating for an RX revival are true. And as the saying goes, there’s always strength in numbers.

Mazda

“If there’s a feasible way to do that, then I’m sure if somebody will do it, it’s Mazda, because here the enthusiasts still make things happen,” Oswald told AE. “I think at the moment the MX-5 is still our halo car that stands for everything that Mazda products should. Could there be something next to it or above? Yes.”

Mazda

“The amount of car enthusiasts in this company is insane,” Oswald continued. “Everybody loves cars, so of course there is a deep desire to keep on launching emotional products. So are we looking into that? Yes, of course. But again, we are also a company that has to bring in revenues.”

Mazda

Which highlights the RX revival’s biggest challenge: its feasibility as a business proposition. As with any low-production and impractical sports cars, they are hardly profit generators.

With Mazda facing some financial hardships after incurring losses from its EV investments, limited company resources inhibit the next-gen RX from becoming a reality.

The RX needs to be a sports car “for the people”

Mazda

Mazda Europe’s research and development manager, Christian Schultze, also chimed in, noting that the company could revive the RX and make it a high-dollar, exclusive sports car. But that wouldn’t align with the RX’s ethos, which is to be a sports car “for the people.”

“People have a specific design and expectations for our cars, so making a sports car that is for everybody is a real challenge,” Schultze remarked.

Mazda

“If I say I want to sell something for $100,000, I can make a credible sports car,” Schultze continued. “But if I say I want to make something for normal people like me and you and everyone, this is a real challenge.”

The most recent rumors suggested Mazda was going to make the new RX an all-electric sports car. However, because the market for EVs continues to decline, Mazda’s reworking its approach by revisiting the prospect of reviving the rotary.

Mazda

Schultze did say that a gas-electric hybrid powertrain with a new rotary is entirely possible. But like past versions of the Wankel engines, meeting emissions compliance remains the biggest challenge.

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