Photos Courtesy of Mazda USA
Here’s the thing: if rotary engines weren’t so lovable, they’d have long been relegated to the scrap heap. Smooth, punchy, and unbelievably fun on a winding road, Mazda is the only major automaker left that still sees their potential.
At the Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda revealed this, the RX-Vision, which the company says would be powered by a next-generation rotary engine called SkyActiv-R. Still, there’s little more to go by. Nothing more than a fanciful look at what might be, without engine specifications, performance statistics, information on its construction, or projected price, all that’s left to do is ask, “Do you like how the RX-Vision looks?”
For what it’s worth, I do—it’s an attractive softening of modern car design and is one of the few to not wear glitzy LED lights and punchy styling details. It’s a classic GT car, with a body that still appears to have been shaped by hand. In 2015, that’s saying something.
The styling is there, so how great would Mazda’s new SkyActiv-R rotary engine have to be for you to consider this car?