The New Mazda Rotary Sports Car Will Offer Exciting New Features

A Mazda RX-7 Successor Brings Back Rotary Power And Adds All-Wheel Drive Among Other Cool Features

A new Mazda rotary sports car is on the way and judging by the amount of patents Mazda has been filing lately, this time, it’s happening. Mazda is joining other Japanese carmakers like Nissan and Toyota, which is now confirmed to bring back the Celica and MR-2, with its own epic revival. We have been hearing about a 2026 Mazda RX-7 revival for some time now and recently, new patents gave us more insight into what the new Mazda sports car would be like. Some things were confirmed while others were refuted.

Rotary Power Confirmed, Not Just As A Range Extender 

Fans of the rotary engine can rejoyce as the latest patents confirm the use of a rotary engine in the new Mazda rotary sports car. Initial reports suggest that the rotary powerplant would be a derivative of the single-rotary unit used as a power generator for the Mazda MX-30 PHEV’s electric motors. While this may still be the case, there are a few differences: 

1. Unlike the Mazda Iconic SP Concept, the rotary engine in the new Mazda rotary sports car will be used to drive the rear wheels. The patent describes a drive system incorporating “an engine that drives the rear wheels, a force transmission mechanism (transmissison), a main drive motor that drives the rear wheels, and two sub-motors that drive the front wheels.  

2. Twin-rotary engine instead of single-rotor. Mazda’s high-performance, rotary sports cars have always featured two rotors. The only exception is the Mazda Eunos Cosmo that featured three rotors. Initial patents suggested Mazda’s upcoming rotary sports car will feature three rotors, but Mazda recently showcased a twin-rotary unit for longitudinal configuration. The latest patents do not confirm that. 

3. Turbocharging is not confirmed, but very likely.  Mazda’s biggest mistake with its last rotary sports car – the RX-8 – was that it wasn’t turbocharged. Rotary engines are notoriously bad when it comes to emissions, so turbocharging the new Mazda rotary sports car seems like the only logical way to go for, both, emissions and performance purposes. 

A Revolutionary Hybrid Setup 

The new Mazda rotary sports car will feature three electric motors – one between the rotary engine and inverter that would send additional power to the rear and two hub-motors for each of the front wheels. This means that the RX-7 successor will be the first Mazda sports car to feature all-wheel drive and torque-vectoring. 

Mazda’s patents also suggest the hybrid powertrain could utilize a variable-voltage system that can alternate from 48 to 96 Volts when needed. The system already works in Mazda’s SUV models. 

50/50 Weight Distribution 

The Mazda RX-7 was always about being perfectly balanced and the new rotary sports car promises to keep this feature. The schematics show a rotary engine mounted behind the front axle, giving the new Mazda rotary sports car a front-mid-engine layout. Moreover, the Mazda rotary sports car would utilize a rear-mounted transmission, throwing additional weight over the rear axle. The cockpit of the two-seater sports car is moved back with the fuel tank and battery pack being situated behind the driver and passenger. The Mazda RX-7 successor is expected to weigh under 3,000 pounds. 

How Much Power Will Mazda’s Rotary Sports Car Make? 

So far, we mostly have rumours regarding the total system output of Mazda’s rotary-hybrid powertrain, which are in the ballpark of 350 to 400 horsepower. That 400-horsepower figure actually comes from the Iconic SP Concept, which used the rotary engine solely as a range extender. Back in October, 2023, automotive publication, “Autoevolution”, gave an estimated power figure of 365 horsepower, but that hasn’t been confirmed.  

However, we have figures about the electric motorsoutput of the new Mazda rotary sports car. The front hub-motors will produce 23 horsepower each (46 total for the front axle) while the main electric motor that would feed off the 17.8-kWh battery will produce 36 additional horsepower. No electric range is mentioned and it seems the Mazda rotary-hybrid system will combine features of mild-hybrid and full-hybrid powertrains.