Mazda Won't Build A Rotary Sports Car, Nor A 3 MPS

The company's global boss has ruled out a revival of the MPS brand and quashed hopes of a rotary-powered sports car

Updated: 10 Oct 2024

Mazda Won't Build A Rotary Sports Car, Nor A 3 MPS

There was a double dose of bad news emerging from LA for anyone hoping for sportier stuff from Mazda. First off, the prospect of an MPS revival: sadly, it just isn’t going to happen.

Asked by Drive.com.au following the reveal of the new 3 hatchback and saloon if a faster version of the car was on the cards, Mazda president Akira Marumoto had the following to say: “Mazda is a small player and if [you are asking if] that segment has a high particular priority for Mazda my answer would be no. Therefore we not planning for MPS in the future.”

This strikes us as a massive shame. As we’ve discussed recently, Mazda is extremely good at making its all cars - not just the rear-drive MX-5 - drive extremely nicely. If it can make an 89bhp 2 hatchback feel so incredibly satisfying to drive, imagine how good a new hot hatchback from the company might be.

Mazda's RX-Vision concept debuted in 2015. A production version - rotary-powered or otherwise - is unlikely — Mazda's RX-Vision concept debuted in 2015. A production version - rotary…

The second dose of disappointment concerns the future rotary sports car that even Mazda execs have been hinting at. Rotary engines are definitely returning to the company in the form of EV range-extenders, but beyond that, we probably should expect much.

“I am receiving this question [about a future rotary sports car] maybe 100 times, and I will not commit…Nothing has been decided,” he said.

Does that stop us hoping and dreaming? Nope.

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Why

doritodriftospinnyboi™(∆)(RotaryFighter)(floppydabgang)(bonnyass)
Depression time

Well this helps

I have a dream today.
I have a dream that in our lifespan, that Mazda will reignite its plans to build a rotary sports car.
I have a dream, that one day I can live to see myself and us all, at the wheel of a Mazda rotary sports car.
I have a dream, that the mountain passes and B-roads and autobahns, be filled with sound of Braps once again.
I have a dream today, to see Mazda transform the dismal sight of dreadful crossovers into a united squad of rotaries, singing an alternate anthem of freedom.
That dream, shall come true one day.

Apex seals: NO!

I also share that same dream with you mate, let’s keep on praying and refuse to buy the trash, car makers nowadays are dropping upon us.
Preach 🙏

I cried😭

TBH was this a suprise? Mazda is on their own and they can’t afford such things.

It makes sense, they want to grow and making sports cars is not the way, as it was said Mazdas are already amazing to drive, but they need to continue to grow before committing to reviving the mps brand. I understand and support their decision, with the hope that in 10 years Mazda will be one of the biggest brands in the market