Mazda's RX-7 Successor Will Get A 450bhp Turbo Rotary Engine

If you’re a fan of the RX-7, we have good news: it looks as though the long-rumoured successor to the famous sports car will come packing a turbocharged rotary engine making 450bhp. It’s thought that the sports car will be based on an updated version of the RX-8 platform, and will integrate the company’s Skyactiv technology to improve efficiency.

According to Motoring, Mazda’s original plan was to implement a 300bhp non-turbo rotary, however the marketing team did us all a favour and said that was too boring. The answer? Strap on a twin-scroll turbo and take the fight to the Porsche 911 with a more powerful, almost certainly less expensive alternative.

The other question to be answered is what the new car will be called. Rumours have suggested RX-9, however with the release date coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the original rotary-engined car, the Cosmo Sport, Mazda could revive the RX-7 name in order to use rotary history as a sales pitch.

Last week we featured a bunch of Japanese cars that deserve a successor, and the RX-8 was a popular choice. We’re excited to see another rotary-engined sports car on the horizon, and a spiritual successor to the ballistic, iconic RX-7 will be very welcome.