2012 Mazda RX-9 preview?
December 30, 2007 by George Skentzos
The trickle of supposedly leaked images from Mazda continue as renderings purportedly that of the 2012 Mazda RX-9 make their way onto the internet.
They reveal a far less attractive incarnation of the current RX-8, with familiar dramatically flared wheel arches, open-mouthed grill and near identical bonnet bulge treatment.
According to the source, most of the obvious can be confirmed including a rear-wheel drive layout, Wankel powerplant and a limited slip differential.
The rumours surrounding the RX-9 include the engine displacement rising from 1.3 to 1.8-litres, supposedly to alleviate issues such oil consumption and poor fuel efficiency whilst the transmission is said to be a dual-clutch six speed sequential setup, similar to the Mitsubishi Evo X.
Source: JustPut
Tags: Mazda RX-9
Interesting concept… but wouldn’t a 1.8L Rotary Engine consume more oil/fuel than the current 1.3L one?
I think its a fake, it looks like a photoshop, but we wont know for a few more years!
Having a larger rotary allows you to use larger apex seals, giving you a lot more scope for materials that can be used. The apex seals can be thicker allowing more ceramics (which don’t like being thin), lower friction and thus less oil consumption.
Even though it is a photochop, the current theme at Mazda has been faithfully reproduced here.
Although looking at the Furai concept machine, it looks like the design language at Mazda is changing a bit.
They have to be a fake considering pictures are out five years before the car is released.
This won’t be 2012, it will be late 2009 as a 2010 model year car, by which time the current RX8 will be 6 years old.
I don’t agree that it’s far less attractive than the RX8 – it’s a stunner, makes the RX8 look like a fairground dodgem car. Sad that the clever back doors didn’t make the cut though, but it will be a better sports car for that.
This isn’t replacing the RX-8 though, it is?
I assumed they’d sell both alongside one another.
If it is to be a 2 door rotary powered coupe, why can’t they just call it the FE series RX-7?
I want one!!!!!!!
Lets hope they do make it,the BMW CS was just a concept but will be produced now ……wont it???
I think it looks better than the RX-8.
Yes Myke, this is the RX8 replacement. They’ve already hinted that the four-door four-seat thing didn’t really work. Not a big enough market segment to have a bet each way.
Did I mention in the RX8 forum a few days ago that the RX8 replacement would not have the rear suicide doors. I think its a good representation of what it will look like.
Full Blown Hot and Nice. Iam a Ford supporter openly like most hot cars and not just one brand like some other weasels on here.
I like it but it would look a bit better if the roof line was droppeda bit or if it was slughtly longer. It looks squished to me, the hight is too much compaerd to the length
This is true image of RX-9 Concept which was announced sometime in 2006….
The link is here
http://www.autovia.com/extras/......sized.jpg
CarAdvice, I like this website, but sometimes you guys are very slow….
I doubt that these images are fake or photoshopped.
Because on average; most car companies start the Design Research and Development process of a new car at least 5 years before it hits the showroom.
For example the TT-36 Concept car unveiled at the Sydney Motor Show 2 Years ago and is expected to be released in another couple of years = 5 years..
Therefore I’d say the images of the car you see here is a pretty good indication that its what the car will most likely look like.
Looks more like a sophisticated european sports car [the grille looks similar to that of the new Audis]
Whereas the RX-8 which looks like a boy racer [inspired by Fast N The Furious]
This new design very much appeals to me. IT WOULD have been nice if Mazda had continued with the four seats and the small suicide doors. BUT this is okay. It’s a real sports car. The RX-8 is rather effeminate in styling… this is far from that. AND if Mazda can squeeze some reasonable gas mileage out of the thing… along with providing a 0-60 time between 4 and 6 seconds…while retaining the rotary… it will sell real well… I do think. BUT… if they can’t squeeze any good gas mileage somehow out of the rotary… Mazda needs to dump it…. and let it be History
looks good, hopefully has more power/performance than rx8 which is way to slow for price/market/looks..
What’s needed is simply an evolutionary take on the RX-7 series 8, and you have a customer right here.
This looks hot…another great design from Mazda.
Looks hot, I see hints of Audi in it. Far better than the current RX-8
Love the rear!……………………the front not as much but its alright!
This design is way better than the current rx-8.
i saw a 4rotor 2,6l turbo with 1660 hp; and somethin´ like that will be good in such body…….
I like. Personally, I think the current-gen RX looks butt-ugly from the butt backwards. This here captures the basic styling elements of the current car, which looks nice in forward perspective, then fixes what’s wrong with the rear end. Albeit there is just a little too much Aston DB9 in that rear window.
It’s definitely better-looking than the RX-8, with luck it’s also been shortened a bit and it looks like the third door is mercifully gone. Those front-fender exhaust vents (real or otherwise) are becoming one of those herd-mentality Japanese fads.
It appears to be a development of Kabura prototype. Strange that they show it in black color.
I like it. Always liked Mazda’s sportscars (though not as nice as British ones!) despite hating the styling on most Japanese cars. This is even better than most.
I like it better than the current RX-8 which had too many lines, swells and bumps. This is cleaner, sexier…
Fake or not, it’s a bit ugly.
Could one imagine such an aggressive design coming out of Japan? Mazda are traditionally conservative and minimalist in their aesthetics.
Still, it will be interesting to see what the final design looks like, the mazda3 and CX-9 originally had some rather wild looking concept designs as well.
i must admit, i likey! being a current rx8 owner, this rendition seems to take what i don’t like about the current rx styling and cleans it up. i.e. rear looks more sophistacated and not toy like. loosing the clear rear lenses was a plus. also, seems to have smoother lines. don’t get me wrong… i love my rx8 and will be keeping it until this makes it to the showroom floor.
I will be trading in my 2006 Shinka for this! Very Beautiful Car!
MatthewM Says:
December 30th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
If it is to be a 2 door rotary powered coupe, why can’t they just call it the FE series RX-7?
This model will not be FE series, because the Mazda RX-8 is the FE series, if this RX-9 came out hard FF series.
And the new president of Mazda of Puerto Rico has just given us an exclusive, as I speak to the press in Puerto Rico and said this: “The new president of Mazda of Puerto Rico, Noriaki Yashiro, remains positive at the scene of the 2008″ .
Yashiro confident about this performance in sales of the RX-8, which is celebrating its 40 anniversary this year and which has produced a commemorative model is already available on the market. Moreover, the new model RX-9 will be available in July this year and will be the TOP OF THE LINE our line of sports cars.
It is a mix of BMW 3, Honda Civic, Aston Vantage and rx-8. Mazda took the best and left the rest. What a design! It looks like a 100 000$ car. I hope the interior is as nice…
it looks more like a mazda 3. i prefer rx-8 compared to this. but still it looks nice :)
they should make this one twin turbo like the rx-7
i heard it will push 450 HP and will be around 60,000 as an owner of a 8 i think this is a beautiful car…this is what im getting in 4 years :-)
Nice!…… but…. 2012 – I wonder how much petrol will cost then.
IMO These cars, lets say RX8-9, 350z, Evos, Wrx’s etc is a lower band sports car, huge Fuel prices will really hurt people in this market segment and presumably already are, unlike people who own ferraris etc $1, $2, $4, $5 a ltr is still poo change for them.
personally I think that this new design takes away from the history of the RX family. The car simply sits to high in the rear as well as the body resembeling a 350 Z with the exeption of the headlights and front bumper. I own an RX8 and would never trade it for a car that looks like that. Have they came out with any engine specs yet?
C/A cannot even get a [PROMISED] CX7 review/test done, and you are already talking about the new RX-9?
Cheers
F-0
Ehhh i have an Rx8 right now and i’m lovin it.
this rx9 looks pretty sick too..but i think the back could be better….should have kept the rx8 lights or a newer style keep it mazda unique..no it just looks like another sports car with those regular lights…but its still pretty nice
Hmm… I don’t want to be mistaken by everybody here because I am a Mazda fan. I got both the Mazda3 2006 & the Mazda6 2008. My next target is the next generation for RX8, which is this… the RX9. Unexpectedly, i felt disappointed with the new look.
as with all rx generations, they all were weird looking when they first came out, in my opinion anyways, but the rx gen’s are all almost 50/50 weight, all have the rotary motors weighing less than any other motor on the market… these are driver cars, made for racing!!! these doors on this rx-9 are supposed to move like van doors, not up, not out… backwards!!!!!!!!! push button door opening, on the key fab, and inside, i love this car, i’ll be first in line!
I have collected about 8 RX7,s till now. I think it is a nice looking car and know my wife would like one. It looks cheecky and sporty lots of fun
IMO they should make it look more like the RX7 design.
The RX7 design is stunning, it still look quite modern even in 2009.
A RX7 base design with new lines as modern cars, and a 1.8l rotary Turbo/Twin Turbo would be AWESOME… dreaming :)
It looks like a photoshopped G35 to me. the rx series has been known to look original. Looks exactly like a g35 with little higher wheel well like the rx8. I think its fake.
“a 1.8l rotary Turbo/Twin Turbo would be AWESOME”
yes but there won’t be any 1.8 rotary, only 1.6
Regardless of the design, since we’ll be seeing it soon, the chances of a 1.8L rotary alleviating gas and oil consumption problems is stupid to even mention. By the way, 1.8L most likely refers to the 3 rotors rotary, so there wouldn’t be a 1.6L version. And yes, the 1.8L with turbo is probably one of the craziest engines out there and it’s out there because Mazda makes it. It’s called the 20B. And for those who complain about gas consumption, the rotary’s 1.3L is equivalent to a 3.5L 4-stroke engine because rotary engines get 2 power strokes out of three while the mainstream 4-stroke gets 1 out of 4. Therefore the 1.8L rotary is equiv to a 4.8L engine. Talk about “alleviating” gas consumption!
FAKE AND UGLY, LOOKS LIKE A JAPANESE MERCEDES BENZ, U CAN EVEN SEE THE PHOTOSHOP ARTWORK HERE, LOOK AT THE REAR LIGHT EDGES, TOTALLY FAKE, I HOPE MAZDA WONT CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THIS
I thought it looked Mercedes Benzish with a hint of Mazda
It better not be the successor of the RX7. I’m a RX7 driver and this is no where close to how RX7 feels like. The grill looks horrible. And please bring in the popup lights like every RX7.
Andre, this isn’t the successor to the RX7, it’s the successor to the RX8 (which was supposedly the successor to the RX7!). Plus, how do you know what it feels like? It’s not even in production yet or testing.
Popup headlights are out too and have been for years. When was the last time you saw a new car come out with popup headlights?
As for the looks, it seems to have got some styling from the Jaguar XFR (the rear end) and a bit of Nissan 350/370Z thrown in at the front (especially the flared wings/arches).
Quiet ugly than Previous model.I think better you look at my RX-9 Very rough Sketch but you’ll might be love it