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Mazda RX-9 to use turbocharged inline six – report

Rumours continue to swirl about a new generation of RX sports car for the Mazda line.


Recently, we’ve heard Mazda will share a rear-wheel-drive platform with Lexus and introduce inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

We’ve even seen a patent filing that hinted at a new flagship sports car for the brand.

Now, Jalopnik reports there will indeed be a Mazda RX-9 but there’s a catch – it apparently won’t have a rotary engine.

In an unprecedented move for an RX-branded Mazda, there won’t be a Wankel engine under the bonnet.

 

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Unlike 2017's RX-Vision concept (pictured), the RX-9 will use the aforementioned inline-six engine, turbocharged and producing between 260kW and 335kW.

It’ll give Mazda a rival for the Toyota Supra, as well as the planned Nissan 370Z replacement expected to feature a twin-turbocharged V6 engine.

Though the RX-9’s engine is expected to be a turbocharged version of the Skyactiv-X straight six, the sports car is expected to use its own platform instead of the Large Architecture in development.

It’s not confirmed yet just which cars will use the Large Architecture, though it’s expected to be shared across the Mazda, Toyota and Lexus ranges, with the next-generation Toyota Mark X and Lexus RC strong possibilities.

The development of a separate rear-wheel-drive platform for the RX-9 could potentially, in turn, open the door to its use by Lexus.

Patent filings revealed last year indicate Mazda is working on a two-door sports car with a double-wishbone front suspension and a body made of a mixture of aluminium alloy and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic components.

The last flagship sports coupe and last rotary-engined vehicle from Mazda was the RX-8, which ended production in 2012.

Mazda cancelled the RX-8 without a rotary-engine replacement largely due to difficulty meeting emissions regulations. With its discontinuation, Mazda ended a line of RX-badged sports cars that stretched back over three decades.

Despite this, Mazda has continued to invest in rotary engine development in the hopes of introducing one that can meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations.

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