Reports indicate a 2016 Mazda RX-7 return.
2016 Mazda RX-7 Return
It appears as if stateside Mazda fans owe a word of thanks to their trans-Atlantic British neighbors. In a story that created considerable weekend buzz, British magazine Auto Car is reporting that all indications point to a return of Mazda’s revered rotary sports car, the RX-7.
Though Mazda has not announced new RX-7 plans with an official statement, Auto Car confirms the coupe’s rotary engine is already in its early stages of production. The same report identifies an approximate 2016 Mazda RX-7 return.
The Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, Japan displays an original 1978 Mazda RX-7.
It is currently understood that the next generation Mazda RX-7 will be derived from the same platform planned for the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata. This gives Mazda fans some clues as to what the new-model RX-7 will look like. The two-seat coupe will likely be styled in the KODO manner, and the car may benefit from the same type of weight reduction anticipated for the next-generation Miata.
Low curb weight is thought to be an integral factor for a successful 2016 Mazda RX-7 return. The Wankel engine being produced for the car is expected to be a naturally aspirated twin rotor with a 1.2-liter displacement. A rotary displacement of 1.2 liters is equivalent to 2.4 in a traditional combustion engine.
Due to Mazda’s affinity for engineering high performance out of low-displacement engines, the next-generation RX-7 is estimated to produce a brake horsepower near or above 250. Due to the low-weight potential of the RX-7, those stats have some serious implications for the performance drivers are set to feel behind the wheel.
Speaking of implications, RX-7 enthusiasts will likely rejoice over what this news may mean for 2018. Having first been released in 1978, the RX-7 will celebrate a 40th anniversary in 2018. If everything goes smoothly following the 2016 Mazda RX-7 return, rotary performance fans may live to see an RX-7 40th Anniversary Edition.
As more information on the return of the Mazda RX-7 becomes available, Mazda of Lodi will be sure to keep you in the loop. Until then, get your Mazda fix by browsing our blog and our stock of new Mazdas in northern New Jersey.