Hydrogen-powered Mazda sports car possible

As the body of evidence around a born-again Mazda sports car continues to grow, a new report from Japan now suggests it could be powered by hydrogen-fuelled rotary engine.

As we recently reported, detailed schematics for a flagship rear-drive, two-door Mazda sports car – along with trademark filings for a new Mazda ‘R’ sub-brand – point towards a renewed focus on performance vehicles for the Japanese brand.

Now, according to Japan’s Best Car website, ongoing development of the unique Wankel rotary engine could include a return to alternative fuels like hydrogen, which may spell the return of Mazda’s iconic RX sports car nameplate.

“Although it is a small scale, [rotary engine] development has progressed,” said Best Car, citing a Mazda source. “As the world has suddenly turned to decarbonisation, the view that hydrogen rotary is an important technology is rapidly expanding.”

The Mazda insider added that if a decision was made to green light the hydrogen-powered Mazda sports car, a prototype will be completed within three years and it would most likely integrate an electric turbocharger to boost power output.

Mazda first dabbled with hydrogen rotary power long before the sleek RX-VISION concept debuted in 2015, with the RX-8 RE back in 2003.

Based on Mazda’s last rotary model before it was discontinued in 2012, the RX-8 RE was leased to Norwegian customers in limited numbers in 2006, proving hydrogen could be reliably used as an alternate fuel for its rotary engine, even if only in regions where the zero-emissions fuel is freely available.

As with the still-born V12-powered BMW Hydrogen 7 limousine leased to selected customers in Germany between 2005 and 2007, Mazda’s hydrogen-powered RX-8 incorporated a dual-fuel system comprising both petrol and hydrogen tanks.

Rather than the RX-8’s 13B engine, however, any born-again, hydrogen-fuelled Mazda rotary model would likely employ the company’s long-vaunted 16X twin-rotor concept engine to match the outputs of sports coupes like the Toyota Supra and upcoming Nissan Z.

A more likely scenario, however, is that Mazda’s new sports coupe will leverage the Japanese brand’s upcoming circa-260kW 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and its next-gen rear/all-wheel-drive platform architecture.

Such a vehicle would not wear the hallowed RX nameplate, but could be called the MX-6 – a name Mazda trademarked back in 2018.

Mazda’s straight-six petrol engine is set to be unveiled in 2022 and leaked documentation indicates the non-turbo mild-hybrid version, which is set to debut in the next-gen Mazda6 luxury car next year, will deliver outputs of 210kW/340Nm.

However, Mazda has also previously stated its new RWD/AWD platform will offer “rotary engine multiple electrification technologies,” suggesting the rotary range-extender EV technology that will debut in the MX-30 will be expanded.

Back in June, Mazda confirmed it would electrify its entire model range by 2030 and release three fully-electric vehicles (EVs), five plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and five hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) by 2025.

All 13 of them are on the table for Australia.

The car-maker’s 'Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030' strategy will run alongside its new premium rear-drive vehicle push and, together with the mooted sports car, it appears Mazda has plenty of headline-grabbing models on the way.