Mazda R signals new wave of sports cars
Leaked trademark filings could point to new Mazda performance cars in the works. But are they rotary-powered?A mysterious Mazda ‘R’ logo has emerged in Japan via leaked trademark filings from the Japanese car-maker, fuelling speculation that it could herald a new wave of high-performance models – possibly even the long-anticipated Mazda RX-9.
At this stage there’s little detail around the recently filed trademark, apart from the fact that it shows Mazda’s new ‘R’ logo with a stylised emblem in blue, red and white.
The new emblem has a racy look and pundits will note the red triangle on the right-hand side, which could symbolise Mazda’s rotary engine type which powered various RX models through the decades, including the RX-3, RX-4 and, more recently, the RX-7 and RX-8 sports cars.
Mazda’s last rotary-powered sports car was the RX Vision concept from 2015, which it updated in 2020 with GT3 race car trim (pictured) for the Gran Turismo Sport video game.
Those vehicles are powered by what Mazda calls the SkyActiv-R engine, although the company has never explained just what type of engine it is.
Creating an all-new rotary-powered sports car would be a hugely popular move from Mazda but hasn’t come to fruition in recent years given the costs involved in developing a new engine and vehicle platform.
The company maintains a tenuous connection with its iconic and unusual rotary engine type in the form of the MX-30 EV range extender, which is due to launch in Australia in 2022.
Of course, the R logo could also simply be used to denote ‘racing’ (rather than ‘rotary’) as the Japanese car-maker considers emulating the success of the Toyota GR and Hyundai N high-performance sub-brands.
The next-generation Mazda6 and Mazda CX-5 will be based on a new rear-drive platform architecture powered by muscular new turbo-petrol (and diesel) inline six-cylinder engines pumping out up to 260 kilowatts of power.
There’s potential that top-spec new-generation Mazda6 models could be given the go-fast treatment with engine, chassis and bodywork upgrades, whereupon an R badge would be a neat fit.
With the Mazda3 Turbo begging for a sharper chassis tune – and still on the agenda for Australia – and the MX-5 another candidate, Mazda has a number of vehicles that could conceivably wear a high-performance R badge.
Stay tuned for more details.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
