Mazda working on fast rotary-powered hybrid coupe

A fresh patent for an exciting rear-wheel drive rotary-powered coupe has been lodged by Mazda in Europe that hints at a successor for the last Mazda RX-8 or iconic RX-7.

According to the latest trademark application, the unnamed model will run a rotary-hybrid motor up front and feature a transaxle transmission providing for both rear-wheel drive and near-ideal 50:50 weight distribution.

Filed with the European Patent Office, it's been rumoured that the new hybrid set-up has been developed to meet upcoming stringent Euro 7 emissions regulations and is just one of a series of patents for the car-maker's new 48-volt mild-hybrid tech.

Claimed to run an all-new three-rotor engine, it's thought the spiritual successor to the Mazda RX-7 could be Mazda's last hurrah for the combustion engine before upcoming legislation and European city bans render petrol power largely obsolete.

The rudimentary images filed as part of the patent application are said to date back to 2019 and are only a guide.

It's believed that if the next-gen Mazda RX-7 does get green-lit for production, it will be heavily inspired by the well-received Mazda RX-Vision concept.