New Mazda sports car patented

Evidence that Mazda is pushing ahead with plans to bring an all-new high-performance sports car to market – six long years after the RX Vision concept first surfaced – is continuing to mount, with new patent filings revealing fresh details.

Following the recent discovery of a trademark application from Mazda that uncovered a new ‘R’ logo, Japanese enthusiasts have posted a bunch of new technical drawings the car-maker has lodged with Japan’s IP (intellectual property) office.

As seen on Hatena Blog, the latest filings and accompanying images on the IPForce.jp website provide a detailed look at the rear-end structure and design of the proposed new rear-wheel drive sports coupe.

Of course, these are only trademark protection filings that are not confirmed for production, but their existence – and what looks to be clear intent from Mazda – is undeniable and slot in neatly with the car-maker’s development of a new rear/all-wheel drive platform and inline six-cylinder engine family.

There are no powertrain clues with the latest filings – alas, nothing to confirm a rotary-powered Mazda RX-9 is drawing near – but plenty to study in relation to the body structure itself.

Line up the rear-end technical drawing with a rear three-quarter shot of the Mazda RX Vision concept and there are some striking similarities.

The images also show a tunnel that runs the length of the vehicle (for a driveshaft) and a cut-out in the engine bay where a transmission could fit.

There’s a barrage of structural elements detailed too, with the patent explanations referencing the complex web of body and suspension reinforcements needed for the front-engined, rear-drive coupe.

For example, the accompanying notes with the rear-end drawing said (with the help of Google Translate): “The challenge is to ensure the support rigidity of the rear suspension and to effectively transmit the rear thrust load from the rear side housing to the coupling between the side sill and the pillar.”

These latest filings from Mazda coincide with previous patents for a sports car with double-wishbone front suspension, a sturdy cross-member and a body constructed of both aluminium alloy and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic components.

Bottom line for us right now is that the long run of tantalising case notes shows Mazda still intends to produce an all-new flagship sports car, whenever finances permit.

What do you think?

Related: Mazda R signals new wave of sports cars