These 2025 Mazda RX-9 renders are stunning

A new rotary-powered flagship performance coupe has been at the top of Mazda fans’ wish-list for the best part of a decade now and while it’s unlikely to happen quite the way they desire, a select few have set about digitally creating their own vision for a ‘Mazda RX-9’.

With the help of artificial intelligence, the Rotor & Shaft Facebook page has presented a series of stunning digital renders of what a next-generation Mazda RX sports car would look like if the Japanese brand undertook such a project – and we have to say we’re heartbroken the vehicles aren’t real.

Combining Mazda’s current Kodo Design language with a classic cab-back silhouette not dissimilar to the old Mercedes-AMG GT’s, the AI-generated images show some of the best-looking vehicles we’ve seen in years, and they’ll no doubt have even more fans pining for just such a thing.

Each image shows a different version of the RX-9, each with their own subtle differences and varying degrees of aggression.

The cars certainly look very different to the electric-drive Mazda Iconic SP concept shown at the 2023 Tokyo auto show, which has since been confirmed for production.

Said concept largely provides the blueprint for the future of Mazda’s performance cars, with two electric motors outputting a combined 272kW and sustained by a small-capacity lithium-ion battery pack, plus a twin-rotor flex-fuel rotary engine serving exclusively as a range-extending power generator.

There’s little doubt Mazda’s upcoming sports car will offer impressive performance and sharp dynamics, but there are certainly doubts about how Mazda RX fans will react to its powertrain, in which the rotary engine has no physical connection to the wheels.

Luckily for them the Iconic SP concept is about the same size as the MX-5 and not as big as the long-lost RX-8…

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