2012 Mazda RX-9

Written By Unknown on Friday, August 5, 2011 | 3:06 AM

Mazda produced the RX-7 from 1978 to 2002 and, compared to the RX-8, it did very well. Now, after almost ten years, the Japanese company will bring back the RX-7 DNA with the launch of a new sports car called the RX-9. And, however chronologically deficient it may be, the RX-9 is being made as a successor to the RX-7 and not the RX-8. We should be seeing this new model hit the streets as soon as the RX-8 bids adieu to the market.

The RX-9 is rumored to be built in the image of the most recent RX-7, the highly regarded version championed by the legendary "Koby" Kobayakawa, which went out of production in 2002. And, unlike the RX-8, it will be a two-door coupe model and not a complicated four-door coupe. Under the hood, Mazda will place the now famous 16X rotary engine. The new sports car will be built on an MX-5 chassis and will weigh no more than 1250 kilos, with a design language stemming from the company�s latest concept cars, including the Shinari which made its debut only two months ago.

We expect to see the company�s well known front grille and the "signature wing", new headlamps with LED lights, and a generally sporty appearance. For the interior, we hope to get sports seats, a sporty steering wheel, leather, and why not go ahead and throw in a few aluminum inserts. Under the hood, Mazda will place a 16X rotary engine rumored to be attached to an electric supercharger. This engine will feature an 800cc x 2 configuration, up from the current 13B�s 654cc x 2 format. It will deliver around 300 HP, while the fuel economy will be improved by 20%, leaving behind the main reason why the RX8 needed to be discontinued. The engine will be mated to a new twin-clutch, two-pedal six-speed transmission with a twist that allows drivers to set the revs at which the clutches engage.

It is also rumored that the RX-9 will be offered with a Honda-style gas/electric hybrid system that will not only include a regenerative braking system to charge the batteries when coasting and decelerating, but also an engine stop/start system that will help improve the fuel economy. This rumor has already been confirmed by a Mazda insider who in a previous interview said : "We�re testing the rotary in conjunction with technologies including an electric turbocharger."

The RX-9 will be offered with 17- or 18-inch wheels and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and stability/traction control. Compared to the RX-8 who targeted models like the Volkswagen Scirocco, the new RX-9 will focus on competing with models like the Nissan 370Z. Do we smell a Japanese sports car war? We think so. But let�s not let them have all the fun, German sports cars like the Audi TT will also have reasons to fear the new RX-9.