Could this be the long-awaited RX-7 successor?
Mazda doesn't make any really cool cars anymore unless you count the MX-5 Miata, and fans of the brand aren't impressed. We used to get the RX-7, and although we've been teased with things like the RX-Vision concept time and time again, that icon has never had a successor. However, a new trademark could suggest that Mazda is looking to bolster its performance chops soon, and now we've got even more evidence that Mazda wants to be cool again. In amongst other patent filings recently applied for by Mazda, one stands out concerning a two-door sports coupe with an aluminum spaceframe design.
Looking at the shape of the design, it doesn't appear to look much different than that of the RX-Vision concept, with high taillights, a large rear glass window, and muscular rear three-quarters. The Japanese blog that posted this patent also notes that it makes mention of a rear glass hatch, which is something that the RX-7 had as one of its defining design features.
That being said, the patent filing also mentions a tow hitch, so this does not confirm the existence of a sports car that Mazda is developing. The evidence looks good though, and you can't blame us for indulging our fantasies and hoping that an RX-7 successor is on the way at last.
It will be some time yet before we learn what these patents are for exactly - if we ever do at all. Nevertheless, with Mazda developing new straight-six engines while refusing to kill off rotaries, we feel that creating a modern-day RX-7 is within the automaker's abilities. Of course, the matters of cost and demand will play a role, but with so many fans of the brand buying generation after generation of the Miata, we can't see the automaker struggling to shift a modern-day sports coupe from its showroom floors. Maybe the Toyota GR Supra would be a good benchmark, so here's hoping that this isn't yet another opportunity for Mazda to disappoint us.
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