Report: Mazda rumored to make a rotary-powered sports car to rival BMW i8

A recent report stated that Mazda’s new CEO negated any rumors about a near-future rotary. However, Britain’s WhatCar? reports that Mazda is indeed in the works with a rotary-powered sports car—though it will directly rival the BMW i8.

That of course means hybridization, after speaking with “high-level sources.” But the hybridization will apparently involve plug-in range-extending technology. This means propulsion is applied directly by an electric motor while an ICE (internal combustion engine) sits onboard just to charge the battery, without directly being connected to the drivetrain.

This is the apparent fate for the RX-8’s successor, though it will be interesting to see if this rumor reigns true. Should the future model be a BMW i8 competitor, that would suggest a near $100,000+ price tag, versus the original RX-8’s price tag of around $30,000.

That said, take these rumors with a grain of salt…

Source: WhatCar?

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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