History and Development of the Mazda RX-8
The rotary engine was an integral part of Mazda’s sportscar line-up from the 1960s until the production run of the RX-8 concluded. Mazda’s first Wankel rotary-powered production car was the 1967 Cosmo, followed by the introduction of the RX-2 in 1972.
The RX-7 became the most famous of the rotary-powered RX cars, and Mazda launched three different generations of this model, which ran from 1978 to 2002. Following the conclusion of the RX-7 lineage, Mazda sought to introduce a new rotary sportscar into the 21st century, which resulted in the RX-8. This car was essentially a combination of the RX-7 and the Cosmo, which was exclusive to Japan. The RX-8 was described as being more practical than the RX-7, but more sporty than the Cosmo.
The original design of the RX-8 was rooted in the RX-01 concept car. This vehicle featured an early iteration of the 13B-MSP engine. It was designed as a compact, simple, inexpensive, and fun-to-drive car, similar to the first generation RX-7.
However, due to the company’s financial position and growing demand for SUVs, development of the RX-01 was put on hold. A team of engineers continued the development of the 13B-MSP engine by utilising a modified MX-5 chassis. This work was noticed by management at the Hiroshima-based manufacturer.
The 13B-MSP engine eventually became the RENESIS engine and was set to debut alongside the EVOLV concept car. The EVOLV concept car featured suicide rear doors, which the final production version of the RX-8 used, while the Japanese, United States, and European studios competed on the concept car’s overall styling.
The project was led by Ikuo Maeda, who is the son of Matasaburo Maeda, the lead designer of the original RX-7. One condition for the approval of the RX-8 project was that the final production car needed to have four doors, partly due to Ford’s influence at the time. Mazda unveiled the concept car in 2001, and a near-production version was displayed at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show. The final production car did not launch until February 2003.
Read the full guide: Mazda RX8 Buyers Guide
