Photo: Mazda | Facebook
We have been living under the impression that Mazda has never built a convertible RX-8. If not, what is this then? The answer is simpler than it seems. To mark the 20th anniversary of the model, the Japanese carmaker exhibited a roofless RX-8.
The car is on display at Mazda Brand Space in Osaka, Japan, and that is where it will stay until the end of August. The photos posted by the carmaker on social media sparked interest among the enthusiasts.
The RX-8 was first unveiled at the 2001 North American International Auto Show and entered production in April 2003 as a 2004 model year. That was exactly twenty years ago. Mazda has never actually built a production convertible RX-8. All production versions were coupes, sporting additional rear-hinged doors. The vehicle on display is just one of the few prototypes the carmaker built but never actually greenlighted for series production.
The one in the photos is based on the Series 1 Mazda RX-8 that was in production between 2003 and 2008. First presented in 2008 during a Mazda corporate event, it has been used and exhibited on various occasions over the years.
What draws attention when looking at the convertible RX-8 is the weird rollover bar, which is quite high, going above the windshield and sporting a gloss black finish. It somehow looks like the B-pillars have been chopped and connected between the front and rear seating areas. The rear seats also sport some sort of rollover protection, but those ones are almost invisible next to the one rising from behind the front seats.
The gloss black shade contrasts with the pearl white body colour, yet matches the black leather that is part of the on board red-black upholstery combo.
The photos uploaded by Mazda on Facebook show that we are dealing with an automatic variant. Mazda offered a six-speed manual and a four-speed auto box, that would handle 238 horsepower and 159 lb-ft (158 kW and 211 Nm) or 197 horsepower and 164 lb-ft (170 kW and 211 Nm), respectively, provided by the 1.3-liter rotary engine. A 212-horsepower variant with a six-speed automatic transmission showed up later on in the lineup.
The RX-8 was the last unicorn in the rotary-power sports cars lineup from Mazda. The carmaker retired the RX-8 in June 2012 and the Wankel engine with it. But it was not for good.
The power unit, in a new and totally different version, returned with the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, integrated into a plug-in hybrid system. The 830-cc unit develops 75 horsepower and 86 lb-ft of torque and operates as a range extender for a total of 373-mile range. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is not available in the United States.
The RX-8 was first unveiled at the 2001 North American International Auto Show and entered production in April 2003 as a 2004 model year. That was exactly twenty years ago. Mazda has never actually built a production convertible RX-8. All production versions were coupes, sporting additional rear-hinged doors. The vehicle on display is just one of the few prototypes the carmaker built but never actually greenlighted for series production.
The one in the photos is based on the Series 1 Mazda RX-8 that was in production between 2003 and 2008. First presented in 2008 during a Mazda corporate event, it has been used and exhibited on various occasions over the years.
What draws attention when looking at the convertible RX-8 is the weird rollover bar, which is quite high, going above the windshield and sporting a gloss black finish. It somehow looks like the B-pillars have been chopped and connected between the front and rear seating areas. The rear seats also sport some sort of rollover protection, but those ones are almost invisible next to the one rising from behind the front seats.
The gloss black shade contrasts with the pearl white body colour, yet matches the black leather that is part of the on board red-black upholstery combo.
The photos uploaded by Mazda on Facebook show that we are dealing with an automatic variant. Mazda offered a six-speed manual and a four-speed auto box, that would handle 238 horsepower and 159 lb-ft (158 kW and 211 Nm) or 197 horsepower and 164 lb-ft (170 kW and 211 Nm), respectively, provided by the 1.3-liter rotary engine. A 212-horsepower variant with a six-speed automatic transmission showed up later on in the lineup.
The RX-8 was the last unicorn in the rotary-power sports cars lineup from Mazda. The carmaker retired the RX-8 in June 2012 and the Wankel engine with it. But it was not for good.
The power unit, in a new and totally different version, returned with the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, integrated into a plug-in hybrid system. The 830-cc unit develops 75 horsepower and 86 lb-ft of torque and operates as a range extender for a total of 373-mile range. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is not available in the United States.
Google News