Mazda RX-9 Based on RX-Vision X AMG GT R Sounds Fake, but What If We Add E-Skyactiv R-EV?

Look, today Mazda is quite happy with its niche-like status that relies on iconic nameplates such as the MX-5 Miata roadster, as well as a great mix of crossover SUVs to remain fashionable, I know. After all, their passenger car offerings are almost extinct in some regions – such as the United States market, where the wind blows through the ranks like in an old-fashioned western where the opening sequence is a desert with rolling weeds.

Just the MX-5 Miata and RF, plus the affordable 2023 Mazda3 Sedan and Hatchback (going for $22,550 and $23,550, respectively), are all the clients can choose from when it comes to traditional options. Then the CUV sector is way better represented by the CX-30, CX-5, CX-50, CX-9, or the sustainable MX-30 EV. Plus, let us not forget that a flagship CX-90 (along with an equally cool 323-hp CX-90 PHEV) is coming with an MHEV inline-six mill and 340 horsepower on the same new RWD/AWD platform as the international CX-60 crossover SUV.

And speaking of the CX-90 and MX-30, one can easily see that Mazda is actively trying to prop its small model range into the most fashionable sectors – thus aiming to best fulfill consumer wishes and also ensure its ultimate survival. Hey, they even listened to fan requests (well, sort of, anyway) and created something with a rotary-powered engine. That would be the adorable MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, which is now a PHEV CUV with the rotary mill acting as a generator for the 17.8 kWh battery pack that powers the electric motor.

But the latter is strictly limited to Europe and will probably never hit North America. So, what if something else was more appropriate for the ritzy Mazda rotary fans in the United States? Coincidence or not, just when I was thinking of that, I stumbled upon the latest behind-the-scenes making-of CGI video feature (embedded below) from the virtual artist better known as Theottle on social media, who has remembered the RX-Vision concept from 2015 still looks cool and decided to make it a production-ready sports coupe.

His vision – pun intended – sees the rotary-powered concept mixed with the Mercedes-AMG GT R (2017 to 2021, M178 V8 engine with 577 hp and 700 Nm/516 lb-ft) and transformed into something that maybe would trigger a ruckus among RX-7 and RX-8 fans. But what if the hypothetical pairing would mix the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine from Affalterbach with Mazda’s fresh 166 ps (164 hp/122 kW) electric mill from the e-Skyactiv R-EV to give it rotary PHEV capabilities? Wouldn’t that be extremely cool?