Like the original, new car will be budget oriented...
A spiritual successor to the Mazda RX-7 could be in showrooms by 2011 - and it could develop up to 350bhp.
According to reports from the US the new car, while technically a successor to the RX-8, will be a more focused and sporty two-door coupe.
As well as dropping the RX-8's pair of 'suicide' rear doors, the new car will also get a brand-new version of the Wankel rotary engine.
The new twin-rotor motor will be called the 16X Renesis, and its 1.6-litre capacity (2 x 800cc) should be capable of producing up to 350bhp with ease. By contrast, the 1.3-litre engine in the RX-8 (2 x 654cc) musters a mere 228bhp.
...unlike the previous 276bhp incarnation of the RX-7
Even more impressive is the torque figure - a perennial problem with rotary engines. The 16X is said to be comfortably capable of 215lb ft of twist, which compares well with the RX-8's 159lb ft.
But the rocky financial climate means that Mazda is understood to have throttled back on its original high-performance plans for the new RX-7. Instead, the company is said to be working on a cheaper, less powerful version with 200-250bhp, so it looks as if we're looking at a power output similar to today's RX-8's, at least to start with.
RX-8 will make way for new car
That would be a shame, but we suppose Mazda's pragmatism is sensible, given that the rotary layout is notoriously thirsty on both fuel and oil.