Mazda RX-8s spied rounding the Nürburgring a sign of the Rotary’s return?
Mazda has seemingly not let go of the fact this it is plotting the return of the rotary engine based on a new spy video taken at the Nürburgring.
While it was reported last month that alleged patent documents had surfaced previewing a turbocharged rotary engine and not simply the motor doubling up as a range extender, the Carspotter Jeroen YouTube page has spotted a pair of RX-8’s rounding the ‘Ring, one devoid of any camouflage and the other with black-and-white masking around the front facia.
Discontinued seven years ago due to emissions regulations, it would appear that the pair of RX-8s are being used as mules to test new components, more than likely related to the rotary engine as a motor on all on its own, or indeed as an extender for Mazda’s future range of hybrid or electric models.
Meanwhile, japanesenostalgiccar.com alleges that the RX-8 twins could in fact be hiding the new rear-wheel-drive platform co-developed with Toyota which will underpin the next generation Mazda6, certain Lexus models and the successor to the Japanese market Toyota Mark X. At present though, all of these claims are purely speculative and it remains to be seen what will happen in the coming months.
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