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Ever since the RX-8 was (rather unceremoniously) put out to pasture, Mazda has been telling anyone who will listen that the rotary engine is still alive and well deep within the bowels of R&D. It has been pitched as a hydrogen-burning engine, a range-extender for an EV that even made it to market, and as a good, old-fashioned, internal-combustion gasoline engine. I sometimes get the impression that Mazda engineers celebrate rotary pitches much the same way Hobbits celebrate breakfasts. You've had one, yes...
As has been the case virtually every time, this incarnation -- named the Mazda Vision X-Coupe -- is a little bit different. While Mazda has already gone down the range-extended EV rabbit hole (hobbit hole?), we've yet to see a "traditional" plug-in hybrid. So, uh, why not?
The absence of a rotary in the lineup is far from the only thing distinguishing Mazda's 2025 lineup from that of 2010. The company has shed its more mainstream marketing strategy (R.I.P. Zoom-Zoom) in favor of a more upscale approach.
As a result, most of its cars, while certainly competent, are frankly a bit boring compared to their predecessors. The Vision X-Coupe, however, is not meant to be merely a mildly athletic hybrid. Instead, Mazda went hard on performance. This turbocharged two-rotor, when paired with the electric motor, puts out more than 500 horsepower combined. If built, it would be the most powerful production Mazda engine by a pretty decent margin.
If the whole two-rotor hybrid thing is ringing a bell, that's because we've seen something along these lines fairly recently: the Iconic SP Concept. And bluntly, the Iconic SP was a stunner. Comparing the Vision X-Coupe to that low-slung red coupe is simply unfair to this bulky, silver four-door.
That said, given what we've heard about Mazda, Toyota, and the next-generation Miata, we wouldn't be surprised if the Iconic SP hinted more at the next-gen roadster than a fixed-roof rotary coupe.
The Vision X-Coupe leans more toward the on-off rumors we've heard about a revived, rear-wheel-drive Mazda6. With four real doors (R.I.P. RX-8) and its open, airy cabin, it doesn't exactly scream "lightweight sports coupe," even if the rotary does its part to keep curb weight in check.