Mazda rotary still on ice

Mazda hasn't stopped development of its signature rotary engine, but will not allocate R&D resources for any new rotary-powered sports car for at least another two years.

That doesn't mean a born-again rotary coupe potentially dubbed the RX-9 won't appear in 2017 – the 50th anniversary of Mazda's original Cosmo Sports rotary – but nor does it mean it will.

"Rotary engine development has continued – the engine development itself," said Masahiro Moro, Mazda Motor Corporation's Managing Executive Officer in charge of global marketing.

"We have allocated some resources to keep developing the engine, but we have never allocated resources to rotary car development."

Moro-san would not be drawn on speculation that the 'RX-9' will appear as a concept before going on sale in 2020 – Mazda's centenary year – but suggested there was plenty of time to revive the Mazda rotary.

"We have a dream. We don't give up on rotary engine development. Whether we put this [rotary] engine into a mass-production car that project hasn't been on.

"At this moment our focus is on how we increase sales revenue with exciting models – that's our goal for the next two years. We need to make money to reinvest in rotary."

Mazda's global marketing chief confirmed the rotary could be revived as either a generator for a range-extender electric vehicle, a hydrogen-powered powertrain or a conventional internal combustion engine.

"Rotary engine has a wide variety of uses – generator, hydrogen and normal combustion, so that's why we continue," he said.

Mazda released its first rotary-powered model in 1967 and its iconic RX-7 in 1978. However, the RX-7 was effectively replaced in 2002 by the four-door RX-8 rotary coupe, which was axed in 2012.