Mazda files trademark for ‘R’ badge

Mazda has trademarked a new 'R' logo in Japan – sparking speculation it could be planning a range of high-performance vehicles.

Images discovered by the New Nissan Z forum, show Mazda filed the application with the Japan Patent Office.

With the design consisting of a symbolised ‘R’ surrounded by a mix of red, grey and white colours, it appears to be a production-ready emblem – rather than a simple attempt to block use by other manufacturers.

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With the trademark including use for “automobiles and their parts and fittings”, exactly how the ‘R’ badge could be used in the Mazda range remains unclear.

While the name could denote a performance division for the Mazda brand – with turbocharged or electrified versions of the inline-six powered CX-5 and 6 successors possible – this seems unlikely considering how close it would be to Volkswagen’s R range.

Mazda has also previously denied plans to introduce a new performance sub-brand or resurrect fallen names, such as MPS.

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Another possibility could be a range of ‘SkyActiv-R’ rotary engine models – the company has been in the process of developing a new rotary engine for hybrid range-extender vehicles.

The first model expected to feature a rotary-powered hybrid range extender is the MX-30, which, the company has confirmed, is on track and expected to be unveiled in 2022.

With Mazda likely to re-introduce the technology with its range of next-generation electrified vehicles, the ‘R’ branding could denote the powertrain, but the firm has yet to make an announcement officially confirming its intentions.