Mazda patents sports coupe, hinting at future RX model

Full details of a return to the Wankel rotary engine might still be hush-hush at Mazda – with confirmation so far extending only to a range-extender MX-30 Electric – but that hasn’t stopped a slew of trademark and patent images appearing on the Internet.

Last week, a new Mazda ‘R’ logo was discovered online, providing a hint of a production-ready emblem for a range of rotary engine models. This week, a set of patent images detailing a frame for a sports coupe have appeared.

Discovered by Japanese website Hatena Blog, all 14 patent applications filed by Mazda relate to the structure of “a two-door sports car with an aluminum space frame.”

It is worth noting these images, first submitted to the Japan Patent Office in January 2020 (and published this week), demonstrate the rear design of a coupe that looks very similar to the RX-Vision concept, first revealed at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.

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The 2015 RX-Vision concept alongside the iconic Cosmo

Tradition will show that many production Mazda models have followed the precedent set by their conceptual forebears, with the 2019 3 hatch looking akin to the Kai Concept.

Alongside structure designs related to the rear suspension and rear body structure of a front-engined two-door vehicle, the images also feature close-up drawings of beams and frames and explanations on front-rear and side load handling.

Showing a longitudinal centre tunnel where a driveshaft and transmission would typically sit, the images fuel speculation of an internal-combustion powertrain being used – rotary or otherwise.

Another possibility is an electric powertrain with a rotary range-extender, much like the upcoming MX-30 variant.

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Mazda's RX-Vision concept

Could this be a preview of an upcoming RX-9, then? It is more likely that Mazda is simply using drawings similar to the RX-Vision to protect its technical thinking, rather than showing images of a sports car that may be in development.

However, with Mazda injecting funds into research and development of a new rotary engine, as well as intellectual property protection, there seems to be inspiration in Hiroshima for such a product to make a return in the future.