It’s been 10 years since Mazda revealed the positively stunning RX-Vision concept car, but as beautiful as that car was, today it’s nowhere to be seen. Like far too many concept cars, that was the end of it. Its creator had no plans to build it. But someone else did. Mazda rotary tuning legend RE Amemiya is righting a wrong, finishing what Mazda started. It is building its own version of the RX-Vision concept, based on the FD3S Mazda RX-7, which was the last RX-7 before the disappointing RX-8 arrived. RE Amemiya founder Isami Amemiya calls the car Koku, and it will debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon in a few weeks.
Mazda
Mazda is a Japanese automaker founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co and only started producing vehicles in 1931 when it made the Mazda-Go auto rickshaw. The Japanese automaker’s first official car arrived in May 1960 when the Mazda R360 launched, starting Mazda as we know it today, although the Mazda name was only adopted in 1984. Mazda has a rich history in motorsport, including the honor of being the only manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a car not powered by a reciprocating engine.
- Founded
- January 30, 1920 (as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co)
- Founder
- Jujiro Matsuda
- Headquarters
- Hiroshima, Japan
- Owned By
- Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
- Masahiro Moro
An Anniversary Gift For The Concept And The Tuner
It’s 10 years since Mazda showed off this concept, but it’s also 50 years since RE Amemiya, a company that built a six-rotor Mazda Cosmo, was founded. That makes this car one of the founder’s more special projects.
“You know the ‘RX-VISION’ that Mazda exhibited at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show? It’s cool, but it’s not available on the market at all, so we thought we’d make it ourselves. Of course, it’s a fully legal street model! It’ll probably be a close call before it’s completed, but I hope you’ll look forward to it.”
– Isami Amemiya, Re Amemiya Founder (translated).
Add CarBuzz to your Google News feed.
Isami Amemiya isn’t showing the completed project, but he is showing off the work in progress. The car has clear influences from the RX-Vision, and some from the Mazda Iconic SP that was at 2023’s Japan Mobility Show. Of course, both of those cars have some inspiration from the FD3 RX-7, but instead of being the snake eating its own tail, the in-progress results look stunning.
RX-7 Roots Still On Display
There’s no hiding the RX-7’s roots, though. The front and rear are pure concept car, with front lights from the latest MX-5 and a show car ducktail, but the greenhouse is factory Mazda. Here’s to hoping Amemiya ties it all together harmoniously. Japanese tuner site WebOption spoke with the tuner about the car. It’s stretched four inches longer than the stock RX-7 base, but it’s been shortened behind the driver and lengthened ahead.
Related
Mugen’s Ultimate Honda Civic Type R Is A Carnival Of Carbon Fiber
It was presented in concept form at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon.
Obviously, this Mazda has a rotary engine. The naturally aspirated three-rotor makes 350 horsepower and will spin its triangles to 9,000 rpm. The transmission is a six-speed taken from an RX-8.
Expect it at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s tuner show, in a few weeks. It won’t be alone, though; RE Amemiya is also planning to display a version of Mazda’s Carol Kei car with an extreme body kit from Goda Bankin. It will also have an RX-8 done in RE Amemiya’s signature Blue Pink style with more power, a body kit, and loads of mechanical and cosmetic changes.
News Summary:
- Legendary Rotary Tuner Is Building A Real RX-Vision Concept Car
- Check all news and articles from the latest Tech updates.
- Please Subscribe us at Google News.