The 1990’s remains one of the most competitive eras for motorsport. Car companies spared no expense in developing proper sports cars. Thus, the likes of the Toyota Supra, Acura NSX, Nissan R34 GT-R and Mazda RX7 were born. But as that decade came to a close, these iconic sports cars faded away without replacements. To put things into perspective, the R34 GT-R did not morph into the R35 GT-R until 2009. The R35 GT-R as well was produced from 2009 to 2022 without any significant updates before it was discontinued. The Acura NSX, on the other hand, did not get a second generation up until 2014, while the 4th generation Toyota Supra was only replaced in 2020.
If you paid close attention, you would realise that all but one of the mentioned iconic 1990’s sports cars eventually got a replacement. The only one that didn’t was the Mazda RX7, at least until now.
Should You Be Expecting a New Mazda RX-7?
The answer to the above question is not 100% confirmed, but a new RX-7 may just be on the way. More interesting is that the new RX-7 will be made in collaboration with Toyota and a new Supra is also expected from the mix. This is not the first time Toyota is doing such, as the 5th generation Supra was produced in collaboration with BMW. The fifth-generation Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 roadster could have easily passed for siblings—perhaps even twins. Both cars had basically the same engine and transmission in them. Their cockpits also shared quite some underpinnings.
What to Expect from the Toyota and Mazda Collaboration
Toyota is yet again about to collaborate with a Japanese rival, Mazda to give us what we hope will be worthy replacements to the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX7 line up. So far, nothing has been said officially by both car companies, but speculations point to a new RX7 becoming a reality soon. The RX7 was well known for its unique rotary engine, but the new one will most likely not have one. Instead, the Japanese automaker may use one of its inline-six SkyActiv engines present in its Mazda CX-60 SUV. The proposed engine option is a hybrid 3.3-liter engine that makes 340 horsepower. This means that the next generation may borrow the same engine, becoming hybrid as well.
So far, a hypothetical design of the supposed Mazda RX7 has been made and it looks absolutely amazing. It takes hints from the fifth generation Supra in the body styling and rear bits, while the front looks like the last generation RX7. I personally can’t wait to see what the finished car would look like, but until then, we use our imaginations. What are your thoughts on the proposed Toyota and Mazda collaboration? Are these types of collaborations going to be a recurring theme in the automotive world?
