After years of anticipation and rumors, Mazda is finally bringing back the rotary engine. However, unlike the role it served on Mazda production sports car and other creations, such as the Le Mans-winning 787B racer, the Wankel engine is returning as a range extender. This will serve the MX-30 R-EV that’s set to debut on January 13, 2023 at the Brussels Motor Show. Meanwhile, rotary fans from across the world push the cult status of the Mazda RX-7 further than ever before, as is the case with the mid-engined transformation in this captivating rendering.
With Mazda preparing for a serious transition into the EV era—a recent teaser even leads us to believe the Miata is getting a battery—it will be safe to say the Japanese company never made a supercar, at least not one people could take home (we’re looking at you, 1970 RX-500 concept).
However, with some proper tuning, the final FD iteration of the RX-7, which was built between 1992 and 2002, can always give supercars a run for their money—here’s an example that spend ten years in a barn.
A Mazda RX-7 that looks like a Miura? Yes, please!
Well, the immersive 3D work sitting before us takes things to the next level by turning the FD RX-7 into a supercar. Now, before anybody argues with that status, there are a few things we need to point out.
For starters, the rotary machine seems to have been given a mid-engine conversion. And, thanks to the rear bumper delete, we can now see the twin turbos serving the Wankel engine.
Then there’s the look. The lack of midship proportions is compensated for by the rear louvers reminiscent of a supercar’s glass engine cover. It’s not just any supercar, though.
If we also factor in the widebody kit and the aero stuff going on in the nose, this Mazda RX-7 now looks quite a bit like a Lamborghini Miura, arguably the first modern supercar! Now that’s an achievement, so we’ll tip our helmets to digital artist Al Yasid, one of the top rendering masters out there.
The wheels are from a different world through—the wheels themselves say “1980s Ferrari”, the front covers are lifted straight off the contemporary McLaren Speedtail, as the pixel master states in the Instagram post below.
In fact, the artist also states this work was done for a customer. So, who knows, perhaps somebody out there is cooking an FD that could rival the insanity of, say, Rob Dahm’s quad-rotor, AWD RX-7, whose final form was showcased earlier this month at the SEMA show.
