Report: Mazda & Toyota Set to Co-Develop New RX & Supra Models

News in Japan suggested that both Mazda and Toyota will co-develop their next-gen sportscars, namely the new RX & Supra. (Photo credit: BestCarWeb)

It has been a while since we saw Mazda churning out a new two-door sportscar, and if new reports from Japan are to be believed, the Hiroshima-based marque is reportedly developing a long-awaited successor to its infamous RX lineup.

According to Japan’s BestCarWeb, who does not name its source, Mazda has reportedly dropped the rotary powertrain for its new sportscar model, instead opting for its new 3.3-litre inline-six turbo petrol engine found in some of its newer SUVs.

Mazda CX-60 previewed at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show 2024.

In both the CX-60 and CX-80’s applications, the six-pot mill is capable of generating up to 280 HP and 450 NM, although its maximum potential could be seen on both the CX-70 and CX-90 flagship SUVs, where both were capped at up to 340 HP and 500 NM. These outputs are a far cry from Mazda’s last RX sportscar, the RX-8, as its 1.3-litre rotary engine only managed to deliver 228 HP and 211 NM.

Mazda RX Vision concept

Besides the six-pot mill, Mazda insiders also told BestCarWeb that the new RX sportscar will retain its predecessor’s front-engined, rear-wheel drive (RWD) layout. But these two points are far from being the juiciest bits from this revelation.

That is because said news outlet also mentioned that Mazda’s big brother Toyota might have its say in the development of this new sportscar. Mazda and Toyota are no stranger to collaborations, as both automakers previously worked on projects like the Euro-spec Mazda 2, which is a rebadged Toyota Yaris Hybrid, while the US-spec Mazda CX-50 not only uses Toyota’s hybrid powertrain but is also being manufactured under the same roof as the US-spec Toyota Corolla Cross at the automaker’s Alabama plant.

The fifth-gen Toyota Supra shares the same platform and straight-six mill as the BMW Z4 roadster.

With that being said, it is no coincidence that Toyota is also in the midst of developing a new, sixth-gen successor to its most iconic nameplate, the Supra, with the current-gen model set to be discontinued sooner or later. Given that the fifth-gen Supra (also known as the GR Supra) also shares its platform and powertrain with another automaker, this time being the BMW Z4 and its B58 straight-six engine, there’s a high possibility that the automaker might just partner up with Mazda in making the long-awaited sixth-gen Supra.

Not to mention, the co-development of both the new RX and Supra also makes sense financially, as it would be much easier for both automakers to justify the high development overhead required to develop this new model. Should any of these rumours be true, then it is safe to say that the future of JDM sportscar is in safe hands.