Legendary Mazda Sports Coupe Hits Roadblocks During Next-Gen Development

After the close of the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, journalists who were expecting at least a concept version of a new Mazda RX-7 began asking a familiar question: is everything going according to plan with the project?

The successor to Mazda’s legendary sports coupe has reportedly been in the works for years, yet there is still no clear indication of when it might actually be unveiled. The continued silence has fueled speculation that the next-generation RX-7 could be pushed back into the 2030s.

That’s according to the major Japanese automotive outlet Best Car, which reports that Mazda is running into challenges with its proposed powertrain. The company is said to be developing a 510-horsepower, twin-rotor hybrid system, but bringing it to production has proven more complicated than Mazda’s Hiroshima-based leadership initially expected.

One of the biggest hurdles is Mazda’s goal of making the powertrain carbon-neutral. To achieve that, the automaker plans to equip the system with CO₂ capture technology — a solution that has reportedly been difficult to adapt for mass production.

If the new Mazda RX-7 does eventually make it to market, it is widely believed that its design will closely follow the 2023 Iconic SP concept. That would mean a sleek, aerodynamic body with slim headlights, pronounced wheel arches, and a capsule-like cabin layout, staying true to the spirit of Mazda’s rotary-powered heritage while pushing it into a new era.