Mazda RX-500 concept (1970)
Concept car · 1970 · Combustion
A mid-engine rotary spaceship marking Mazda's 50th year
First shown at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show to mark Mazda's 50th anniversary, the RX-500 was a mid-engine rotary supercar study with a wedge profile, wrap-around glass canopy and butterfly-opening doors. Its lightweight plastic body helped keep mass very low around a mid-mounted twin-rotor 10A rotary engine. It also served as a road-safety test bed, using rear lights that changed color to signal accelerating, cruising or braking. A restored example is displayed in Hiroshima.
Key facts
- Engine: Mid-mounted 10A twin-rotor rotary
- Power: ~250 PS, revving to ~15,000 rpm
- Layout: Mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
- Doors: Butterfly (front and rear engine covers)
- Body: Lightweight plastic
Production
- Status: Concept only
- A one-off 1970 rotary-powered show car built for Expo '70 that was never produced.
- Revealed at 1970 Tokyo Motor Show
Source: Wikipedia