Development of the 13B-MSP advanced and eventually led to the RENESIS name debuting along with the RX-EVOLV concept car which began to bear semblance to the production version of the RX-8 with the "freestyle" rear suicide doors. However, a " skunkworks project" engineering team within Mazda kept the development of the 13B-MSP alive using an elongated MX-5 chassis known internally as "gokiburi-ka", or "cockroach car" translated to English, eventually catching the attention of management, which was by then heavily influenced by Ford. Because of Mazda's financial position at the time and the growing market interest in SUVs, the RX-01 did not see further development or production. Naturally aspirated with side exhaust ports, this engine has a power output of 210 hp (157 kW). The development of the RX-8 can be traced as far back as the 1995 RX-01 concept car, which featured an early iteration of the 13B-MSP engine. The rotary engine had financial advantages to Japanese consumers in that the engine displacement remained below 1.5 liters, a significant determination when paying the Japanese annual road tax which kept the obligation affordable to most buyers, while having more power than the traditional inline engines. In Japan, sales were affected by the fact that the RX-8 did not comply with Japanese Government's dimension regulations, and Japanese buyers were liable for yearly taxes for driving a larger car. Mazda chose not to install the 2.0 L three-rotor 20B-REW, which was discontinued in 1996 when the Cosmo ceased production. The RX-8 combined two previous products (the internationally sold RX-7, and the Cosmo which was exclusive to Japan), with the exterior dimensions of the RX-8 to be slightly smaller than those of the Cosmo. This paved the way for the arrival of Mazda's next-generation rotary powered sports car. Endeavoring to rejuvenate itself around this time, partially with financial and management assistance from its new owner Ford, Mazda developed a new line of high-quality cars with desirable styling and driving dynamics superior to competitors, beginning with the Mazda6 and followed by the Mazda3. After 1995, Mazda suffered from a relatively undistinguished and ordinary product line in the US except for the MX-5 Miata.Īs popular interest in import tuning and performance cars resurged in the late-1990s, due in part to various popular cultural influences, Japanese automakers waded back into the performance and sports car market in the US and in worldwide markets. However, due to the lack of conveniences and user-friendliness, coupled with the high price tag and declining interest in sports cars and coupés at the time, Mazda decided to withdraw the RX-7 from most major markets except Japan.
Mazda introduced rotary-powered vehicles in the US in 1971, beginning with the R100 and eventually introduced the RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5, and three generations of the RX-7 sports car in the US and worldwide markets.
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