Mazda’s X-Coupe Concept Looks Like A Modern RX-8 With A Plug-In Hybrid Rotary

• The Mazda Vision X-Coupe concept was revealed at the Japan Mobility Show 2025.
• The four-door show car has a plug-in hybrid powertrain that integrates an electric motor and a two-rotor rotary engine.
• Finished in a shiny silver, the striking concept looks like a modern reinterpretation of Mazda’s last rotary-powered car, the RX-8.

The Japanese sports car scene has been inundated with rumors about the potential return of a rotary-powered Mazda for years. Well, now the automaker itself is adding a fair bit of fuel to that fire because it just unveiled a rotary-powered, plug-in hybrid concept car that looks like the natural successor to the RX-8, its last rotary-powered production car.

Dubbed the Vision X-Coupe, where the X is pronounced as “cross,” the striking show car has four doors and four seats, just like the RX-8 that was discontinued in 2012. This time, however, the rear doors are full-length, instead of the half-doors of the RX-8, and the two-rotor Wankel engine under the hood gets assistance from an electric motor.

According to Mazda, the PHEV concept can drive up to 99 miles (160 kilometers) on a full battery, while the total driving range goes up to 497 miles (800 kilometers). Power-wise, the gorgeous four-seater puts down 503 horsepower.

As with all plug-in hybrids, when the battery runs out–or the driver wants to use all the available power–the gasoline engine kicks in. Unlike other PHEVs, however, the Mazda X-Coupe concept’s combustion engine was designed to run on carbon-neutral fuel made from microalgae. Per the carmaker, as microalgae grow, they capture carbon dioxide and store oil in their cells.

That oil can then be extracted and refined into carbon-neutral fuel, and Mazda says it has successfully produced over a liter of fuel from an 11,000-liter culture tank in about two weeks. For context, that algae culture could fit inside a concrete mixer truck, while the resulting fuel could fill three 13-oz mugs. That’s not exactly efficient, but the upside is that the byproduct can be used to make food products or organic fertilizer.

Measuring 198.8 inches (5,050 millimeters) long, the Vision X-Coupe concept is roughly 7 inches (177 millimeters) longer than the discontinued Mazda6 mid-size sedan, so it’s not exactly small. It features an evolution of the brand’s Kodo design language, with an aggressive headlight design and taillights that seem embedded in the body.

Inside, there’s a huge panoramic display in the dashboard and a simple three-dial gauge cluster reminiscent of the RX-8. A simple round gear selector that includes a manual mode sits on the large center console, between the front seats. Rear passengers get two individual seats, just like the RX-8.

The Mazda Vision X-Coupe was revealed at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 alongside another show car called the Vision X-Compact, which looks like a modern Mazda2 hatchback.

Both are concepts, which means they’re not exactly ready for prime time. That said, Mazda could bring some of the design cues and technical specifications to its next production cars. Or it could do what Renault did with the Renault 5, and just send the projects straight to the assembly lines.