Now that the revived Supra is out and about, and the new mid-engined Corvette has broken cover, the car world is looking is Mazda's direction with anticipation, wondering if the rotary-powered RX-9 is actually going to happen.
From patents that were released earlier this year, it looks like the RX-9 is an almost guaranteed thing, but the real question is whether it with be powered by a piston, rotary, or hybrid engine.
Despite earlier enthusiasm at the concept of another great rotary-powered RX model, it seems that environmental pressures are becoming more of a factor in the Japanese manufacturer's decision on the matter.
When speaking to Cars Guide at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this month, Mazda's chief designer Ikuo Maeda still seemed keen on the rotary idea, but is unsure about how it is going to be received in modern times.
"I don’t know if we are having an RX-8 replacement, we have to see what the society thinks of that and what the environment is like in terms of accepting the idea of a sports car," he said.
In a world of EVs and hybrid, releasing an inefficient rotary-powered sports car could be seen as irresponsible by the masses, but is a sure-fire way of pleasing the nostalgic enthusiasts of the world.
"I understand that the clock is ticking and that the environment constantly changes, and we have to see if the current and future environment would be able to accept a sports car with open arms," he added.
Alongside the future RX model, it seems that another MPS version of the new Mazda3 is also up in the air. While Mazda has shown very little interest in making one, Maeda certainly seems keen.
"Personally, I’d like to try to have a high-performance version of this vehicle."