Mazda has filed a chassis design patent that suggests a successor to the RX-8 sports car is on the way.
A ‘Vehicle Shock Absorption Structure’ patent drawing shows a spaceframe-style structure unlike any current Mazda’s. It also has double-wishbone front suspension, used primarily by sports cars, and a prominent crossmember that implies a front/mid-engine layout. Carbonfibre-reinforced plastic and aluminium also feature. It’s the latest in a long line of patent filings and reports that suggest Mazda is developing a “premium sports car” above the MX-5.
