Mazda RX-500
| Mazda RX-500 | |
|---|---|
 RX-500 at Tokyo Motor Show 2009 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Mazda |
| Production | 1970 (concept car) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Layout | Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Wankel 491cc |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,450 mm (96.5 in) |
| Length | 4,330 mm (170.5 in) |
| Width | 1,720 mm (67.7 in) |
| Height | 1,065 mm (41.9 in) |
| Kerb weight | 850 kg (1,874 lb) |
The Mazda RX-500 is a Japanese mid-engined concept car first shown to the public at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show. It is a two-door sports car, accessed by forward-swinging butterfly-wing doors.
The RX-500 was promoted as a mobile test bed for road safety, including multi-coloured lights at the rear which indicated whether the car was speeding up, braking or cruising.[1]
The car weighed 1,873 lb (850 kg), and was powered by a 491cc Wankel engine that was mounted forward of the rear axles, producing 247 hp (184 kW).[2] The engine was accessed via gulling doors.
The car was restored for the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show[3] and is now on display at Hiroshima City Transportation Museum, and was shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK in 2014.[4]
References
- ↑ "Mazda RX-500 - a Tokyo show star from 1970". Autocar. 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ↑ Petrány, Máté (25 July 2014). "The Rotary-Powered Mazda RX-500 Shooting Brake Is Mindblowing". Jalopnik. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ↑ Johnson, Erik (21 October 2009). "2009 Tokyo Auto Show: 1970 Mazda RX500 Concept". Car and Driver. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ↑ Wilkins, Adam (24 July 2014). "ONE-OFF MAZDA RX500 MAKES ITS FIRST VISIT TO THE UK". Goodwood. Retrieved 17 August 2014.