Mazda on Wednesday unveiled a stylish new generation of its popular 3 hatchback and sedan but fans pining for a high-performance Mazdaspeed version are set for disappointment.
Speaking to Drive at the reveal of the new 3 at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show, Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto said the company wasn't planning an MPS version. MPS is the name Mazda uses for Mazdaspeed outside of North America and Japan.
Marumoto explained that Mazda is a small company and that the focus now is improving the quality and refinement of its lineup to match premium brands.
Sadly, Marumoto in the same interview with Drive said there were no plans for a rotary-powered sports car. He didn't give a reason but Mazda has previously stated challenges of low sports car volumes and high emissions of powerful rotary engines.
It doesn't mean we won't see a rotary in a new Mazda, however. The automaker confirmed in October that it is working on a range-extended electric car that will use a small rotary engine as the range extender.
