The Mazda RX-500 Concept is a Bonkers Rotary Shooting Brake

Mazda has a long history with the rotary engine. Sadly, at the moment, it doesn’t have a rotary sports car for sale. That will hopefully soon change, but for now all we can do is look back at some Mazda rotary history. And perhaps the most unusual rotary concept the Japanese automaker ever built was back in 1970. The RX-500 was first displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show and even then the public was aware of its outright insanity. It’s just as bonkers to this day.

This one-off mid-engined sports car concept features a single rotor with just under 500cc and yet it generates about 250 horsepower. It weighs a total of about 1,322 lbs. The headlights resemble those found on the iconic Ford GT40, and the taillights are just 70s-tastic. Top speed? 201 km/h.