7. Mazda RX-8 (SE3P, 2003-2012)
The RX-8 carried the rotary torch into the twenty-first century, utilizing the Renesis 1.3-liter twin-rotor engine to produce between 189 and 238 horsepower. With a naturally aspirated rotary mounted low and behind the front axle, the RX-8 achieved an almost perfect 50/50 balance. Its four-door “freestyle” layout—front-hinged front doors and rear-hinged back doors—provided genuine practicality without compromising form.
Although criticized for fuel consumption and complexity, the RX-8’s chassis—double-wishbone suspension front and rear—delivered a level of agility and communicative steering unmatched by its contemporaries. As the last mass-produced rotary sports car, the RX-8 proved Mazda’s unwavering commitment to lightweight engineering and the beloved rotary ethos even as emissions standards tightened globally.