Mazda RX-8 (2008 - 2012)

The RX-8 carried Mazda’s rotary tradition into the 2000s with an unusual four-door coupe layout and the naturally aspirated Renesis engine. Its rear-hinged rear doors and balanced chassis made it more practical than an RX-7 while still feeling like a true driver’s car.

Its significance is bittersweet. The RX-8 was the final mass-produced Mazda rotary sports car, and it showed both the appeal and difficulty of keeping rotary engines alive under modern emissions and economy pressures. It remains valued for handling, character and uniqueness.