The Mazda Vision Coupe is achingly beautiful

By Ronan Glon Published December 22, 2017

The rumors claiming Mazda would introduce a brand-new coupe at the biennial Tokyo Auto Show were partially true. It might not be the born-again rotary-engined sports car fans were eagerly waiting for, but the Vision Coupe concept has immediately earned a spot on the list of Mazda’s most beautiful models to date.

The Mazda Vision Coupe isn’t a coupe in the proper sense of the term because it has four doors. It’s more of a sporty fastback with a coupe-esque roof line; think of it as a budget Audi A7. The front end wears a more elegant evolution of Mazda’s Kodo design language, which characterizes the brand’s current models. Large wheels pushed out as far as possible give the Vision Coupe a sporty, confident stance. It looks like it’s moving fast even when it’s parked.

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The silhouette blends simple pencil strokes and discreet accents (like the piece of trim behind each front wheel) to add a pure, understated touch to the overall look. Round tail lights integrated into a wide, concave part of the rear end create a visual link between the Vision Coupe and the MX-5 Miata, which is currently the sports car torch bearer of the brand’s portfolio. Mazda’s stylists make designing a gorgeous, well-proportioned sedan look like child’s play.

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What lies under the hood is anyone’s guess at this point. The four round exhaust tips conspicuously sticking out of the rear bumper confirm the model isn’t electric. It could nonetheless use some form of electrification, like a 48-volt mild hybrid system or a plug-in hybrid powertrain, or it might rely on the innovative Skyactiv-X engine Mazda will introduce next year under the hood of the new Mazda3. Hopefully the Vision Coupe packs a powerful punch to back up its achingly good looks.

“The Vision Coupe represents Mazda’s design vision for next-generation models,” according to a statement published online by the company. That’s vague at best; the design study could simply hint at what the next-generation Mazda 6 will look like, or it could serve as an accurate preview of an upcoming production model. For the sake of enthusiasts worldwide, we hope it’s the latter.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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