The Mazda RX-8 is unique among cars. It has a spinning engine and is prone to self-dismantling if not carefully maintained. It also has rear half-doors that open from the back and has an unconventional, long and narrow shape. Unfortunately, the late-aughts/early 2010s Mazda Maw refresh only made it worse. But these are also the most reliable models, so you can’t have it all.
However, Mazda has an even weirder version of the RX-8. They created a convertible RX-8 as promotional vehicles for their baseball club, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. One of these vehicles is currently on display at Mazda Brand Space Osaka.
The Hiroshima Toyo Carp made it to the Japan Series in 2016 after a long dry spell. Mazda participated in the parade to celebrate their achievement, and the roof-less RX-8 was part of it. Unfortunately, Hiroshima didn’t win the championship.
To reinforce the RX-8’s chassis after removing the roof, Mazda added a large rollbar where the B-pillar would normally be. This rollbar served both as reinforcement and as a support for the players to lean on during the parade.