Heart racing concepts

THE Tokyo Motor Show 2015 struck an upbeat note with flashy concept cars amid one of the biggest gatherings of carmakers in the Japanese capital since the 2009 financial crisis.

Mazda led the way with a revival of the RX sports car nameplate. The RX-Vision sports concept is a long and slinky front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe that company president Masamichi Kogai hinted may be rotary-engined.

The last time Mazda had a flagship sports car was the RX-8. The 2+2 with rear "suicide" doors was discontinued in 2012 after its 1.3-litre Wankel engine could not meet emission standards.