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"         It&amp;#039;s been seven long years since the Mazda RX-7 last graced the North American market, but come early 2003, it&amp;#039;s long-awaited successor, the RX-8, returns stateside, rekindling Mazda&amp;#039;s rotary-powered flame. Combining sports car performance and genuine room for four, the RX-8 promises to raise eyebrows with its fresh approach to what a sports car looks like and how it functions.   While still about a year away from hitting showrooms, for this month&amp;#039;s cover story, Sam Mitani had a chance to drive a near-production version of Mazda&amp;#039;s edgy new creation. With 250 normally aspirated horses underhood and an anticipated price below $30,000, the RX-8 should match up well against the similarly priced Nissan 350Z.   Here are some of this striking new car. They&amp;#039;re no substitute for the actual machine, but will have to do until the real thing comes along. For the on what to expect, grab a copy of the April issue \u2014 on newsstands now. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a9226/behind-the-scenes-the-return-of-the-rotary/>