Stuttgart - Japanese carmaker Mazda is planning to use a hydrogen-powered version of its Wankel engine for its new RX-9 sportster.

According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine, the radically-styled, RX-9 coupe will make its debut in dual-mode form, with an engine which can burn both petrol and hydrogen. The car will go on sale in 2012, said the report, which quoted sources close to the company.

By using a dual-fuel power train, Mazda hopes to curb the normally high fuel consumption of the current RX-8 and emphasise the green credentials of the rotary engine. The Japanese maker has been experimenting with hydrogen propulsion for several years.

The RX-8 is the world's only production car to use the revolutionary rotary engine invented by Germany's Felix Wankel in the early 1950s. The unit uses a roughly triangular-shaped rotor to generate power instead of conventional reciprocating pistons. (dpa)