Originally posted by monochrome Even with Ricoh's resources, I doubt PenCoh have the resources to develop a system camera today. There's really no rational reason for them to develop a digital LX system.
I doubt that resource capability or capacity is really an issue. Cosina is a small player in comparative terms, yet they managed to produce the Epson RD, as well as the Voigtlander Bessa series, the continued development of the latter in particular indicating their financial success in doing so. Modern 3D CAD/CAM means rapid prototyping is available, particularly for the mechanical and structural components, and tool and die development for the production phase.
Come to that, Pentax-Ricoh could even outsource part or all of the development and/or manufacture to Cosina, if they wanted to. I imagine it's largely a matter of strategic choices as to where they put their engineering and financial resources.
One good reason to develop a digital LX would be to produce the world's first system DSLR for the high-end enthusiast market, which is where a lot of the original LXes have finished up.