Mazda’s rotary-electric sports car may sell alongside MX-5

The Iconic SP concept car by Mazda will evidently go into production, according to American publication MotorTrend.

It has been two years since Mazda unveiled the Iconic SP concept at the Japan Mobility Show. Initially, the thinking was that this would be the next MX-5. But it turns out not. 

Mazda Chief Technical Officer, Ryuichi Umeshita, recently told MotorTrend that the rotary sports car will be a separate model. It will be positioned above the popular roadster.

He even said that it will be a logical successor for RX-7, although he did not confirm the return of the iconic nameplate. He did say, however, that it would not wear the Cosmo badge. RX-9 is a possible model name. However, that’s a stretch, given the twin-rotor power unit acts only as a generator.

The production car will be 264mm longer than the current MX-5 and 120mm wider. It will also ride 84mm lower. Despite its wheelbase being 280mm longer than the roadster’s, it still has seating for just two, at least if it follows in the footsteps of the concept car. It weighs around 330kg more than MX-5. 

As for power, the concept delivers 272kW via an electric motor, with a dual-rotor combustion engine serving as a generator to recharge the battery. Since its debut, Mazda has confirmed plans for a dual-rotor set-up in America, offering more output than the MX-30’s single-rotor range extender. While the crossover’s rotary system didn’t meet US emissions regulations, the new hardware will, according to the firm.

Mazda is also working on a version where the rotary engine directly drives the wheels. A fully-electric Iconic SP is possible but Mazda says it won’t build that.

The rotary-equipped sports car could arrive before the next MX-5 which is still two years out. When the replacement arrives, it will inherit styling cues from the Iconic SP. Expect a version of the new Skyactiv-Z engine under the hood, along with the expected six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, and lightweight construction.

We asked Mazda NZ whether they had any information on the future of this vehicle. They said that there is a definite desire to build the vehicle, but had no particulars on when or if it would happen.