The rotary is back, again! Sort of.
While some Japanese automakers like Nissan are charging ahead into the future with its concepts, Mazda brought this to the party: the ‘Iconic SP’. We originally thought this would be a preview of the next-generation Miata (especially since Mazda hinted at that in its teaser), but that is not the case here, per se. Instead, we’re looking at a sports car that draws cues from the FD RX-7, right down to the pop-up headlights. In 2023!
Of course, this isn’t the first time Mazda’s teased a modern interpretation on its RX line. We’ve seen the RX-Vision as well as the Vision Coupe concepts, and this follows largely in the same vein. You get a sleek, low body with a long hood, modern grille design and some old-school styling elements that harken back to the rotary’s glory days. Around the back, you also get a far more modern interpretation of the FD’s classic circular taillights, most prominent in the rare and highly collectible Spirit R.
As far as actual dimensions are concerned, the Mazda Iconic SP concept measures out to 164.5 inches long, 72.8 inches wide and 45.3 inches tall, on a 102-inch wheelbase. So, it’s a bit smaller than the RX-8, but larger than a new ND MX-5 Miata. Mazda says this car weighs 3,197 pounds.
Taking a look inside the Mazda Iconic SP concept
Inside, you get an astonishingly minimalist interior, save a start button, a digital instrument cluster and a small infotainment screen in the center. Interestingly, you get four tiny switches to control the car’s (disappointingly) automatic transmission, as well as a 3D view of the car on the central screen to mess with different settings like the 360-degree camera system, suspension and head-up display, which Mazda calls the “Active Driving Display”.
Mazda didn’t disclose too much technical information on the concept, but it did divulge a few tidbits to mull over. Under the hood, you get a twin-rotor hybrid setup, meaning the company is still at least thinking about a rotary engine sports car, to some degree. CEO Masahiro Moro suggested at the Iconic SP’s debut that it is a “highly-scalable” powertrain, though it’s not clear exactly what the idea is there. Will we see bigger engines, or is it easier than past rotary units to build at a high volume?
Moro and the company’s official statement also mention the hybrid system can “burn various fuels”, including hydrogen as well as other “carbon-neutral” fuels. So, while the company isn’t ready to ditch internal combustion completely — I suspect Mazda will cling onto internal combustion as long as it possibly can — it is trying to pitch this sort of powertrain in a more sustainable light.
According to Mazda’s official statement, this powertrain puts out 364 horsepower, putting it just ahead of the brand-new 3.3-liter straight-six the automaker is fitting to its “Large Architecture” vehicles like the CX-90 SUV. We don’t know how much of that is the rotary engine on its own versus the electric motor, nor do we know the battery capacity or even if it’s rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Will we see this head to production? Eh…
Normally, I’d say “we’ll have to wait and see”. As a full-fledged Mazda fan, however, I’m skeptical the company will actually bring a rotary hybrid sports car to market. It’s a cool idea, don’t get me wrong. However, we’re not getting the rotary range-extended MX-30 (or any MX-30 moving forward, for that matter), and the company’s focus has emphatically been toward shifting its image upmarket — not bringing us new sports car.
To my earlier point on this car not previewing the new Miata…Mazda does need to bring out a next-generation Miata! It’s been nearly a decade since it introduced the ND MX-5, and it’s highly unlikely, in my opnion, that Mazda would leapfrog its current, aging halo car with an electrified rotary RX-7/RX-8 follow-up.
Since the RX-8 went out of production in mid-2012, we’ve also endured a decade’s worth of rotary hijinks. The company teases new rotary vehicles, only for these “concepts” to never actually reach production. I believed the company’s SkyActiv diesel engine would gain some traction over here. I believed SkyActiv-X would launch in this market. And I thought a range-extended MX-30 made sense.
I want to believe Mazda could launch a new rotary sports car. Nevertheless, it’s a medium-sized car company and that powertrain doesn’t make much sense outside a sports car application. Now, Mazda could feasibly slot its straight-six engine under that long hood…but I wouldn’t hold my breath too long.
You can’t deny, though: The Mazda Iconic SP concept looks fantastic. Check it out in greater detail in the video below:
