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Mazda Iconic SP promises MX-5 Miata fun with twice the power from a rotary-hybrid powertrain

The Mazda Iconic SP promises a balanced weight distribution, relative light weight, and double the power of the MX-5 Miata. (Image source: Mazda)
The Mazda Iconic SP promises a balanced weight distribution, relative light weight, and double the power of the MX-5 Miata. (Image source: Mazda)
The Mazda Iconic SP, a RWD RX-8-meets-Miata hybrid sports car concept, was unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show and is slated to run on a rotary-electric drivetrain that will burn biofuels, hydrogen, or LPG. Mazda also confirmed that the vehicle could be made more compact, hinting that we could see it realised as both a four-seater RX-8 replacement and a Miata-like compact roadster.
E-Mobility Launch

Mazda has been pushing the revival of the rotary engine as a mild-hybrid powertrain for some time now, but its showing at the Japan Mobility Show may be its most exciting vision for the future of its rotary-electric powertrain yet. The Mazda Iconic SP — which one must assume was named as such because of its obvious MX-5 Miata and RX-7 heritage — is a two-seater electric roadster concept that Mazda recently unveiled.

The compact sports car fits in somewhere between the Mazda MX-5 Miata and RX-8, in terms of size, but it is powered by a twin-rotor rotary engine that acts as a generator or range-extender for the 365-hp electric motor. The low-profile rotary engine will reportedly be located in the centre of the vehicle to grant it a 50-50 weight distribution — a trait that earned the MX-5 Miata its reputation as one of the most fun cars to drive — and a low centre of gravity.

That horsepower figure is more than double the 181 hp currently available in the Mazda MX-5, making it a rather exciting prospect, even if the Iconic SP weighs in at around 500 lbs more than a standard Miata (3,197 lbs for the Iconic SP and 2496 lbs for the MX-5 Miata). The rotary engine is also supposedly versatile enough that it can run on anything from biofuel to hydrogen, or even LPG.

In addition to an exciting, if somewhat unorthodox, drivetrain, the Mazda Iconic SP shown off at the Japan Mobility Show was deliberately oversized, meaning that it could be used as a concept to form the base of a two-seater MX-5 Miata roadster or a more practical five-seater RX-7 or RX-8 revival.

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The flush-mounted headlights are unlikely to make it to any production version of the Mazda Iconic SP. (Image source: Mazda)
The flush-mounted headlights are unlikely to make it to any production version of the Mazda Iconic SP. (Image source: Mazda)
Passenger and driver enter the Mazda Iconic SP via upswept doors. (Image source: Mazda)
Passenger and driver enter the Mazda Iconic SP via upswept doors. (Image source: Mazda)
The Mazda Iconic SP has a side profile that clearly pays homage to the Miata and RX-7. (Image source: Mazda)
The Mazda Iconic SP has a side profile that clearly pays homage to the Miata and RX-7. (Image source: Mazda)
The rear lights on the Mazda Iconic SP concept are some of the most unique at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. (Image source: Mazda)
The rear lights on the Mazda Iconic SP concept are some of the most unique at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. (Image source: Mazda)
A short rear and central weight distribution should make the Iconic SP a rather fun ride. (Image source: Mazda)
A short rear and central weight distribution should make the Iconic SP a rather fun ride. (Image source: Mazda)
 
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 10 > Mazda Iconic SP promises MX-5 Miata fun with twice the power from a rotary-hybrid powertrain
Julian van der Merwe, 2023-10-27 (Update: 2023-10-27)