The Mazda Iconic SP Concept Is A Rotary-Powered Love Letter, Not A Promise

Love Letter Ts (1)
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Last night at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, Mazda unveiled a concept car that looks like the son of the FD RX-7, and everyone’s frothing at the gash. The Mazda Iconic SP Concept is drop-dead gorgeous and equipped with a two-rotor engine, but temper your expectations — it might not actually preview any production model.

Fundamentally, the Iconic SP Concept picks up where the RX-Vision concept of 2015 left off — a curvaceous red coupe with a rotary engine under the hood. However, we live in a vastly different time than we did eight years ago, so the Iconic SP gets a vastly different implementation of the rotary engine. Instead of a beastly quad-rotor hitched to a six-speed manual gearbox and driving the wheels directly, it uses a two-rotor engine as a range-extender with electricity actually providing propulsion. If that sounds a bit like David’s BMW i3 on steroids, you aren’t wrong.

Mazda claims a stout 365 horsepower from the Iconic SP Concept, along with a feathery-by-EV-standards curb weight of 3,196 pounds. In theory, both of those numbers should place it in 2025 Porsche 718 EV territory, a fascinating look into an alternate universe of electrified sports car wars. However, while some automaker’s sports car concepts run solely on electricity, the Iconic SP Concept should run on just about anything. Not only can the batteries be recharged plugged in, the two-rotor range extender can run on multiple different fuels including hydrogen. Presumably, good ol’ refined petroleum products also do the trick, and you might even be able to run it on ethanol. In any case, use of the rotary engine as a generator should sidestep longevity and efficiency concerns, as apex seals require engine speed to maintain pressure, and rotary engines are most efficient at fixed speeds. We’re already seeing rotary generators in practice in the Mazda MX-30 EV, so it’s neat to see Mazda scaling that up.

Mazda Iconic Sp 1 L

On the outside, the Iconic SP Concept radiates beauty through simplicity, with touches such as hidden headlamps, pleasantly-curved glass, and Aston Martin-style swan doors. Designers used hard creases in the same sparing manner as lawyers use exclamation marks, and the result is a fresh air high of unbridled nostalgia. When every crossover has enough creases for three or four cars, compound curves stand out. There’s definitely a strong third-generation RX-7 influence to the styling, but as that’s one of the most beautiful cars of all time, that’s no bad thing.

Int Front L

Inside, the Iconic SP Concept ditches a modern Mazda signature. There’s no rotary infotainment command knob here, just a single screen tucked below a flat, suede-wrapped dashboard. The only physical controls on the console are vintage typewriter-like keys for gear selection, as if this thing’s driver will write the Great American Novel by firing its low-slung nose at the horizon. Overall, the cabin feels like a stitched-blue and painted-red celebration of minimalism, a deep ingrained knowledge of what a sports car means and feels like. Other marques ought to take note.

Mazda Iconic Sp 2 L

There’s a lot of buzz about the Iconic SP Concept previewing the next MX-5, but I don’t think that’s the case. For one, the MX-5 has always been a lightweight, affordable roadster, not a flex of absolute technical innovation. Secondly, Mazda’s rotary-powered cars have largely used the model prefix “RX,” and this new concept certainly has third-generation RX-7 DNA in its styling. Thirdly, Mazda reportedly isn’t ready for a rotary-powered sports car at this point in time. Yoshiaki Noguchi, the assistant manager of Mazda’s powertrain development division, told Autocar back in January:

It’s a dream of engineers at Mazda to have a sports car with rotary. Now is not the time for that. When the company situation is a lot better [in regards to completing its roll-out of electrified models], we can think about that dream another time.

The Mazda Iconic SP Concept is a dream, pure and simple. It’s a concept car in the purest sense of the term; with hopes and aspirations draped over futuristic technology to show what an automaker can do. A sculpture of desire, a product of letting designers off the leash. It’s a love letter to cars, to the thrill of the open road, the desire for mechanical knowledge, the iconoclastic viewpoint of tearing down the concept of mere transportation. It might never make production, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a statement of intent, and one we can all get behind.

Rear L

In the press release for the Iconic SP Concept, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro laid out a mission statement: “As a car-loving company that mass-produces the inspiring mobility experience, we are committed to shaping the future with our partners sharing the same goal, as well as our fans, where everyone can proudly say, ‘we love cars.'” Sure, it contains some shareholder-pleasing buzzwords, but it also contains an equal amount of love. At the end of the day, isn’t that why we’re all here?

(Photo credits: Mazda)

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52 thoughts on “The Mazda Iconic SP Concept Is A Rotary-Powered Love Letter, Not A Promise”

  1. I just noticed that this car has Venn Diagram taillights. I wonder what they represent. Perhaps the intersection of the sets of cars that I’d like to buy and cars that I could buy.

  10. As the resident rotary nut, I am enthused. No, wait, I am perplexed. No, I am, I don’t know. The RX-Vision was the most beautiful concept to come out of Mazda in a long time and it’s a shame it never saw the light of day in production form. Eight years later, it still looks incredible. The Iconic SP also looks great, and the powertrain is unique with the combination of electric motors and a two rotor generator, but that doesn’t scratch the itch for most of us.

    I guess what I am saying is, would you all please keep buying CX-90s, CX-70s, CX-50s and whatever else is extremely profitable for Mazda so some of us can have one last shot at a rotary powered sports car?

    1. I couldn’t care less that it features a rotary-engine generator. The rotary’s unique character is muted and isolated from the driving experience here. Yeah, it’s compact and lightweight which is very welcome, but it adds zero character to the car.

  11. I sincerely hope they “get the company in the right place” in time. They’ve been wanting to build a new RX for how long? I fear by the time ‘the right time’ rolls around, it’ll be too late and ICE will be outlawed across most of the rich world. It seems a shame to deprive the world of that.

    I hope this is signaling *something*. As V10omous said, slap the I6 in it and ship it. Build the Supra Toyota should have.

    1. It’s already too late for anything directly driven by a rotary. It really never had a time. Mazda was just so damn stubborn about offering it that they worked around its many shortcomings in the pursuit of something distinctive. It’s kinda like Porsche never giving up on the rear engine layout. Except Porsche actually tamed it to a great degree. I love the idea of a rotary, but it just falls short in practice.

      1. But Porsche never stopped offering the 911 for 15 years, occasionally making a concept and saying “some day”. They know the 911 is the company.

      1. Skyactiv 3 was to be the next step after Skyactiv X which was the first to use compression ignition with regular gasoline. Skyactiv X was rolled out in Europe a while ago.

        There was fanfare in 2017 about how it was projected to deliver an amazing 56% thermal efficency on regular gas but for the past few years there’s been no updates on 3. Even Mazda’s website dosen’t mention it, they only talk about X.

        Did the tech fail? Was it reconsidered to be just a refinement of X, unworthy of a whole new designation? Was it abandoned because gas got cheap or because of EV mandates? Was it all just a crazy fever dream?

        What happened?

        Inquiring minds wanna know, I WANNA KNOW!

  16. Beautiful! Although I don’t know why there’s a seam over the windshield header as if it’s a removable top, but IDC. No rotary junk or $20k dealer mark up and I would buy it.

  17. I can’t help but notice the Mazda CX models running around in their “Soul Red Crystal” coating — the color really stands out. A car like this with that color?
    *Chef’s kiss*!

    1. A Skyactiv inline-6 under the hood, and changing out the headlights for something rounded(see Miata Italia kit car), and built to about 5/6th scale, would be a beautiful combo with that body shape.

  22. “ It might never make production, but that doesn’t matter.”

    I feel like this is an overly nice way of putting it. Anyone that thinks this will make it to production can buy my ocean-front property in Arizona. 🙁

    1. Even if it did make it to production, this isn’t what anyone really asked for. An electric sports car with a rotary range extender is precisely NONE of the things enthusiasts want when they ask for a rotary sports car. Every rotary fan wants that rotary driving the rear wheels mechanically, not electrically. If it doesn’t do that, it’s just going to be disappointing.

      It’s like buying a dog, except the dog lives in a sealed box designed to protect it, and can’t leave. You can feed the dog through a tube, and look at it through a window if you want to, but even if it’s really cute and unique, you’ll always be sad that you can’t feel the dog’s fur or play with it or hear it get excited. Sure you technically have the dog, but it isn’t able to provide any of the joy that dogs can bring if you can’t actually interact with it.

      What could be worthwhile is if Mazda made it a Prius-style hybrid, where the engine still drives the wheels, but the electric motor provides enough low-end torque to minimize strain on the engine. Manual hybrids have been built before, so it would still be possible to make an engaging rotary sports car as a hybrid.

    1. The MX-30 was a prime example of a great idea poorly executed. It was too small, too expensive and way way way too slow.

      The idea of a high-performance electric drive sports car with a smallish battery + lightweight ICE range extender and proper sized fuel tank is what was needed. The MX-30 was a penalty box where this concept is a move in the right direction (I like the Vision 4 door a little better though).

      Any car enthusiast who thinks this concept, if ever made real, won’t be a true sports car needs to rethink the concepts of instant torque / torque vector steering, low center of gravity, and balanced handling) – when coupled with an ICE range extender you have a true sports car that doesn’t suffer the limitations of finding a charge station or cost-effective public charging. This drivetrain combination is the best of all worlds. Great performance, Super EV efficiency (electric motors are WAY more efficient than even the best ICE engines) – and for those longer trips / track days the ability to gas up and keep on going once the battery is depleted.

      I’d love to know the specifics on the expected battery range (I assume it’s a smaller next-gen battery pack for light weight) – hopefully at least 100 miles and also the size of the gas tank (assuming 11 gallons? Something to add another 300 miles or so for a cruising range of 400+ before needing to take 4 minutes to tank up again)

      1. I’m with ya. A small battery and drive motor probably isn’t even that much heavier than a small transmission and driveshaft. Though I do think to be adopted widespread the same concept does unfortunately have to be applied to lame crossovers.

        IMO both series and parallel PHEVs have a place in our electric future. They could even build something like this as a parallel hybrid WITH A STICK. Just have a designated gear for EV mode and otherwise use the electric motor with the gas one.
        See: 7th gen Civic

        But, I’ve been driving pretty heavy cars all of my life so maybe I’ve bought into the idea that tire and suspension technology can make up for a bit of portliness. Now IMO a nice linear engine and manual transmission can’t be beat, but I know plenty of people that would buy an automatic sports car.

      2. I don’t think the MX-30 with the range extender was ever even sold here (for some reason), and the pure EV version was barely marketed only in California. The whole thing was the equivalent of when a movie studio finishes production on a new high budget picture, then decides to not screen it for critics and quietly release it straight to video, they screwed up and knew it

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