Key findings
- The Mazda Iconic SP Concept showcases the potential to delight and delight in the future of the automotive industry, proving that sports cars can still thrive in the era of renewable energy.
- The concept car is equipped with a twin-rotor EV system that combines classic rotor technology with future electric power, allowing it to burn different fuels such as hydrogen and operate in a virtually carbon-neutral state.
- While it remains unclear whether the Iconic SP Concept will directly influence the upcoming 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the concept car’s innovative powertrain and sleek design point to a promising future for Mazda’s legendary sports cars.
Presented at the recent Japan Mobility Expo, Mazda The Iconic SP Concept is one car that aims to prove car dealers wrong by showing that there’s plenty of room for sports car as we boldly open up a whole new world of automotive industry. The Iconic SP is a concept we want to see as a production car, and it has a drivetrain of future sports technology from the past, and Mazda fans will be excited to hear the word rotary again. But what does this mean for the future of the brand’s most famous name? Could this concept car be a sign of what’s to come for the MX-5 Miata? Here is a string.
Mazda’s new rotary electric system
To answer this question, we will first give you a brief description of the rotary engine and what makes it so unique. A favorite of a huge number of gearheads, especially those who are most interested in Japanese cars, the rotary engine is an innovative powerplant with a unique rotor design, unlike the more common piston engines. The rotor, a three-pointed triangle that rotates in an oblong chamber, rotates continuously in one direction, creating a rotating motion that generates power as the engine moves through the four phases of the engine cycle.
Performance characteristics
power |
170 hp |
A turning point |
191 lb-ft |
Method of transmission |
Single-speed direct drive |
0-60 mph |
9.1 seconds |
The highest speed |
87 mph |
A rotary engine has fewer moving parts compared to reciprocating engines, and they are also compact and lightweight. Beloved in some quarters of the automotive world for their smooth power delivery and high revs with an impressive exhaust note and power-to-weight ratio, they are most associated, at least in the automotive world, with Mazda.
Mazda has taken its classic rotary technology and given it a touch of the future with its new twin-rotor EV system in the Iconic SP Concept. The engine is electric, but its batteries are powered by a rotary engine that can apparently run on a variety of fuels.
In a new release about the car, Mazda said about the engine:
“Two-rotor rotor EV system, which uses a large-scale rotary engine that can burn a variety of fuels such as hydrogen, generates electricity using a carbon-neutral fuel. In addition, when the battery is charged with electricity from renewable energy sources, the car can be driven in a virtually carbon-neutral state.”
The prospect of this new technology will interest sports car enthusiasts, especially those interested in the rotary engine.
Mazda Iconic SP Concept: What we know
All this fuss comes from Mazda’s new concept car unveiled by Mazda at the recent Japan Mobility Expo, the Iconic SP. The luxurious and futuristic concept car created by Mazda made people seriously think about the future of the sports car.
We’ll start with its design, which is simple, sleek and aerodynamic. If it weren’t for the iconic Mazda badge, you’d be forgiven for thinking this new car was a product of the likes of Ferrari, Jaguar or Mercedes-Benz. With gullwing doors, massive alloy wheels and a slick profile, the Iconic SP clearly has aerodynamics at the heart of its design, and size-wise Mazda says it’s just slightly longer and wider than the current ND Miata. The car appears to have an automatic transmission controlled by four separate switches, but the rest of the interior doesn’t tell much about the car, other than that it’s simple and sport-oriented.
As discussed, the Iconic SP runs on a twin-rotor electric vehicle system, where the electric motor does all the work to power the car, but a rotary motor that runs on different types of fuel supports that electric motor, and the rotary motor in the Iconic SP is reportedly capable of running on a variety of fuels. types of fuel, for example, on hydrogen.
Of course, this is just a concept car, so how much of the Iconic SP Concept will be incorporated into future Mazda vehicles remains to be seen, but this car and its innovative powerplant will likely have a direct impact on the future of Mazda and its legendary sports car brand, including the unique MX-5 Miata.
Potential performance of the 2025 MX-5 Miata
Concept cars serve several purposes for manufacturers, from showing off technology already in development to exploring new technologies and features, and Mazda likely designed the Iconic SP for one of those reasons. While the car may only exist as a showcase for Mazda’s capabilities, the legendary Japanese company may have developed a powerplant for use in one of its future sports cars, perhaps even the legendary MX-5 Miata.
Similar in style and body to Mazda’s most famous car, the Iconic SP fits the bill of what the MX-5 could look like in the future, in a rapidly changing automotive world and the use of a fossil-fueled internal combustion engine. engine that is coming to an end, this unique and innovative engine could at least inspire the powerplant of the upcoming 2025 Mazda Miata.
2023 Mazda MX-5 Performance
0-60 mph |
5.7 seconds |
The highest speed |
136 mph |
Equipped mass |
2341 pounds |
Horsepower |
181 hp |
A turning point |
151 lb-ft |
Model |
Front engine, rear drive |
Perhaps, in its current state, the twin-rotor EV system is too affordable to use in its current format. At the moment, this project has no serious competitors, and it seems that the vast majority of the industry is still using battery-powered electric cars, but this does not necessarily mean that the rotary system of electric cars will never exist in any country. format. What we do know is that Mazda has yet to release an electric version of the Miata, the company has hinted that the car will be powered by an internal combustion engine, and they are unlikely to stop it anytime soon. Does this rotary EV system have enough advantages to make it a viable power plant of the future, or is it just a showcase of what Mazda engineers can do? This is entirely up to the manufacturer’s choice and what they feel is important for the next generation Miata. As long as it remains fast, light, balanced and simple, we’re sure the MX-5’s legacy will live on well into the future.
Sources: Mazda news.