Mazda rotary sports car tipped for 2026 release
Japanese report suggests sexy Iconic SP concept will enter production in as little as two years – with full rotary powerThe eye-catching 2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept could be headed to production with a rotary engine as its primary power source (rather than just a range-extender) and could go into production as soon as 2026.
That’s according to Japan’s Best Car website, which cites unnamed Mazda executives as saying “nothing” had “been decided yet” apart from the “use of a rotary engine” somewhere within the svelte two-door sports car package.
The Japanese publication outlet referenced Mazda’s 2022 patent applications for a tri-motor rotary hybrid system, however, more recent statements from the brand’s top brass suggest the Iconic SP’s rotary range-extender powertrain is the more likely option.
“The Mazda Iconic SP… provides a solution that shows that cars are great and fun,” Mazda president and CEO Katsuhiro Moro said in January, describing the drivetrain as “a solution that fits the times”.
“This unique system, which uses a two-rotor rotary engine as a generator, can be used as a BEV powered by a motor and battery, and you can enjoy using electricity freely when you go out.”
These comments came more than a year after Mazda’s assistant manager of powertrain development Yoshiaki Noguchi ruled out the return of a primarily rotary-powered hero model in a British media interview.
“Now is not the time for that,” he said.
Whichever configuration Mazda ends up going with, there’s little doubt it is whole-heartedly committed to its trademark rotary technology, which was revived in the 2023 MX-30 R-EV range-extender rotary hybrid SUV that won’t be sold in Australia.
Earlier this year, Mazda officially opened a dedicated ‘rotary engine development group’ including engineers who worked on the legendary RX-7 and RX-8.
Fans have been begging for an RX-8 successor for more than a decade now, during which time there have been too many rumours, theories, tips and concepts to keep track of.
The most recent report surrounding the Iconic SP’s pending production greenlight come several months after the nameplate was filed with IP Australia – and various other global intellectual property offices – exclusively under Class 12.
However, the sub-clauses within the Iconic SP trademark application seem to refer more to the powertrain than the overall vehicle, given they reference traction engines and “mechanical elements for land vehicles”.
The sleek concept car shown at the Tokyo motor show last October comprised two electric drive motors, a small-capacity lithium-ion battery pack and a twin-rotor, flex-fuel rotary engine serving exclusively as a range-extender.
The motors throw out a combined 272kW and deliver all-wheel drive traction, while the battery can be charged via the internal combustion engine or an external power supply (like a traditional plug-in hybrid).
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Related: Mazda Iconic SP rotary sports car heading for production
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