Is the rotary sports car revival really happening? For over a decade, we’ve been hearing Mazda say it will bring it back in one way or another. At times, it feels like The Boy Who Cried Wolf with several false starts and unfulfilled promises.
We say it every year but this time might be different. Not only has Mazda confirmed production for the Iconic SP Concept, the company is determined to give it rotary power. It’s huge progress given all the rumors that have swirled for over 15 years.
Here’s the best part: There are some specs that we can expect in the future road-going version. It’s pretty juicy.
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For starters, it will likely have two-rotor engine hooked up to an EV drivetrain just like the concept. Before you get disappointed, we’re just glad that Mazda is making it happen. Think of it as a beefed up R-EV system as seen in the more humble MX-30 crossover. How beefed up, you ask? We’ll get to that a little later.
Mazda aims to make the car properly compact, too. Should the production model be modeled after the Iconic SP, we’re looking at just 4.1 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and a mere 1.1 meters tall. Also, Mazda appears to be targeting a sub-1,500kg curb weight. That’s significant given than electrified vehicles easily go over 1,800kg.
Now, for power. Based on the concept, we’re looking at pretty serious numbers given its weight. It’s approximately 370hp, which may sound conservative in today’s world of 600hp+ sports cars, but it’s expected to be light. Factor in the instant response of electric motors, and we might be seeing 0 to 100kph times in the low three-second range.
When can we expect the production version. There’s no official date yet but Mazda has hinted that it might roll out within two to three years. That was mentioned last year, so it’ll either be 2026 or 2027. Who knows, they might even tease it at the Japan Mobility Show that will be held this October.
RX-7 revival, anyone?
