Mazda is celebrating the Iconic SP’s one year anniversary and is hoping that this beautiful study will enter series production. “It was designed with the true intention of becoming a production model in the not-too-distant future,” said Masashi Nakayama, general manager of Mazda’s design department. Could it be the next MX-5?
Naohito Saga, executive director of Mazda’s R&D Strategic Planning Division, adds: “Before finalizing the specifications, we carefully studied every detail: from the position of the doors and wheels to the length of the vehicle, passenger seating position and visibility. We want this vehicle to express Mazda’s commitment to the future, especially regarding sustainability and the role of the rotary engine in the future.”
This fits in with the internal combustion engine collaboration Mazda has with Subaru and Toyota. “Since the rotary engine can be combined with electrified powertrains and CO2-neutral fuels, Mazda is further developing this technology through new collaborations to make a significant contribution to a CO2-neutral society,” said Masahiro Moro, representative director, president and CEO of Mazda Motor. Corporation.
The Wankel engine is currently making an unexpected comeback at Mazda: soon after the Mazda MX-30 R-EV with a rotary engine (it has the function of extending the autonomy of the electric drive) goes on the market, the brand goes one step further. At the 2023 Japan Mobility Expo, Mazda premiered the “Iconic SP” concept, which combines rotary and electric technology.
This concept vehicle combines a twin rotary engine with an electric vehicle platform – an advancement of the approach the company recently introduced with the new Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV.
Like the 2024 Mazda MX-5, which was also shown at the show, the Iconic SP, according to Mazda, “represents the company’s ongoing pursuit of developing products that fully express the love of cars and driving.”
The joint premiere of the restyled MX-5 and this concept is probably not a coincidence. Mazda further emphasizes: “The Iconic SP’s low center of gravity provides even better driving characteristics. The light and compact rotary unit could be placed in the center of the vehicle – thus achieving unique vehicle proportions with a particularly flat hood.”
The Iconic SP is somewhat larger in dimensions than the current MX-5:
Length / Width / Height (mm): 4,180 / 1,850 / 1,150
Wheelbase (mm): 2,590
Weight (kg): 1,450
Power (kW/HP): 272/370
Power-to-weight ratio (kg/HP): 3.9
Although the study is a sports car with a hard roof, it can already give hints about the design of the next-generation MX-5 model. Fans of the brand may notice visual similarities to Mazda’s last FD-badged RX-7 model. Could this be a hint of a possible Mazda RX-9?
Will the drive system also go into series production? The presented twin rotary engine with EV system offers a high degree of scalability with flexible layout. In addition, according to Mazda, the rotary engine can use a variety of fuels, including hydrogen and other climate-neutral liquid fuels.
“We love the Mazda MX-5, the world loves the MX-5, and we want to keep the joy of driving that this model brings, even in the era of electrification,” said Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro when unveiling the concept vehicle at the Tokyo Mobility Expo.
“The Iconic SP’s EV powertrain with a dual rotary engine driving a generator is our ideal solution. A dream for which we will fight hard to achieve. “Mazda will always make vehicles that remind people that cars bring pure joy and are an indispensable part of their lives,” Moro added.
In addition to the Iconic SP, the company’s stand also premiered the Mazda MX-5 for the 2024 model year. This roadster is presented with an improved design of front and rear LED lights, modifications in the interior, as well as new technologies and functions for greater safety, connectivity and driving pleasure.
Mazda is also showing the first-generation MX-5 (Type NA), a symbol of the brand’s signature driving pleasure, a two-thirds life-size model of the MX-5 for a simulated driving experience for children, as well as an MX-5 adapted for people with physical disabilities, which can only be operated by hand.
Source: www.magazinauto.com
