Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 


Mazda Iconic SP: an RX-9 for the EV age? Image by Mazda.

Mazda Iconic SP: an RX-9 for the EV age?
Mazda’s Iconic SP is powered by 370hp twin-rotor-assisted electric powertrain, could be the MX-5 replacement.
<< earlier Mazda article     later Mazda article >>

 


News homepage -> Mazda news

What's all this about?

This glorious-looking thing from Mazda is either the replacement for the long-serving MX-5 sports car, or the next car to get an 'RX' badge from the company... or maybe it's both. Anyway, it's called the Iconic SP and it has been revealed to the world at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS), which used to be known far more prosaically as the Tokyo Motor Show.

It's gorgeous. Is it really going into production?

According to Masahiro Moro, the president and CEO of Mazda, yes it is. He said: "We love the MX-5, and the world loves the MX-5. We are determined in the age of electrification to keep the joy of driving which the MX-5 represents alive, and the Mazda Iconic SP, with its dual-rotary power generator EV powertrain, is our dream solution. A dream we will work hard to launch. Mazda will always deliver vehicles that remind people that cars are pure joy and an indispensable part of their lives."

Hold up - this is a dual-rotor car?!

It is indeed, hence why we have our suspicions that it might not just be a range-extended electric vehicle (R-EV) replacement for the Mk4 MX-5 when its time comes, but possibly even an RX-9. But don't get too excited - it's not a dual-rotor engine doing the propulsion work. Rather like the recently launched MX-30 R-EV, the Iconic SP is an EV first and foremost, with the dual-rotor engine simply topping up the battery pack on the move. Even so, it's still a drool-inducing thing and we have a few numbers to play with, as well.

Such as?

Such as the Iconic SP makes 370hp, all of which is powering a relatively trim (for an EV, at any rate) 1,450kg of car. Measuring 4,180mm long, 1,850mm wide and just 1,150mm tall, the Mazda concept is a wonderful, low shape, which helps with aerodynamics and also a decent centre-of-gravity that should be sited down near the deck. And if you're worried that having a small petrol engine onboard will make the Iconic SP irrelevant in a zero-carbon future, fret not. Mazda says it can get the dual-rotor to burn a variety of fuels, including hydrogen, while if the battery pack is charged from renewably sourced electricity then the car pretty much registers zero emissions.

This is amazing news. Do we know when it might make it to production?

Not as yet, no. But, while we're talking about the MX-5, there's a bit of news on that front too. Mazda has updated the car for 2024, including new light clusters front and rear with LED daytime running lamps incorporated into them at the nose, while inside there's an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen and revised instrumentation drafted into service. Engines are unchanged, which means you will still be able to choose between the 132hp 1.5-litre unit or a 184hp 2.0-litre motor, while the Roadster and Retractable Fastback (RF) body styles are also carried over. It, too, received its global debut at the JMS.



Matt Robinson - 25 Oct 2023


2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept. Image by Mazda.2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept. Image by Mazda.2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept. Image by Mazda.2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept. Image by Mazda.2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept. Image by Mazda.

2023 Mazda Iconic SP concept. Image by Mazda.  








www.mazda.co.uk    - Mazda road tests
- Mazda news
- Iconic SP images






Mazda CX-80 expands SUV range. Image by Mazda.
Mazda CX-80 seven-seat SUV revealed
The Mazda CX-80 will come in diesel and PHEV form.
 
Mazda specials mark its 100th birthday. Image by Mazda.
Mazda 100th Anniversary specials confirmed
UK confirms three of the range-wide Mazda 100th Anniversary Limited Editions will make it here.
Mazda shoehorns new CX-30 into crossover line-up. Image by Mazda.
Mazda shoehorns new CX-30 into crossover line-up
Geneva debut for CX-30, aiming to blend best of Mazda's CX-3 and CX-5.

 
 215 Racing
 9ff
 A. Kahn Design
 Abarth
 Abt
 AC Cars
 AC Schnitzer
 Acura
 Aehra
 AIM
 Alfa Romeo
 Alpina
 Alpine
 Amari
 APS Sportec
 Arash
 Arden
 Ares
 Ariel
 Arrinera
 Artega
 Ascari
 Aston Martin
 Atalanta
 Atomik
 Audi
 Austin
 Auto Union
 Autodelta
 Autofarm
 Autosport
 AVA
 Avatar
 Axon
 Aznom
 BAC
 BAIC
 Bentley
 Bertone
 Bizzarrini
 Bloodhound
 Bluebird
 BMW
 Bosch
 Bowler
 Brabham
 Brabus
 Breckland
 Bridgestone
 Brilliance
 Bristol
 Bugatti
 Buick
 Burton
 BYD
 Cadillac
 Callaway
 Callum
 Caparo
 Capstone
 Carlsson
 Caterham
 CCG
 Chang'an
 Changfeng
 Chevrolet
 Chevron
 Chongfeng
 Chrysler
 Citroen
 Climax
 Connaught
 Cooper Tires
 Corvette
 Cummins
 Cupra
 Dacia
 Daewoo
 Daihatsu
 Daimler
 Dartz
 Datsun
 David Brown
 David Brown Automotive
 DDR
 De Tomaso
 Delta
 Detroit Electric
 Devon
 Dodge
 Donkervoort
 Drayson
 DS
 Eagle
 Eagle E-type
 EDAG
 edo competition
 Eterniti
 Everrati
 Evisol
 Exagon
 FAB Design

 
 Factory Five
 Faralli & Mazzanti
 Fenix
 Fenomenon
 Ferrari
 Fiat
 Fisker
 Ford
 G-Power
 Geely
 Gemballa
 General Motors
 Genesis
 Ginetta
 Giugiaro
 Glickenhaus
 GMC
 Goodwood
 Google
 Gordon Murray
 Gordon Murray Automotive
 Gordon Murray Design
 Gray Design
 Great Wall
 GTA
 GTM
 Gumpert
 Hamann
 Hartge
 HBH
 Heffner Performance
 Hennessey
 HERE
 HiPhi
 Holden
 Honda
 Hulme
 Hummer
 Hyundai
 I.D.E.A
 Icona
 IFR
 Infiniti
 Ionity
 Isis
 JAC
 Jaguar
 Jeep
 Jensen
 Jetstream
 JJAD
 Joss Developments
 Kahn
 Kamala
 Keating
 Kia
 Koenigsegg
 KTM
 Kumho
 Lada
 Lagonda
 Lamborghini
 Lancia
 Land Rover
 Lexus
 Liberty
 Lightning
 Lincoln
 Lister
 Loma Performance
 Lorinser
 Lotus
 LupiniPower
 Luxgen
 Mahindra
 Mansory
 Maserati
 Mastretta
 Maybach
 Mazda
 McLaren
 Mercedes
 Mercedes-AMG
 Mercedes-Benz
 Mercedes-Maybach
 Mercury
 Metrocab
 MG
 Michelin
 MINI
 Mitsubishi
 MMI
 Monte Carlo
 Mopar
 Morgan
 Mosler
 MTM
 Munro
 NAC MG
 Nichols Cars
 Nissan
 NLV

 
 Noble
 Novitec
 Opel
 Overfinch
 Pagani
 Perodua
 Peugeot
 Piaggio
 Pininfarina
 Polestar
 Pontiac
 Porsche
 Praga
 Preview
 Prodrive
 Project Runningblade
 Project Velocity
 Proton
 Protoscar
 Qoros
 Radical
 Range Rover
 Red Bull
 Renault
 Reva
 Rimac
 Rinspeed
 RoadRazer
 Rolls-Royce
 Ronn Motor Company
 Rover
 RUF
 Saab
 SAIC
 Saleen
 Saturn
 Scagliarini
 SCG
 Scion
 SDR Sportscars
 SEAT
 Sin
 Singer
 Skoda
 Smart
 Soleil
 Spada
 speedArt
 Sportec
 Spyker
 SRT
 Ssangyong
 SSC
 Startech
 STaSIS
 Subaru
 Suzuki
 Suzusho
 TAD
 Tamiya
 Tata
 Techart
 Tesla
 The Little Car Company
 THINK
 Thunder Power
 Tojeiro
 Tommy Kaira
 TomTom
 Toray
 Toyota
 Trabant
 TranStar
 Trident
 Tushek
 TVR
 TWR
 UKCOTY
 Vanda Electrics
 Vauxhall
 Velozzi
 Vencer
 Venturi
 Veritas
 Vizualtech
 VL Automotive
 Volkswagen
 Volvo
 VUHL
 WCA
 WCotY
 Webasto
 Westfield
 Wiesmann
 Xenatec
 Yamaha
 Zagato
 Zarooq
 Zeekr
 Zenos
 Zenvo



 
 






External links:   | Irish Car Market News |

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©