It's been a little over a year since Mazda hinted at the return of the RX. The Iconic SP took the shape of a slinky coupe with a two-rotor engine. Ever since the gorgeous concept premiered at the Japan Mobility Show, the Zoom-Zoom company has been dropping hints about putting the car into production. In a new interview with Automotive News, the head honcho strongly suggested the two-seater sports car is happening.
According to Masahiro Moro, Mazda's Chief Executive Officer and President, work on the Iconic SP is progressing. The intent is to launch a production version: "We still persist in making it happen, and we are marching towards it step by step." While this isn't a confirmation the RX is coming back, it is basically the next best thing. We just have to wait for the road-going car, which may end up smaller than the concept.
Shortly after the concept premiered, Chief Designer Masashi Nakayama said the car "could easily be shrunk down to Miata-like proportions." That has led to speculation the Iconic SP could preview the fifth-generation MX-5 instead of an RX revival. It's still unclear whether the rotary sports car would sit above the Miata or replace it altogether.
As a refresher, the concept was 164.5 inches (4180 millimeters) long, 72.8 inches (1850 millimeters) wide, and 45.2 inches (1150 millimeters) tall, with a wheelbase of 102 inches (2590 millimeters). It tipped the scales at 3,197 pounds (1,450 kilograms), split almost evenly between the front and rear for a nearly ideal weight distribution.
Masahiro Moro has already confirmed that Mazda is planning a two-rotor engine for the United States. He explained Americans want more power than the current one-rotor engine offers in the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV we don't get here. But as with the crossover, the two-rotor engine for the sports car didn't drive the wheels, at least not in the concept. In other words, the rotary setup was not mechanically connected to the wheels. Instead, it was a generator, producing energy to feed a battery that powered an electric motor.
Mazda Iconic SP Concept
Mazda hasn't disclosed the rotary engine's displacement, but the electrified crossover uses a single-rotor, 830-cc design. It remains to be seen whether the two-rotor displaces 1.6 liters or not. In the concept, the Iconic SP had 365 horsepower on tap, which would be too big of a jump for a Miata successor. Logic tells us a new RX is planned instead. If that's accurate, the next MX-5 will be powered by the recently announced Skyactiv-Z engine.
As a refresher, Mazda reinstated its rotary team in February 2024 with the goal of developing "attractive cars that excite customers with our challenger spirit." A new RX certainly fits that bill. The "RE Development Group" has 36 engineers and marks the first time since 2018 that the Japanese automaker has a dedicated rotary engine development team.
The last RX was assembled in 2012 when the final RX-8 Spirit R was built for the domestic market. A new one would be Mazda’s 13th car with a rotary engine. Let's hope that's not an unlucky number.
Source: Automotive News
