One of the craziest car manufacturers out there would probably be Mazda which owes its fame to its very own rotary engine. At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, the company revealed the Mazda Iconic SP concept car which is powered by a dual-rotor rotary EV system. The powertrain gets even more interesting so please do continue reading.
What makes the Mazda Iconic SP’s powertrain even more interesting is the fact that the 2-rotor rotary “engine’ is placed in the middle, so you pretty much have a midship rotary EV with a 50:50 weight distribution. Although the rotary’s return and configuration are very intriguing, it is to be noted that the beloved rotary engine functions as a generator for the EV system. Mazda however has not specified the electric motor configuration of this concept car.
What makes the rotary engine “sustainable” is that it is able to run on several types of fuels – hydrogen and carbon neutral fuels included. With the engine positioned in the middle, the Mazda Iconic SP sports a very low hood which gives it a super sleek appearance. It definitely takes a lot of inspiration from the Mazda RX-7.
The front end heavily resembles the RX-7, albeit with sleeker-looking headlights… which are apparently pop-up headlights! Combined with the rotary mill, the Mazda Iconic recalls nostalgic feelings like a champ. The overall profile and the taillights of Mazda Iconic SP also pay homage to the bubble era of Japanese cars.
Inside, things have taken the minimalist approach with a very clean dashboard and centre console design. There’s nothing too radical inside here except for the gear selector design which appears to be sliding switches. All else, the Mazda Iconic SP features two screens (head unit and instrument cluster) and a rather conventional steering wheel with paddle shifters.
Mazda says that it will continue to pursue the “Joy of Driving”, “Joy of living”, and “Human centric” design in its cars. Mazda Representative Director, President and CEO, Masahiro Moro said, “Mazda will always deliver vehicles that remind people that cars are pure joy and an indispensable part of their lives. As a car-loving company that mass-produces the inspiring mobility experience, we are committed to shaping the future with our partners sharing the same goal, as well as our fans, where everyone can proudly say, ‘we love cars.’ With such a strong will, Mazda is committed to enrich life-in-motion for those we serve.”
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