Rotaries are smaller and lighter than conventional combustion engines, making them ideal (in theory) for sports cars. All three iterations of the RX-7 were powered by high-revving rotary engines, as was the RX-8 that followed in the 2000s. The Iconic SP concept featured a twin-rotor unit alongside two electric motors that supposedly produced 365bhp. 

Mazda showed how the rotary engine could be used for a plug-in hybrid with the short lived MX-30 R-EV, as well as the Vision X-Coupe. However Schultze wants to ensure this unique engine Mazda fans love so much can actually drive the wheels, not just generate energy for some electric motors. 

“If you want to have it more sporty then maybe you look rotary plus a more sporty oriented hybrid, more parallel hybrid rather than a series hybrid,” said Schultze, “because people who cherish the engine, they want to feel the power of the engine directly, not only listen to it.”

He added a rotary-hybrid set-up like in the Iconic SP “is a highly efficient powertrain. And if you fuel this with CO2 neutral fuel, you don’t need to feel somehow ashamed [when driving it] because you can say, I’m compatible, I’m sustainable, I’m renewable.”

Although Schultze did admit “there are things which are difficult, for example, emissions – feasible but difficult – so we need to look into what is possible for the future.”

Everything we know about the Mazda Iconic SP concept 

At the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show unveiling of the Iconic SP and the updated MX-5, Mazda President and CEO, Masahiro Moro said: “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.” 

The actual size of the Iconic SP (4,180mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,150mm tall) is close to the final FD-generation RX-7. With rotary power plus the SP’s sleek design, it’s impossible not to make the link to Mazda’s nineties sports car icon. 

Mazda says the Iconic SP weighs 1,450kg. While that is over 100kg more than the FD RX-7, it’s relatively lightweight compared to, for example, the latest BMW M2 (1,725kg). 

The Iconic SP looks almost identical to the earlier Vision Study Model concept, aside from a new headlight cluster. The sleek coupe profile, low bonnet, smooth surfacing, curved side window and overall proportions all mimic the FD RX-7, too. 

Inside the minimalist cabin, there are large paddles behind the Alcantara-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, meanwhile the relatively small touchscreen in the middle of the dash shows readouts on regenerative braking, launch control, active aerodynamics, G-force vectoring control and a 360-degree camera. The driver’s display has a G-force readout and a mini-map of Monaco’s street circuit.

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