How long has it been since Mazda discontinued the RX-8 sports car? June 2012 saw the assembly line come to a screeching halt, with Mazda finishing a little over 192,000 examples over nine years.
Three years later, the Hiroshima-based automaker unleashed the RX-Vision concept upon us. Gifted with a manual that's connected to a quad-rotor engine of the naturally-aspirated variety, the superb-looking design study never made it past the concept stage. Boo and hiss! Even though the RX-8 has yet to receive a successor, Mazda understands that rotaries help it stand out from other automakers.
Enter the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, which is best described as being as being a plug-in hybrid with an electric bias. The 830-cc rotary engine isn’t mechanically connected to the front wheels, but rather acts as a generator for the 17.8-kWh battery. Burning fossil fuel to make electricity isn’t exactly a novelty, but in this application, the fact that the combustion engine is a rotary is special indeed.
How about that rotary-engined sports car, though? Once again with a feeling, Mazda unveiled a design study instead of a vehicle intended for production. Pompously referred to as ICONIC SP in uppercase letters, this fellow rocks a two-rotor mill that – no surprises here – serves as a generator. That explains the lack of a stick shift, which is a bit of a disappointment for all rotary lovers among us.
Estimated to develop 370 metric ponies (make that 365 mechanical horsepower) at full chatter, the ICONIC SP weighs 1,450 kilograms (3,197 pounds). By comparison, the RX-8 offers up to 241 ps (238 horsepower) in combination with a curb weight as low as 1,309 kilos (2,886 pounds).
Photo: Mazda
Speaking of which, the RX-8 originally measured 4,425 millimeters (174.2 inches) in overall length and 2,703 millimeters (106.4 inches) from the front axle to the rear axle. How does the ICONIC SP compare? According to the numbers published by Mazda in the press release for said concept, 4,180 millimeters (164.5 inches) in overall length and 2,590 millimeters (101.9 inches) in wheelbase.
To sum it up nicely, the concept slots right between the RX-8 coupe and the MX-5 roadster. Pictured in Viola Red, the ICONIC SP features a near-perfect weight distribution. Mazda further waxes lyrical about the engine’s ability to burn a variety of fuels, including hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels.
Big kahuna Masahiro Moro further makes a case for the rotary being used as a power source for glamping, which is preposterous. Not only does the ICONIC SP offer little in the way of cargo capacity, but glamping clearly isn’t as high as Moro thinks it is on the list of priorities of a rotary enthusiast.
Described as “a new genre of sports car suited to the new era” by the chief executive officer, the ICONIC SP hasn’t been confirmed for production. Considering how badly the MX-30 sells (regardless of powertrain), pouring millions of dollars into a range-extended rotary sports car would be a huge mistake.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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