Mazda boss says Rotary sports car is getting closer

It’s been just over a year since Mazda hinted at the return of the RX. The Iconic SP took the form of a slim coupe with a twin-rotor engine. Since the grand concept premiered at the Japan Mobility Show, the Zoom-Zoom company has continually dropped hints about putting the car into production. In a new interview with Automotive NewsThe boss strongly suggested that the two-seater sports car come about.

According to Mazda Chairman and President Masahiro Moro, work on the Iconic SP is progressing. The aim is to bring a production version to market: “We remain persistent in making this a reality and we are marching towards it step by step.” This is not a confirmation that RX is coming back, but basically it is next best. We’ll just have to wait for the road car, which may be smaller than the concept.

Shortly after the concept’s premiere, chief designer Masashi Nakayama said that the car “could easily be scaled down to Miata-like proportions.” That’s led to speculation that the Iconic SP could preview the fifth-generation MX-5 instead of an RX revival. It’s still unclear whether the Wankel sports car would sit above the Miata or replace it entirely.

As a reminder, the concept was 164.5 inches (4180 millimeters) long, 72.8 inches (1850 millimeters) wide and 45.2 inches (1150 millimeters) high, with a wheelbase of 102 inches (2590 millimeters). The weight was 3,197 pounds (1,450 kilograms) and was distributed almost evenly between the front and rear wheels, allowing for near-ideal weight distribution.

Masahiro Moro has already confirmed that Mazda is planning a twin-disc engine for the US. He explained that Americans want more power in the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV than the current single-disc engine offers, which we don’t get here. But like the crossover, the sports car’s twin-rotor engine didn’t drive the wheels, at least not in concept. In other words, the rotating assembly was not mechanically connected to the wheels. Instead, it was a generator that produced energy to power a battery that powered an electric motor.

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Mazda hasn’t revealed the displacement of the Wankel engine, but the electrified crossover uses an 830cc single-rotor design. It remains to be seen whether the twin-rotor has a displacement of 1.6 liters or not. In concept, the Iconic SP had 365 hp available, which would be too big a leap for a Miata successor. Logic tells us that a new RX is planned instead. If true, the next MX-5 will be powered by the recently announced Skyactiv-Z engine.

As a reminder, Mazda reinstated its rotation team in February 2024 with the goal of “developing attractive cars that delight customers with our challenger spirit.” A new RX definitely meets these requirements. The “RE Development Group” consists of 36 engineers and is the first time since 2018 that the Japanese car manufacturer has its own development team for Wankel engines.

The last RX was assembled in 2012, when the last RX-8 Spirit R was built for the domestic market. A new one would be the 13 from Mazda^Th Car with rotary engine. Let’s hope that’s not an unlucky number.