FIRST LOOK- Rotary-Engine Mazda Previews Next RX-7

We're here at Mazda's top-level design studio in Hiroshima in Japan to take a look at a new concept car called the Iconic SP and it looks a bit like that. Pretty, isn't it? And as far as concept cars go, the Iconic SP looks kind of tantalisingly close to being real. It's not made of titanium razor blades or hydroformed from recycled dolphins. Anyway, it's just a classic two-seat sports car with some really rather excellent lines. This is the best kind of concept, the one that doesn't take very much decoding. Mazda launched this car along with an updated MX-5 and everyone sort of assumed that it was a next-gen roadster. And although there's definitely a kind of greatest hits of Mazda's styling going on, and that's not a bad thing, the Iconic SP is either a super slinky MX-5 alike or a nod to the RX-7. So is it this or this? At first, when I saw the pictures, I was thinking MX-5, but now that I'm stood next to it, I'm thinking it's the RX-7, mainly because it's longer, lower and wider and more powerful than any MX-5 you can think of. Oh yeah, and it's got a rotary engine. Yes, it's not that kind of rotary because all is not as it seems. There's definitely a rotary engine in there, but it's a two-rotor system that acts as a generator for a fully EV drivetrain. So this is essentially an electric car with an ice engine to give it power-ups, an ice engine that Mazda says can run on a variety of sustainable fuels. As ever with most things with batteries and motors, it'll be pretty powerful, but slightly heavier than you expect. Power is quoted at 365 brake horsepower, weight at 1,450 kilograms, so it'll be fast but not silly. But that kind of power plant is also scalable, so you can upsize it for more powerful cars by adding more powerful motors and sizing up the generator engine. The rotary motor sits in the front for perfect 50-50 weight distribution, and with that kind of power output, it probably doesn't need dual motors, so there'll be a single unit packaged in the rear. And that's all aimed at what Mazda calls excellent driving performance and fun-to-driveness. This is all good news. But there is an addition to the electric package, because this car has vehicle-to-load capability, so you can use it as a mobile battery when you go camping, or indeed it could run your house in the event of a power outage. Oops. I just like the way it sits. It's not concept car challenging. I don't have to get used to it, or hear the story behind it before it makes sense. It just looks good. Classic proportions, a cracking colour, simple details. There are lovely, wide, crisp front wings that stretch over aero wheels with carbon-looking inserts, a beautiful shape to the windows here, and then again, this wave of rear arch that flows back into a very neat rear. But even there, again, we get a twist on the Mazda theme of twin round rear lights, and these kind of infinity symbol shapes. Even the Venturi down there is super simple. And simple is a theme that continues on the inside. Just have a look at how paired back that interior is. Compared to some of the digital theme parks that we're used to, this is back to basics in a big way. It's really simple. Basically, there's a small digital driver's display and a touchscreen in the middle, then this small steering wheel with some paddles behind it. Now, they could either be for, I don't know, a fake gearbox or for brake regeneration. And then on the centre console, you've got some sliders that pick your gear. That's the gearbox. Everything is just really kind of simple and neat. I have also noticed that there appears to be blue corduroy on the seats, which means that corduroy is definitely making a comeback. Yes. Of course, if you dig a little bit deeper, everything is sustainable and recycled. So there's biomaterial here and there and flax derived this and that. But actually, what stands out is the simplicity. And to find out a little bit more about why the iconic SP looks the way it does, we decided to ask the fellow that designed it, Masashi Nakayama. It's not what Mazda has included here, but what it's left out that's made this car stand out weirdly. The company kind of had to have a little bit of a shakeup and produce something genuinely exciting again to get itself going. And I think the iconic SP is exactly that car, even with its really strange rotary electric drivetrain. But if you think that does sound weird, don't forget it already exists in the MX-30 REV. This is just that on steroids. It's funny, but during the EV revolution, quite a few car company bosses are addressing the worry that cars are starting to become transport solutions rather than passionate items. Masahiro Moro, president and CEO of the Mazda Motor Corporation, said at Mazda, we are all determined and committed to delivering vehicles that bring joy and happiness to all because we have an unwavering belief that a great car can enrich its drivers and owners life. The iconic SP is a dream, but a dream will work hard to launch. And I think he's right. But you do have to get people to actually want the cars in the first place. And good cars only become great when you get form and function together in one package. So tell us what you think. Is the iconic SP son of RX-7 or next gen MX-5? And is it as pretty as I actually think it is?