2023-10-29 15:00:01
If there are two star products that are associated with Mazda, they are the rotary engine and the small cult convertible, MX-5. For this reason, the Hiroshima brand refuses to let them die, even though sales of two-seater sports cars are in decline and this type of engine is not particularly efficient or frugal in its consumption.
However, the manufacturer presented a ‘concept car’ at the Tokyo Motor Show that will, predictably, be the future for both elements. The Iconic SP is a two-seater coupe that will have a hybrid drive, in which an electric motor is associated with the legendary Wankel, which could run on synthetic fuels or even hydrogen.
According to Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro, the rotary engine they produce is flexible enough to support alternative propulsion, a “powerful” tool in the fight for carbon neutrality.
Rear of the Mazda Iconic SP. Mazda
According to the data presented by the manufacturer at the Tokyo Motor Show, the system could develop 370 horsepower – comparatively, the sportiest version of the MX-5 has 180 HP.
The combined use of a rotary engine with an electric one is already something that Mazda applies in the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV plug-in hybrid. In this case, the gasoline engine cannot move the wheels, but rather acts as a generator for the electric engine.
This is the solution that would be used in the Iconic SP to move, given that the response of the zero-emission engines allows them to offer better performance. The dimensions of the vehicle are 4.18 meters long, 1.85 wide and 1.15 high.
In size it is more reminiscent of the late RX7, but it does not have four seats like it. The manager stated that the size was larger for the exhibition car, but that it could be reduced to occupy the same size as an MX-5.
“We are determined, in the era of electrification, to keep alive the joy of driving that the MX-5 represents and the Iconic SP, with its dual rotary power generator electric powertrain, is our dream solution. “Mazda will always deliver vehicles that remind people that cars are pure joy and an indispensable part of their lives,” Moro said at the Tokyo Motor Show.
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