We have been enthusiastic about the Iconic SP practically two years in the past when Mazda unveiled it on the Japan Mobility Present. Nevertheless, as soon as we stopped drooling over the coupe’s swoopy design, a query started to floor: Is that this the subsequent Miata? It was a good assumption. Mazda remains to be a comparatively small firm, and maybe it could’t afford to promote two sports activities vehicles. The Zoom-Zoom model even recommended it might shrink the car all the way down to the MX-5’s footprint.

Fortunately, the Iconic SP isn’t a preview of the fifth-generation Miata. Mazda Chief Technical Officer Ryuichi Umeshita instructed Motor Development the rotary sports activities automotive will probably be a separate mannequin positioned above the beloved roadster. He even stated we “can anticipate Iconic SP will probably be successor for RX-7,” though he stopped wanting confirming the return of the enduring nameplate. He did, nonetheless, deny that it might put on the Cosmo badge as a nod to the Wankel-powered lineage that started within the mid-Sixties.

So, how large is the Iconic SP anyway? It measures 164.5 inches (4180 millimeters) in size, 72.8 inches (1850 millimeters) in width, and stands simply 45.2 inches (1150 millimeters) tall, driving on a 102-inch (2590-millimeter) wheelbase. That makes it 10.4 inches (265 mm) longer and 4.7 inches (120 mm) wider than the ND-generation Miata.

On the identical time, it sits 3.3 inches (85 mm) decrease. Regardless of having a wheelbase 11 inches (280 mm) longer than the tossable roadster, it nonetheless has simply two seats. Effectively, no less than the idea did. The present automotive was comparatively gentle, weighing 3,197 kilos (1,450 kg). For comparability, a Miata RF with a guide transmission is 728 kilos (330 kg) lighter.

As for energy, the idea delivers 365 hp through an electrical motor, with a dual-rotor combustion engine serving as a generator to recharge the battery. Since its debut, Mazda has confirmed plans for a dual-rotor setup in America, providing extra muscle than the MX-30’s single-rotor vary extender. Whereas the crossover’s system didn’t meet U.S. laws, the brand new {hardware} will probably be made compliant.

Apparently, Mazda can also be contemplating a model the place the rotary engine immediately drives the wheels. This may be the primary time because the RX-8 bowed out in 2012 with the Japan-exclusive Spirit R version. A completely electrical Iconic SP is technically doable, however Mazda says it gained’t occur. No shock there.

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The rotary sports activities automotive might arrive earlier than the subsequent Miata. Mazda’s world design chief, Masashi Nakayama, instructed Motor Development that the present MX-5 will stay on sale for a couple of extra years. When the alternative does arrive, it is going to inherit some styling cues from the Iconic SP. Energy will in all probability come from the newly introduced Skyactiv-Z engine, with Umeshita confirming the six-speed guide, rear-wheel drive, and light-weight development are all right here to remain.

It’s too early for Mazda to debate pricing, however the rotary sports activities automotive will nearly definitely carry a hefty premium over the MX-5. The hardtop RF presently begins at $38,735 earlier than choices, so anticipate the bigger Iconic SP to be priced above $50,000, presumably even north of $60,000.