At last year’s famous Japan Mobility Show, Mazda unveiled the striking Iconic SP car concept powered by a next-generation rotary hybrid powertrain. Or that was when I published my first article last November. Now we hear that the production formula can be very different.
Last November, Mazda unveiled the concept of an electric vehicle with a Diversity Extender engine, a gasoline engine that the company says can also run on a variety of sustainable fuels. It may sound too futuristic for many, but such a powertrain already exists in a production car, forcing Mazda’s MX-30 R-EV, an SUV with a rotary engine that doesn’t power the wheels but drives a generator to recharge the batteries.
According to Mazda, the Iconic SP would use the same basic system, but would have two 830cc rotors from the MX-30’s single rotor and produce a lot more power – test more than 350 hp in total. And unlike the MX-30, the force would be channeled to the rear wheels, just like in a true sports car. But there is more.
When Mazda revealed key details of its next-generation “rotary-powered sports car,” many punters first drooled over the car’s forward-looking, dramatic lines, but soon felt robbed when they were told the car wouldn’t be powered by the engine. rotary. which would act more like an onboard generator.
Fast forward 10 months. Things are not what they seem. Now we’re told by Japan’s best-selling car magazine, Best Car, that a patent through Mazda has been filed with the Japan Patent Office, proving that the automaker is serious about producing this vehicle. . And probably with another propulsion system.
The content of this patent has caught our attention. Because now it looks like the rotary engine will drive the rear wheels in a mild hybrid system, not a diversity extender setup. In fact, we questioned Mazda’s original explanation last year, as the Iconic SP car concept used a thick center tunnel between the engine. force and passenger through which a propeller shaft would pass. When we asked a nearby Mazda worker if the rotary engine in this concept would definitely play the role of a “generator” to power the batteries, the nonchalant answer was “not necessarily. “Therefore, the patent has shown our initial questions.
What the patent hints at is that the rotary engine will be situated right on the front axle in a so-called “front center” configuration, making the car rear-wheel-drive without a steering wheel. The patent also suggests that the rotary engine will be connected directly to a 33-hp electric motor that will act as a flywheel and power the rear wheels.
Additionally, the transmission would be on top of the rear axle in the form of a transaxle and would feature an AMT (automated manual transmission) setup with the option of a 6-speed manual as well. The patent also suggests that in addition to the rotary engine and motor mix driving the rear wheels, two 23 hp in-wheel motors can also power the front wheels, giving the car 4WD capability to complement its off-road prowess. rear wheels.
The hybrid formula would also allow the engine to shut down completely, allowing the car to run exclusively on its electric motor. So from what we hear now, the next-generation rotary-engine sports car will be just that: a car driven through its rotary engine can run on a variety of other fuels, but at the same time it gains advantages from the assistance of an electric motor, allowing Mazda to comply with stricter emissions laws.
Expect to see the Iconic SP, which will likely appear under a more practical name, launching in late 2026 for around $45,000 to $50,000.
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