Mazda Iconic SP concept designer hints at production model with rotary engine [Video]

• Mazda continues to hint strongly at a production version of the Iconic SP concept
• Concept debuted at the 2023 Tokyo auto show
• Power comes from electric drive system with rotary engine serving as generator

Mazda’s Iconic SP sports car concept unveiled at the 2023 Tokyo auto show may have a bigger role than the typical glitzy show car rolled out to help build a brand’s image.

In an interview with Mazda’s own Inside Mazda blog published on Nov. 7, Masashi Nakayama, Mazda’s general manager of design, said the concept was designed with production in mind.

“This concept is not just one of those empty show cars,” he said. “It’s been designed with real intent to turn it into a production model in the not-so-distant future.”

In the same interview, Naohito Saga, Mazda’s executive officer of R&D strategy and planning, said the concept demonstrates Mazda’s commitment to sustainability, and how the rotary engine fits in with that commitment. Mazda in February reinstated a team to …