[pastarocket]

Your thoughts on Mazda’s concept at the Tokyo auto show?

This car has a hybrid rotary powertrain.

-from a Top Gear article:

Welcome to the classiest show car on display in Tokyo. It’s called the Mazda Iconic SP, a compact, classically proportioned sportscar built to simply embody “the joy of driving”.

As such, the fundamentals are fairly straightforward. There’s a rotary engine featuring twin rotors, though here – as in the MX-30 R-EV – it’s used merely to charge the battery which in turn powers the electric motors. No word on how many motors, but we know the rotary has been fitted “in the centre of the car, resulting in a low hood”.

The 365bhp output certainly helps, especially when it only has to motivate 1,450kg of car. “It’s wider, lower and longer than an MX-5,” Stenuit said, “so it’s a different kind of animal”. Weight distribution is said to be 50:50 – of course – and Mazda said the ICE can be run on “various fuels such as hydrogen”.

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[headhunt3r]

Looks cool. If this is a sneak peek at what the next or next next miata, I wonder if an auto miata can somehow be as fun as a manual. I don't care about numbers I just want it to be fun to drive

[Traum]

I think the lines are gorgeous, and the car looks smaller than it does -- initially I thought it was Miata-sized, but the actual measurements turned out to be a bit bigger (both longer and wider).

But I also feel like Mazda's stubborn insistence on keeping a rotary in it as a range extender is a mistake. By its very nature, hybrids and PHEV are a transitional phase. They represent the best of both world, but they also represent the worst of both worlds. In a sports car where weight is the enemy, why would you want to lug the extra pounds of an ICE and all of its necessary accessories around? And then there is the space question -- the amount of space those ICE-based accessories take up could also be put to better use for something else, or to make the car smaller.

Had this been the ND Miata, I would have bought it without question. Even in its current size, I would have loved to buy it if it were a pure ICE or pure EV. But as a PHEV sports car? I don't believe in that.

[JDMDreams]

Hate to say it but Mazda designs are really good ever since the 2000s while Honda dicked around with the fk8 shits and the precoord that they just released. :pokerface: I would be interested, it's sad they never continued on with the rx8, but with everyone else releasing new sports cars I don't see why not since they have the Miata already. the new cx90 cx50 looks gorgeous. I recall watching something that the rotaries do really well as generators cuz they can run at a certain rpm for extended times?

[asian_XL]

where was this?

https://www.thedrive.com/content/2017/09/mazda-rx-vision.jpg?quality=85&crop=16%3A9&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1920

[Teriyaki]

Neat!

When I did the Mazda Factory Tour in Hiroshima some years back, I remember some other more excitable guests were asking if they were ever planning on bringing the rotary back. They mentioned something secret was in the works for something very exciting involving a rotary/hybrid with a shit-grin on their face.

Didn't think much of it other than to placate a hardcore fan-base but wow here we are!

[danned]

first 2 pic feels like "who fucking cares"

[RabidRat]

Wow. Very FD.

[twitchyzero]

another comment said it best: front end is too 2010s concept

rx vision is much more desirable but obviously this is more production-friendly

looks like they took the current miata, stretched it and gave it rx-7 signature curves which they've done a great job

weight looks very good for EV, but i'm not sure i'd wanna spend what's easily 75k+ for an automatic 2-seater

[AzNightmare]

Not really my cup of tea... Too curvy.
That 3rd pic just looks weird... It's hard to define any edges. Looks like a blob.

[teggy604]

The side mirror look useless. But then I saw the camera, so I guess there is no need for a mirror. lol.

[underscore]

Someones finally making a reliable rotary! Now when the apex seals go you can still get home on the electric motor.

Jokes aside I think rotary engines are supposed to be best at constant speeds so this is probably a really good use case.

As for the car the grill looks a bit odd but that's kinda typical Mazda. It looks better than most of the stuff they've done lately. The rest looks like kinda typical concept car over the top-ness.