Wild sports car could become a reality: Mazda's eye-popping MX-5 and RX-7 rotary hybrid concept car could arrive by 2026 - report

Mazda produced one of the hits of the 2023 Tokyo motor show with the Iconic SP concept car.

Now, reports out of Japan suggest the wildly styled MX-5/RX-7 concept could become a reality sooner rather than later.

Insiders suggest a production ready car could appear as soon as 2026 and usher in a new era of rotary-powered Mazda sports cars.

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Mazda has long teased fans about the return of its vaunted rotary engine but the Iconic SP does things a little differently.

The sleek coupe could use a twin-rotor rotary engine as a generator to feed a battery that power a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels.

Nissan uses a similar concept with its Qashqai and X-Trail e-Power hybrids that use a small turbocharged petrol engine that juices up a battery with propulsion left solely to an electric motor.

Mazda said the concept weighs about 1500kg, which is significantly more than an MX-5 but would make it a lightweight in the electric car field.

This rotary hybrid tech is an evolution of what is found in the MX-30 R-EV sold overseas, which uses a tiny petrol engine to charge a circa-18kWh battery matched to a 125kW electric motor.

The Iconic SP concept’s electric motors would produce 270kW, which is about double that of an MX-5.

Mazda said the concept weighs about 1500kg, which is significantly more than an MX-5 but would make it a lightweight in the electric car field.

Mazda claims the Iconic SP would run on synthetic fuels to make it carbon neutral.

Mazda has long teased fans about the return of its vaunted rotary engine but the Iconic SP does things a little differently.

The Japanese brand’s boss Masahiro Moro said at the car’s reveal that it would be more practical than a conventional sports car.

He said drivers wouldn’t have to worry about range and it would be just as capable on the track as during the daily commute or shopping run.

It has the added benefit of a vehicle-to-load function that allows it to power regular household appliances.