Is it really happening? Mazda RX-7 comeback teased with hybrid rotary Iconic SP concept

Mazda has revealed a sports car concept that has a rotary engine - but don't get your hopes up just yet.

Dubbed the Iconic SP, Mazda calls it a "response to the emotions of customers who 'love cars' and 'desire a car that simply embodies the joy of driving'".

Some seem more inclined to call it a hybrid RX-7 concept.

The Iconic SP concept, finished in Viola Red, uses a small two-rotor rotary engine as a power source for the battery, which also draws 'recycled energy' from the drivetrain and brakes, so that it essentially drives like an EV, much like the Mazda MX-30 R-EV.

The engine, while not directly driving the wheels, is claimed to be "highly scalable" and "can burn various fuels such as hydrogen" or other carbon-neutral fuels. Despite the inclusion of a combustion engine, Mazda hopes the car will be used with almost no carbon emissions.

"When the battery is charged with electricity derived from renewable energy, it is possible to drive in a virtually carbon-neutral state."

Its system output is pegged at 272kW, and Mazda says the low-mounted rotary allows a 50:50 weight distribution to be joined by a low centre of gravity for proper sports car proportions.

The 1450kg sport car measures 4180mm long, 1850mm wide and 1150mm tall, making it a little bigger than an ND MX-5 and about 500kg heavier.

Mazda also adds, in a strangely conflicting sentence, that it has V2L capacity and "can supply power when enjoying outdoor leisure and in the time of a disaster".

Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro said it's a reminder that "cars are pure joy and an indispensable part of [our] lives".

"We are committed to shaping the future with our partners sharing the same goal, as well as our fans, where everyone can proudly say, 'we love cars.'"

We've been here before, looking at a concept car that seems like it's heralding the return of the iconic Mazda rotary sports car - the Mazda RX-Vision was revealed at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and has resulted in no production car since.

It remains to be seen whether anything comes of the Iconic SP.