At the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, Mazda teased the Iconic SP Compact Sports Car concept, which bears a striking resemblance – or at least a strong lineage – to the final FD-generation RX-7.
Since then, reports of the Iconic SP heading to production have frequently emerged, though conflicting information has suggested it may replace the MX-5, or be a standalone model, or maybe not even reach showrooms at all.
Speaking to Motortrend, Mazda’s Chief Technical Officer, Ryuichi Umeshita, put at least one of those rumours to bed, saying “You can expect Iconic SP will be a good successor for RX-7”.
The yet-to-be-named sports coupe is expected to complement the MX-5, rather than take away from the long-standing but smaller model. One big difference between the two will be the production Iconic SP’s engine, which will be a rotary.
At least it will in part, as it’s expected to act as a generator for the on-board battery which feeds an electric motor, becoming a range-extender. According to Motortrend, the electric motor will produce about 270kW, while the engine itself will be compliant with strict emissions regulations.
For context, the most powerful RX-7s made 206kW from the factory, although this was when Japanese manufacturers had a gentleman’s agreement to not publish higher power figures. The true number was expected to be much higher.
What we still don’t know is when it will launch, though rumours suggest 2026 or 2027 as likely candidates.
The latter date would mean it arrives on the global market around the same time as Mazda’s new Skyactiv-Z engine range, expected to be cleaner than any engine the brand has previously produced.
At that time, it would’ve been 25 years since the last RX-7s rolled off the production line, and 15 years since the end of production for the RX-8, the quirky four-door semi-successor.
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