We were smitten by the Iconic SP nearly two years ago when Mazda unveiled it at the Japan Mobility Show. However, once we stopped drooling over the coupe’s swoopy design, a question began to surface: Is this the next Miata? It was a fair assumption. Mazda is still a relatively small company, and perhaps it can’t afford to sell two sports cars. The Zoom-Zoom brand even suggested it could shrink the vehicle down to the MX-5’s footprint.
Thankfully, the Iconic SP isn’t a preview of the fifth-generation Miata. Mazda Chief Technical Officer Ryuichi Umeshita told Motor Trend the rotary sports car will be a separate model positioned above the beloved roadster. He even said we “can expect Iconic SP will be a good successor for RX-7,” although he stopped short of confirming the return of the iconic nameplate. He did, however, deny that it would wear the Cosmo badge as a nod to the Wankel-powered lineage that began in the mid-1960s.
So, how big is the Iconic SP anyway? It measures 164.5 inches (4180 millimeters) in length, 72.8 inches (1850 millimeters) in width, and stands just 45.2 inches (1150 millimeters) tall, riding on a 102-inch (2590-millimeter) wheelbase. That makes it 10.4 inches (265 mm) longer and 4.7 inches (120 mm) wider than the ND-generation Miata.
At the same time, it sits 3.3 inches (85 mm) lower. Despite having a wheelbase 11 inches (280 mm) longer than the tossable roadster, it still has just two seats. Well, at least the concept did. The show car was relatively light, weighing 3,197 pounds (1,450 kg). For comparison, a Miata RF with a manual transmission is 728 pounds (330 kg) lighter.
As for power, the concept delivers 365 hp via an electric motor, with a dual-rotor combustion engine serving as a generator to recharge the battery. Since its debut, Mazda has confirmed plans for a dual-rotor setup in America, offering more muscle than the MX-30’s single-rotor range extender. While the crossover’s system didn’t meet U.S. regulations, the new hardware will be made compliant.
Interestingly, Mazda is also considering a version where the rotary engine directly drives the wheels. This would be the first time since the RX-8 bowed out in 2012 with the Japan-exclusive Spirit R edition. A fully electric Iconic SP is technically possible, but Mazda says it won’t happen. No surprise there.
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The rotary sports car could arrive before the next Miata. Mazda’s global design chief, Masashi Nakayama, told Motor Trend that the current MX-5 will remain on sale for a few more years. When the replacement does arrive, it will inherit some styling cues from the Iconic SP. Power will probably come from the newly announced Skyactiv-Z engine, with Umeshita confirming the six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, and lightweight construction are all here to stay.
It’s too early for Mazda to discuss pricing, but the rotary sports car will almost certainly carry a hefty premium over the MX-5. The hardtop RF currently starts at $38,735 before options, so expect the larger Iconic SP to be priced above $50,000, possibly even north of $60,000.
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