Mazda’s Iconic SP Concept could be headed for production.
According to Mazda design head Masashi Nakayama: “This concept is not just one of those empty show cars. It has been designed with real intent to turn it into a production model in the not-so-distant future.”
From the look of things, Mazda will be slotting an eventual production version of the SP concept above the Miata. However, that may not necessarily mean the car is larger, as the company has previously alluded to its scaleable architecture.
It’s all good news, as a new sports car from the people making the best-driving one under $100,000 can only be. Still, there is a big question that needs answering.
There’s quite a lot of RX-7/RX-8 to the design, and the Iconic SP uses a dual-rotor gasoline engine paired with an electric motor for a combined 365 horsepower. Whether this will power an eventual production version is another question entirely.
Mazda has made it clear that, at least in part, the Iconic SP must also be ecologically minded, and the concept can run on alternative fuels as a result. It’s anyone’s guess whether any of this makes it to production, or Mazda simply uses its new inline-six hybrid.