That’s quite the chunk over the current MX-5 and sounds very much more RX-esque to us. Even the engine being a rotary, would suggest an RX badge but we’ll have to see. It works exactly the same as it does in the MX-30 too, with the engine only there to charge the batteries, with no physical connection to the powered wheels. As you'll note by the cabin too, it looks like there's no manual transmission either, given this is effectively an EV with a petrol generator attached. How that'll go down with the purists, we're not so sure... Obviously, the engine is ‘powered by a carbon-neutral fuel’, which Mazda says can be hydrogen, sustainable fuel and more.
What a small electric battery and generator engine mean is that the Iconic SP can stay lightweight. In this specification, it weighs in at 1,450kg at the kerb, which while a heft more than the MX-5 or RX sportscars of the past, is positively featherweight compared to almost all other EVs. Mazda also says the weight distribution front to rear is a perfect 50:50, largely helped by the engine being positioned almost exactly central in the car.
On the inside, it certainly look a bit more plush than the average MX-5. We have a very swanky new wheel and carbon seats which along with the dash are trimmed in a dark blue alcantara material. Premium toggle drive selection controls sit below a small performance-oriented infotainment, both atop a prominent ‘transmission tunnel’, which gives a very cockpit-like look. Within the OLED driver’s binnacle we see a circuit map and a g metre either side of the speedo. Serious stuff.