After its debut at the Japan Mobility Show last year, Mazda is showing its latest sports car concept at home
The Mazda Iconic SP Concept was the undisputed star of last year’s Japan Mobility Show and is still making waves almost six months after its debut. That became clear today, as a simple message about the concept quickly went viral.
At X, Mazda announced that the car is now on display at its headquarters in Hiroshima and invited visitors to come take a look. Although the company said they are unsure how long the concept will be part of the exhibition, the… message announcing it received over 400,000 views and 6,700 likes.
The most interesting photo shows a team of three people carefully unloading the concept from a low loader. This was easier said than done, as the car’s low-slung design results in minimal clearance. Ultimately, however, the concept was successfully moved into the building, cleaned up and put on display.
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Photos: Mazda
As a refresher, the Iconic SP was announced as a ‘new type of compact sports car’ that combines environmental friendliness with simplicity and pure driving pleasure. Mazda didn’t go into many details, but the concept has a sleek Viola Red exterior with hidden headlights and a sleek grille. They are joined by a curvaceous body, butterfly doors and muscular rear haunches.
The sporty style continues inside with a minimalist cabin featuring a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a free-standing digital instrument cluster and a small infotainment system. The model also has environmentally friendly upholstery and a large center tunnel.
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Powertrain details are vague, but Mazda has previously said the car will have a “two-rotor rotating EV system,” a battery pack and a rotary engine that can “burn various fuels such as hydrogen.” This gives the concept a power of 365 PS (272 kW / 370 hp). The model also has a vehicle-to-charge function, which can be used to provide juice during camping trips or power outages.
The concept weighs 1,450 kg (3,197 lbs) and has a weight distribution of approximately 50:50. The car is expected to hint at the next generation MX-5, but it is approximately 267mm longer than the current model and has an additional 279mm between the wheels.