Mazda Unveils Sleek Iconic SP Concept EV
Mazda’s electrification plans have been a little all over the map, as the automaker released a super-short-range EV and then stopped selling it before re-releasing it with a rotary range extender. The company recently displayed an exciting electric concept, but it retains the range extender, a complete oddity in today’s world.
The Iconic SP concept is slightly larger than a Miata but has all the right lines to be a sleek, attractive electric sports car. Mazda said the car has a 50/50 weight distribution and a two-rotor system that can utilize a range of fuels, including hydrogen. The car will also be able to generate electricity for external devices with a vehicle-to-load system.
Uniqueness aside, this concept’s buzzy marketing names obscure the fact that this would be a very unique vehicle if it made it to market. The U.S. doesn’t currently have range-extended EVs on sale from other automakers, though we’ve seen patent applications from some that suggest they could be on the horizon.
At this point, it’s hard to tell if Mazda is serious about bringing this concept to market, but it’s hard to imagine a future for the automaker without a small, fun sports car like the Miata. Electrification is a challenging nut to crack for all companies, especially small automakers like Mazda, so it will be interesting to see how it moves forward.
[Image: Mazda]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I was out and about today and noticed several non-Mazdas with pearl red paint which came close to Soul Red Crystal (it was a brilliant sunny day). And I asked myself, "Self, if other automakers can copy Mazda's nice red paint, what does Mazda offer, as an automaker, that no other automaker can copy?"
And perhaps I answered and perhaps I didn't have an answer. Do you?
Mazda always does concepts so well, but then the finished product is easily forgettable.
Please... this will never see a driveway, its total vaporware. It checks all the wrong boxes: small sports car, rotary power, range extender.
Makes sense.