It’s official: the rotary engine is making a return. Earlier this month, at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s largest car customizing event, Mazda held a press conference where President Masahiro Moro announced that “on February 1, we will launch the Rotary Engine Development Group.”
A Striking Concept and a New Rotary R&D Team Join Forces
Interpreting this statement, it strongly suggests that a rotary-powered sports car is on the horizon.
While Mazda already offers the rotary hybrid MX-30 R-EV crossover where the rotary engine serves merely as a generator to charge the vehicle’s batteries Moro’s announcement of a new rotary R&D group, shortly after the revealing of the stunning rotary-hybrid Iconic SP concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, implies the arrival of a sports car powered by a rotary engine.
According to ETrueSports, This new vehicle would not be limited to merely generating electricity like the MX-30.
The upcoming rotary-powered coupe is expected to deliver more than 350 horsepower, showcasing the significant performance potential of the rotary engine.
Mazda has been teasing the return of rotary-powered concepts for the past decade, starting with the breathtaking, award-winning RX-Vision concept in 2016, followed by the equally impressive rotary-hybrid Iconic SP concept in 2023.
Public and Media Support Paved the Way for the Project
Moro emphasized that the decision to revive the rotary engine was largely influenced by the overwhelmingly positive response from the media and the public, particularly following the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.
“I am deeply moved by all the support and encouragement I have received for the compact [Iconic SP] sports car concept. With your encouragement, we are launching a rotary engine development group on February 1 to move closer to this dream,” he said.
The public’s enthusiastic reception of the striking coupe was a key factor that encouraged Mazda to continue with this project.
Mazda’s new initiative is also a response to the lukewarm reception the company received when it previously revived the rotary engine not in a performance-oriented capacity like the RX-8, but as a generator for the MX-30 R-EV crossover hybrid introduced in 2023.
This new project aligns with information I published in August of last year, which suggested that Mazda’s rotary coupe would use a similar hybrid system to the one in the MX-30, albeit with notable differences.
The new vehicle is expected to feature two 830cc rotors, as opposed to the MX-30’s single rotor, and produce significantly more power around 350 horsepower, which will be delivered to the rear wheels, true to the nature of a sports car.
“In order to breakthrough the challenges of the carbon neutral era, rotary engine engineers who have acquired a broad technical perspective that transcends the boundaries of cutting-edge internal combustion engine technology will reunite,” Moro stated.
This implies that the team is working on reimagining the rotary powertrain to drastically reduce emissions and fuel consumption, while simultaneously boosting performance.
The hybrid system will also allow the rotary engine to shut off entirely, enabling the vehicle to operate solely on electric power.
From the details shared by Moro about the new rotary R&D group and the Iconic SP’s design, it’s clear that the next-generation rotary sports car will be powered by its rotary engine, which may run on various fuels, while being supported by twin electric motors.
This setup is expected to help the car meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations.
The Iconic SP, or a more practical version of it, is expected to launch around late 2026 or early 2027, with an estimated price of around $50,000.
