The Mazda Iconic SP concept was the undisputed star of last year’s Japan Mobility Show and it’s still making waves nearly six months after its debut. That’s clear today as a simple post about the concept quickly went viral. The most interesting photo shows a team of three people carefully unloading the concept off a flatbed truck. This was easier said than done as the car’s low slung design results in minimal clearance. However, at the end of the day, the concept was successfully moved into the building, cleaned up, and put on display.
As a refresher, the Iconic SP was billed
as a “new type of compact sports car” that combines eco-friendliness with
simplicity and the sheer joy of driving. Mazda hasn’t gone into many specifics,
but the concept has a sleek Viola Red exterior with hidden headlights and a
slender grille. They’re joined by curvaceous bodywork, butterfly doors, and muscular
rear haunches. The sporty styling continues inside as there’s a minimalist
cabin with a flat-bottom steering wheel, a freestanding digital instrument
cluster, and a small infotainment system. The model also has eco-friendly
upholstery and a sizable center tunnel.
Powertrain details are hazy, but Mazda has
previously said the car has a “two-rotor rotary EV system” with a battery pack
and a rotary engine that can “burn various fuels such as hydrogen.” This gives
the concept an output of 365 hp. The model also has a vehicle
to load function, which can be used to provide juice during camping trips or
power outages.
The concept tips the scales at 1,450 kg and has a weight distribution of around 50:50. The car is expected
to hint at the next-generation MX-5, but it’s roughly 267 mm longer than the current model and has an additional 279 mm between
the wheels.
