Mazda is exploring methods to maintain the MX-5 Miata true to its easy, light-weight roadster roots in a world of electrical vehicles.

One answer, which the automaker previewed on Wednesday with the reveal of the Iconic SP idea on the 2023 Tokyo auto present, is avoiding the heavy weight that plagues most EVs by choosing a smaller battery together with a variety extender, on this case a compact and light-weight rotary engine.

The Iconic SP is a sports activities automobile with a hard and fast roof, however Mazda stated it gives a possible roadmap for the way forward for the Miata. Mazda was brief on particulars however stated the idea incorporates a devoted EV platform and weighs roughly 3,200 kilos, which is roughly 1,000 kilos heavier than the present Miata.

To make up for the additional weight, the facility output is 370 hp, or about double the output of the present Miata. Mazda did not present specifics on the powertrain however stated the vary extender is a compact twin-rotor rotary engine with a scalable design and the pliability to run on varied fuels, together with hydrogen.

Mazda MX-30 R-EV

Utilizing a rotary engine as a variety extender for an EV is now not simply an concept at Mazda. The automaker launched simply such a setup within the MX-30 electrical compact crossover in some markets earlier this yr, albeit with a single-rotor rotary. The range-extended MX-30, badged an R-EV, incorporates a battery that is half the dimensions of the battery within the common MX-30, measuring simply 17.8 kwh. With a full tank of gasoline and a completely charged battery, Mazda estimates the extended-range MX-30 will be capable of cowl greater than 300 miles.

The Iconic SP’s styling cribs from the rotary-powered RX-Imaginative and prescient idea proven on the 2015 Tokyo auto present, ensuing within the general form and proportions extra carefully resembling an RX sports activities automobile than a Miata. Nevertheless, the taillights considerably resemble the form of the taillights on the first- and second-generation Miata. A glance inside reveals a spartan cabin and an automated transmission.

Talking on the reveal in Tokyo, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro stated the idea represents Mazda’s “dream” answer for the Miata within the age of electrification, and that the automaker is working exhausting to launch it available on the market.