Mazda and rotary engines feel like a forever story, and the latest chatter makes it clear the company still has unfinished business. Even after the MX-30 R-EV’s rotary range extender experiment landed with a bit of a thud, the idea of a proper RX-style sports car keeps circling back. Ever since the Iconic SP concept debuted in late 2023, enthusiasts have been reading the tea leaves, hoping it was more than just a pretty design exercise. Now, a Mazda product planning leader in Europe is basically confirming what a lot of us suspected: the desire to build an emotional, rotary-flavored halo car is alive and well inside Mazda’s own walls.
In an interview with Auto Express, Mazda Europe’s Moritz Oswald didn’t mince words, saying there’s an “insane” number of enthusiasts within the company who want a flagship sports car positioned above the Miata. That’s the kind of quote that instantly lights up forums because it sounds like a real internal movement, not just PR fluff. But he also brought it back to reality by pointing out the obvious. Mazda still has to make the math work. Passion is free, building a low-volume performance car in today’s world is not.
What’s especially interesting is the hint that a future RX would not necessarily copy the Iconic SP’s basic playbook. The concept, like the MX-30 R-EV, uses the rotary as a generator to feed electricity to motors. If Mazda ever gives an RX successor the green light, the company is reportedly considering a setup where the rotary sends power directly to the wheels instead of playing backup behind the scenes. For longtime RX-7 and RX-8 fans, that’s the sentence that matters, because it suggests Mazda understands the emotional appeal here is tied to how the car feels, sounds, and responds, not just the novelty of a rotary badge.
Mazda has also been dropping more breadcrumbs lately with other concepts that keep the rotary conversation going, including plug-in hybrid ideas featuring a two-rotor configuration. The company has framed these show cars as a way to gauge interest, almost like they’re testing how loud the crowd gets before committing real money. And that’s where the biggest hurdle keeps popping up. Mazda leadership has acknowledged that the lingering issue isn’t engineering ambition, it’s financial feasibility. That’s not surprising, but it is refreshingly honest in an era where automakers love to talk big and quietly pivot later.
The good news, if you’re a Miata loyalist, is that Mazda has been clear about one thing: an RX-style flagship would not replace the MX-5. The Miata remains the heart of the brand’s enthusiast lineup, and any bigger, pricier sports car would be a step above it, not a substitute. The bad news is timing. Even if this project gets approved, don’t expect a showroom-ready rotary sports car tomorrow. Still, hearing that Mazda has a deep internal bench of enthusiasts pushing for it makes this feel less like a fantasy and more like a plan that’s waiting for the right moment to break loose.
Mike Floyd is a finance executive by trade and a car enthusiast at heart. As a CFO with a keen eye for detail and strategy, Mike brings his analytical mindset to the automotive world, uncovering fresh insights and unique perspectives that go beyond the surface. His passion for cars—especially his favorite, the Porsche 911, fuels his contributions to Automotive Addicts, where he blends a love for performance and design with his professional precision. Whether he’s breaking down industry trends or spotlighting emerging innovations, Mike helps keep the site both sharp and forward-thinking.
