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“I wanted to convey something different from the Mazda SHINARI. I felt a compact crossover SUV was the perfect vehicle to express agility and focused movement the flexibility of four limbs moving in unison, and an upright posture,” said Masashi Nakayama, the designer of the crossover concept.
We already know about several world debuts such and Nissan's completely redesigned Quest minivan, Murano Cross Cabriolet concept and Ellure sedan study, but today the organizers [officially] confirmed a few more premieres.
These include -in no particular order- the well-received Mazda Shinari sports sedan [read the full story here]; the five-door version of the Land Rover Evoque; Saab 9-4X; Kia Optima Hybrid; VW Eos facelift, and the U.S.-spec Hyundai Elantra compact sedan and Fiat 500
The theme for the 2010 Design Challenge is the creation of a super-efficient and lightweight four-passenger car: "The objective is to envision an efficient, light-weight, four passenger vehicle (not to exceed 1,000 lbs.), that is both comfortable and safe, while delivering satisfactory driving performance without sacrificing the styling consumers demand. "
Follow the break for the first group of concept models by Cadillac, Honda, Maybach and Mazda, and stay tuned for the second part.
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Expect the flowing, toned lines to appear on everything from the Mazda3 and Mazda6 to the MX-5 Miata and potential RX-8 successor; on that note, can we get a decent rotary engine around here or what?
Since these "tense" and "organic" designs are becoming more and more common nowadays, how will Mazda emphasize its own unique design elements? As with most unofficial homages (because we all know this isn't a purely original design or layout), the answer is in the details.
Automakers are trying their best to convince American consumers that size doesn't matter and that small cars can be equally fun and adventurous as their larger siblings. Following the example of Ford with the customized 2011 Fiestas, Mazda also displayed a trio of funky concept models based on the new U.S.-spec Mazda2 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Coincidently, the Mazda2 and Fiesta share the same underpinnings.The most impressive concept version of the Mazda2 is the 2Evil which gives us an idea of what a potential MazdaSpeed2 (MPS in Europe) could look like.
The supermini has been spiced up with a full body kit that includes an aggressive front spoiler, chunky side skirts, a roof spoiler and a rear diffuser that houses the new exhaust tip.
The 2Evil is finished Ceramic Grey metallic with subtle motorsports inspired graphics while wheels, mirrors and other details are accented in Spirited Green.
The MazdaSpeed-prepped hatch rides on 17-inch wheels with 215/45/17 Yokahama Advan tires while the lowered coil-over suspension by H&R and the Magna performance exhaust complete the package.
The other two concept models are the Active2 Surf and Active2 Snow. Both variants feature 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45/17 Yokahama Tires, a H&R coil over suspension, special graphics and a Thule roof rack system.
Mazda gave us a foretaste of its forthcoming sub B-segment city car at the Paris Motor Show with the Kiyora concept. To our misfortune, the production version of the Kiyora, said to be labeled Mazda1, will not get the concept’s Lamborghini style doors nor the futuristic interior. What it will get though when Mazda introduces the Mazda2’s smaller brother early next decade is the Kiyora’s next generation four-cylinder, 1.3-litre direct injection gasoline engine mated to a new 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift as well as the start-stop system which altogether, promise to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. -Continued
During the Detroit Show, Mazda unveiled the Furai Concept (click here for high-res pics and details), a supercar designed to bridge the gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models. The concept utilizes Mazda’s 2005 ALMS (American Le Mans Series) Courage C65 chassis with a 450-horsepower three-rotor rotary engine that runs on 100 percent ethanol that is produced via a partnership with British Petroleum. -Video after the jump
The Furai has to be one of the best looking sports car concepts that we’ve seen the past year or so. Even though it’s a thoroughbred race car (based on the underpinning of Mazda’s 2005 Courage C65 ALMS racer and powered by a 450 HP three-rotor rotary engine that runs on E100 Ethanol), its distinctive and aggressive design language makes plead to Mazda to build one for the road! -Click below for pics and details 
PRESS RELEASE: MAZDA FURAI CONCEPT: THE EMBODIMENT OF ZOOM-ZOOM
NAGARE: (pronounced “na-ga-reh”), Japanese for flow and the embodiment of motion
FURAI: (pronounced “foo-rye”), Japanese for sound of the wind
Furai is the sort of car that could only come from a company that incorporates the “Soul of a Sports Car” into everything it builds, but with an eye toward the future and the environment through the use of renewable fuels. Driving toward sustainability, Furai was initially tuned to operate on 100 percent ethanol fuel, the first time a racing three-rotor rotary engine has been fueled by ethanol. Research continues in earnest with partner BP into other renewable and future fuels, including ethanol gasoline blends like E10.
On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in
However, Zoom-Zoom is more than simply vehicle performance. The look and style that is Zoom-Zoom can best be seen in previous NAGARE-based efforts, including the Mazda Nagare concept that debuted at
“Nagare” is how Mazda’s future models will sustain the Zoom-Zoom spirit by exhibiting their strong affinity for motion.
Manufacturers commonly showcase design studies with little or no intention of actually using the theme presented. Mazda’s approach is the opposite: All of the Nagare concepts, including Furai, help evolve this evocative surface language for future use. Every vehicle Mazda sells embodies the soul of a sports car to achieve a true Zoom-Zoom dynamic character. Nagare is how this celebration of motion will be portrayed on interior and exterior surfaces in future models. Instead of form following function, the two merge as one.
Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda North American Operations’ (MNAO) Director of Design and the person who lead the team that created the Furai, explains the concept behind the concept, “We were looking for a way to bridge the gap between Mazda Motorsports and the production vehicles in our lineup. The mindsets of road-car and racing car fans are quite different, so the purpose of Furai is to find a meeting point for these disparate interests.” He continued, “Furai achieves this by purposely blurring boundaries that have traditionally distinguished the street from the track. Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models — commonly called supercars — that emulate the real racers on the road.”
Track cars are, by their competitive nature, ill-suited for practical highway use, as well as generally far from road-legal. Some supercars visit the track on occasion, but they are primarily road cars not properly equipped for racing. The aim of Furai is to bridge this gap.
That said, Mazda neither intends to race Furai, nor is it a supercar the company plans to build and sell in the near future. Rather, Furai is a design study that lives between those extremes. Without the restrictions imposed by serial production models, and with the freedom of an autoshow environment, Mazda is using the opportunity to evolve the company’s Nagare design theme one more step closer to reality.
Instead of mimicking racecar components and design elements in a road car – the strategy preferred by supercar manufacturers – the “Mazda way” was to begin this project with the real McCoy: a Courage C65 chassis that earned its stripes during two seasons of LMP-2 endurance racing in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). This sports car was successfully campaigned under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development banner by B-K Motorsports during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Drivers Jamie Bach, Guy Cosmo, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, and Raphael Matos piloted the car to one victory and a total of nine podium finishes in 15 ALMS events. B-K finished third in championship standings both years; Bach and Cosmo were co-Rookies of the Year in 2005.
“Anticipating future rules changes in the ALMS, we created a new closed cockpit which would be more appropriate for a future production model,” said von Holzhausen. “The major element we did not change is the 450-horsepower RENESIS-based R20B three-rotor rotary engine that provides Furai ample Zoom-Zoom. The ultimate Mazda in our minds is rotary powered; as a company, we have no intention of abandoning that valuable asset. When people think of the very best sports cars in the world, the rotary powered Mazda RX-7 is always on that list.”
The Furai concept serves as a turning point in the Nagare developmental process. While the four previous concept cars explored different ways to express Mazda’s emerging design philosophy and to explore an aesthetic, this one is all about function – every last texture and detail serves some functional purpose. In essence, the Furai creative process boiled down to guiding air over and through the body in fruitful ways. To prove that this concept goes far beyond static aerodynamic analysis, Mazda’s design, motorsports and R&D teams worked together to construct Furai as a 180-mph rolling laboratory to demonstrate its functional capabilities on demand.
“The basic proportions of contemporary race cars are every designer’s dream,” enthused von Holzhausen. “Furai is less than 40-inches high but nearly 80-inches wide.”
While Furai strikes an incredibly strong presence, the real beauty of the project – and it’s most valuable asset as a real-world test-bed – is in the details that von Holzhausen and his team incorporated:
The Mazda design and R&D teams worked closely with Swift Engineering to refine the aerodynamic characteristics, assuring that Furai remains glued to the ground at high speeds. Through its existing relationship with Swift Engineering, forged through development of the Mazda/Cosworth-powered Champ Car Atlantic chassis, the team used complex Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to tune various Nagare design elements to function at a high degree of efficiency. Drag, downforce, lift and overall esthetics were all key considerations.
Sourced straight from the race track, the Courage carbon-composite tub is essentially intact under the new Furai body, including the right-side driver’s seat. Instead of the stark interior typical of race cars though, this cockpit is finished with more comfortable but still highly functional surfaces. An electronic display screen and shift paddles are built into the steering wheel.
In the chassis’ original racing configuration, the passenger seat is filled with electronic gear, so those components were relocated elsewhere to provide adequate space for two occupants. The greenhouse is somewhat wider than the original cockpit to provide adequate head and shoulder room and suitable outward visibility. Doors attached with butterfly hinges provide a very efficient means of entering the cockpit. In this instance, the design team followed an approach that has proven very effective during years of endurance racing.
“One thing we learned from CFD studies is that we don’t need much rear wing to balance the down force created by the front splitter and the Nagare features we’ve sculpted into the body” offered von Holzhausen. “Combustion air is provided by a variation of the Turbo Tongue device that Swift developed for Indy car use a decade ago. It rises slightly higher than the surrounding roof surface to ingest clean air above the boundary layer. Our final design works so well that we applied for a joint patent with Swift. Of course, it helps that it’s a real piece of art, too, and one we had to incorporate into the design.”
Irvine, Calif.-based Aria Group was responsible for creating new composite panels and they worked hand-in-hand with Mazda North American Operations’ own in-house fabrication team to mate them to the Courage chassis. The dark matte finish with red and orange accents harkens back to the livery worn by Mazda’s legendary 787B when it won the 24 Hours of
Furai not only probes future design possibilities, it also ventures ahead with alternative renewable fuels. Consistent with Mazda’s recently announced “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom” initiatives, Furai’s three-rotor powerplant has been tuned to run powerfully on ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and ethanol gasoline blends. There are exciting advances being made in renewable fuels, from current blends like E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline) with research ongoing in making Ethanol from cellulostic materials, to future renewable gasoline components like Butanol, a higher order alcohol which is fungible with gasoline. The addition of these renewable components improves Mazda’s understanding of how these fuels work with the company’s technology. and reduces the consumption of fossil hydrocarbons and the emission of harmful greenhouse gasses.
John Doonan, Mazda’s manager of motorsports team development, explains the thinking behind Furai’s use of alternative renewable fuels: “One of our key technical partners in our motorsports activity — BP — helped facilitate our use of renewable fuels for this concept vehicle. Going forwards, we are working with BP to determine appropriate renewable fuels for the vehicle and potentially our team entry for the 2008 ALMS series. BP is a strong leader in the renewable fuels areas, recently announcing a $500M investment in the Energy Biosciences Institute, and we are proud to partner with them.”
Doonan continued, “In 2007, ALMS required use of renewable fuels, so we’re projecting ahead with this application to gain experience. BP has a very green focus in the marketplace, and it’s Mazda’s intention to sustain its Zoom-Zoom performance image on and off the racetrack. While Mazda’s rotary has proven readily adaptable to various alternative fuels, including considerable work with hydrogen fuel, this is the first time it’s been engineered for other renewable Ethanol blends.”
Through the BP partnership, Furai has been specially tuned to operate on renewable fuels. BP engineers continue to work to optimize other fuels, including investigating new future renewable fuel components. This is Mazda’s first experience with ethanol fuel in a three-rotor racing engine, and the results have been convincing that, once again, the Mazda rotary engine is unique in its ability to run well on multiple fuels.
Ethanol is derived from grains such as corn and wheat or soybeans. Corn, the predominant feedstock, is converted to ethanol in either a dry or wet milling process. Future advances for renewable gasoline components include utilizing a wide variety of cellulosic biomass feedstocks, including agricultural plant wastes (corn stover, cereal straws, sugarcane bagasse), plant wastes from industrial processes (sawdust, paper pulp) and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production, such as switchgrass.
But what Furai has shown the Mazda team is the real value of teamwork and key partners:
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