“HIROSHIMA, Japan, December 12, 2007″

Mazda has announced that it will unveil not only the newly redesigned Mazda RX8 this January at the North American International Auto Show but also it’s brand new mystery concept, the Mazda Furai (eng. - Sound of the Wind). The Mazda Taiki (eng. - Atmosphere) will also make it’s North American debut and many are hailing this concept as the new Mazda RX7, though we’ve heard no official word from Mazda concerning the matter.

The Mazda Furai is set to sport a powerful three rotor engine - and if it makes North American production this would mark the first time in rotary history. Power estimates are in the 450hp range. But what is even more intriguing is how Mazda is describing this powerful beast - a small caption below the only photograph Mazda has released of the Furai reads, “eco-friendly.” Rotary engines are notorious for consuming large amounts of fuel and producing uncontrollable emissions. Could it be that Mazda has made a significant breakthrough in Rotary design and development?

The true nature of the Mazda Furai as a whole is still uncertain. Mazda proposes to deliver the best of both worlds, saying,

“Mazda Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. 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. Mazda Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before.”

The Mazda Furai will continue the “Nagare” (eng. - flow) style, taking it “a step further”, says Mazda. For anyone who has seen the Mazda Taiki this may sound unachievable. The Nagare style, “describes the flow of water, air, people or things moving in one direction.” Most people seem to love it or hate it with little room inbetween but whatever your stance, one thing is certain - January will be an astounding month in Mazda history.

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You can read the entire press release, here:

http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2007/200712/071212.html

Now for lease in Japan is the - Mazda RX8 Hydrogen RE!

The Mazda RX8 Hydrogen RE - boasts the world’s first hydrogen-powered rotary engine. The vehicle is “duel-fuel”, which means the driver can select to use hydrogen or gasoline. Hydrogen produces trace amounts of Carbon Dioxide compared to gasoline and has been hailed as a likely alternative to oil. Mazda has been devloping the hydrogen rotary engine since the early 90s and began road-testing the Mazda RX8 Hydrogen RE in 2004.

So far Mazda has distributed at least eight Hydrogen REs to government bodies within Japan. Mazda sees hydrogen power as the future of internal combustion. Seita Kanai, Mazda’s Senior Managing Executive Officer in charge of R&D, said,

“Based on Mazda’s unique hydrogen technology, we have been advancing research and development of hydrogen vehicles for over 15 years as part of our initiatives for a future hydrogen society. We are extremely pleased to be delivering this RX-8 Hydrogen RE to METI. Hydrogen rotary engines demonstrate the still untapped potential of internal combustion. Going forward, we will continue to develop vehicles for hydrogen rotary engines and improve their performance in order to contribute to the realization of an eco-friendly, hydrogen-based society.”

The Mazda RX8 Hydrogen RE will make its North American debut at the International Auto Show in Detroit this January.

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http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2007/200707/070731a.html

Mazda’s latest outrageous design, the - Mazda Taiki - is really turning some heads. Mazda plans to take the personal automobile into the future with its provocative “Nagare” (eng. - flow) style of design. And if you think the outside looks alien, just venture into the cockpit, where Mazda is literally reinventing the wheel. (Steering wheel, that is.)

I personally love this style. We haven’t seen innovation like this since the 1950s and 60s. For decades the personal automobile has been at an evolutionary standstill. Mazda may be the Big Bang the auto universe is waiting for. While most people remind us that, “these are only concepts” and that the “real cars will look more normal” - who really wants normal? Give me something that looks like this with a rotary under the hood and I’m one happy camper. Oh and before I forget, those red lights that surround the steering wheel - that’s the tachometer. Yup.

The focus of this Nagare concept is the flow of air. Mazda innovators hung shirts covered in plaster outside on lines to capture the essence of wind in motion. The design is intended to reflect a light and airy feel - to represent nature within human synthetic design. Mazda designers took this concept as far as the tires which sport a unique tread pattern that truly compliments the overall design and feel of the car.