"Furai," simply translated, means "sound of the wind" and is the fifth iteration or evolution of Mazda's new design language exemplified in its initial Nagare concept, which you may recall meant "flow." Far from just a piece of artwork on wheels, this working concept actually began life as one of Mazda's 2006 season ALMS P2 race cars.
Built on a Courage C65 chassis and powered by a 450-bhp 3-rotor rotary engine, this ethanol (E100)-powered concept car is an exercise in reverse homologation: It represents an ideal within the Mazda philosophy, and that is to bridge the gap between single-purpose race cars (ALMS) and street-legal models (Ferrari Enzo, Lotus Elise), according to Mazda's Director of Design, Franz von Holzhausen.
The complex outer shell of the Furai clearly follows its predecessor's design trends, but through the guidance and expertise of Swift Engineering also functions aerodynamically. Front-fascia channels direct air to the brake ducts as strategically placed louvers on top of the front wheel fenders aid heat evacuation and help suck the front end closer to the ground. Its sculpted flanks create turbulence which draws air to the side ducts that help keep the engine cool in conjunction with the radiators mounted in the car's sidepods. Aft of the gullwing doors, flow-directing details continue to guide air over the car's rear haunches toward a large, functioning, adjustable-element spoiler. The sharp element you see protruding from the roof is called an Air Fang, and was designed by the guys at Swift to optimize ram air induction. The air split by the Air Fang creates vo
rtices which force air down into the intake.
Comparison Test: Nissan GT-R vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo A contest of raw speed and handling agility.
Scion Hako Coupe concept The box gets chopped.
New & Future Cars: Secant Type 1 Lotus Exige What if you could have both power and a lack of weight? Now you can!
Audi R8 TDI Le Mans It's a new twist on the high-performance exotic sports car - lean, mean and green, thanks to diesel power
New & Future Cars: Maserati GranTurismo S The GranTurismo's sexy shape was created by the Italian design house of Pininfarina.
Road Test: Racer Motors Mach 5 Does Speed Racer's car really exist? We made a few calls and found it!
2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Based on what we saw sliding dramatically onto the stand at New York, we like both its aggressive shape and its mechanical makeup.
Suzuki Concept Kizashi 3 Hints at the production sports sedan due in 2010.
Kia Koup Concept The front-drive Koup is directly aimed at such sporty coupes as the Honda Civic Si.
Pontiac G8 Sport Truck El Camino!
BMW Concept CS The CS can be viewed as a competitor for the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide.
Saleen S5S Raptor All-new supercar from the boys of Troy.
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe The production version adds a lift-out Targa panel between the windshield header and the B-pillar.
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG A menacing new look and a thrilling powertrain for Mercedes' premier retractable hardtop roadster.
2008 Geneva International Auto Show The latest auto releases, photos and video from the 2008 Geneva International Auto Show.
Pininfarina Sintesi Concept A plug-in electric car that will be ready for sale by 2010 in Europe, Japan and the U.S.
Italdesign Giugiaro Quaranta The idea was to create an extreme, but ecological, four-wheel drive supercar.
New & Future Cars
Uncover the latest cars on the scene. Plus, get insider buzz to find out what you might see on the road in the future.
.jpg)
