| Mazda Motor Corp. will launch its Furai concept | | | | and spirited styling, which, in Mazda Furai, invokes |
| sports car at the 2008 North American | | | | a raw, unfettered desire to possess everything |
| International Auto Show set from Sunday, | | | | this car represents. |
| January 13 through Sunday, January 27, 2008. | | | | According to the automaker, the challenge to |
| Aside from the said concept car, the Japanese | | | | create "a design that visually expresses the flow |
| automaker will also showcase the heavily | | | | of air" was inspired by the image of a pair of |
| redesigned 2009 Mazda RX-8 sports car. | | | | Hagoromo, the flowing robes that enable a |
| Mazda Furai (read fu-rye), which means 'sound of | | | | celestial maiden to fly in Japanese legend, floating |
| the wind,' is inspired by the fact that there are | | | | down from the sky. |
| the sort of car that could only come from a | | | | The 2009 Mazda RX-8 is also intended to make |
| company that incorporates the "Soul of a Sports | | | | an awesome debut. Sporting a freshened design, |
| Car" into everything it manufactures. Additionally, | | | | enhanced handing, acceleration, quality and |
| the automaker stressed the future auto | | | | features, the all-new RX-8 continues to be a |
| technology and the environment through the use | | | | "Sports Car like no other," and shows that the |
| of 100 percent ethanol produced in partnership | | | | rotary engine is still an important part of Mazda's |
| with British Petroleum (BP). | | | | future. |
| "Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have | | | | Since its introduction in 2003, the RX-8 has been |
| traditionally distinguished street cars from track | | | | hailed as a genuine sports car, but with a totally |
| cars. Historically, there has been a gap between | | | | new, four-door, four-seat format that offers |
| single-purpose racecars and street-legal models, | | | | sports car values, comfort and driving bliss. The |
| commonly called supercars, that emulate the real | | | | RX-8 is the spiritual successor to the 1967 Cosmo |
| racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no | | | | 110S, the world's first twin-rotor production car. |
| car has ever done before," said Franz von | | | | Additionally, the Mazda Taiki concept vehicle also |
| Holzhausen, Mazda's North American director of | | | | will make its North American debut, the first time |
| design. | | | | it has been shown outside Japan. Hailed as the |
| Furai takes Mazda's unique Nagare, which means | | | | "Concept of the Show" by a major enthusiast |
| flow, design language a step further as it is | | | | publication at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, |
| translated into a concept car based on an | | | | Mazda is eager to show the Mazda Taiki alongside |
| American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing car. Aside | | | | the all-new Mazda Furai. |
| from the efficient Mazda engine parts, the car | | | | Inspired by Japanese koinobori or the "climbing |
| uses the Courage C65 chassis the company | | | | carp streamers," the notion of creating an |
| campaigned in the ALMS series only two seasons | | | | Air-tube became the concept word for the |
| ago, and the 450-hp three-rotor rotary engine | | | | interior design of the vehicle. As such, from the |
| that distinguishes it from anything else on the | | | | dashboard and seats down to the door trim, the |
| track. | | | | interior space of the car creates the feisty |
| Mazda's Nagare design language describes the flow | | | | sensation that the flow of the wind is being |
| of water, air, people or things moving in one | | | | visually illustrated. |
| direction. Mazda Nagare is flow, with an insightful | | | | |