Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Mazda
LA 2007: Mazda Design Challenge rendered in clay, sweat
Click the image above for a gallery of pics.
We were finally able to check out how the clay model of the Mazda Design Challenge winner was coming, and after two days of milling and scraping, Mallory McMorrow's design was beginning to materialize. Her vision of the 2018 Mazda3 began to look like an obvious choice considering how Mallory incorporated many of the "Flow" design elements that Mazda has debuted in concept form over the course of the last year, particularly the sweeping lines flanking the sides, the gaping grille and the tapered ducktail rear end.
The crew of designers and modelers toiling away at the full-size concept still has another seven days to complete the project, but we've already made the trek back to our respective homes. If you make it out to the last few days of the show and have pics of the finished product, send us tip so we can check out the results and share them with the rest of you.
In the meantime, you can head on over to our previous post about the winning design and peruse the gallery below.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Turbofrog 7:55PM (11/16/2007)
When I saw the original sketch I thought it was a little bit of an absurd choice, because it was so outrageously low - it looked like an RX-7, not a Mazda 3. It looked cool, but just another stupid designer sports car doodle.
The Mazda design team has actually translated this really well, though, now that the proportions have been resolved. I really the scale model, and I'm looking forward to seeing the full-sized one.
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Hank 8:39PM (11/16/2007)
i think making the full scale clay model of a design concept that was originally 'on paper' is one of the funnest things a car designer can do. I mean, it's like they give you a big clump of clay and says, "make me a life-size clay model car", lol.
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Driver X 8:44PM (11/16/2007)
If it takes Mazda 10 years to take a car from concept to production, they need to be looking for engineers instead of designers.
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Turbofrog 2:52AM (11/17/2007)
I think you're totally missing the point. The idea isn't that this will be an actual production car, just that it incorporates forward looking design themes. It's a car that COULD be made for 2018.
Elliott 2:52PM (11/17/2007)
This is one of the coolest things ever. I can't even imagine how cool it would be to win a contest like that and see your concept used to create a life-sized model.
I agree with one of the other posters: seeing it in the proper proportions it looks better than it did on paper.
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VroomVroom 12:53PM (11/19/2007)
A friend of mine works for Mazda and gave me the inside scoop. Turns out the design challenge was a big popularity contest. Mallory waged an all out campaign to get every single person she has ever come in contact with to go online and vote for her again and again and again and again to guarantee she won. The fact that she won is no indication of her talent as a designer. Reminds me of those class elections in Junior High.
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