Autoblog

Click the image above for more high-res shots of the Ryuga concept.

It's no surprise that Mazda's looking to radically revamp its entire product portfolio in the coming years, and the cohesive style set by the Nagare line of concepts will bring Mazda's design chief, Laurens van den Acker's vision to the road in the next few years.

The first model to benefit from this new design direction will be the 2009 Mazda3, which will sport a trio of new elements that we've seen in concept form over the last year. The five-point gaping grin that's been showcased on everything from the Kabura to the Taiki will find its way onto all of Mazda's products, along with flowing creases embedded into the side panels. Like many automakers, longer wheelbases and shorter front and rear overhangs, with the wheels pushed to the outer edges of the body, will be adopted, and the Dutch designer is intent on making all of Mazda's products appear more sporting, with a low-slung style that mimics the shape of rear-drivers.

What lays beneath that new sheet metal should be just as intriguing as the styling, and if the aforementioned Kabura and Taiki are any indication, Mazda's continuing goal to be a driver-focused brand is evolving from the inside out.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

click above image for more pics

Word from inside the pages of an unnamed Japanese auto mag is that this car will debut on the Mazda stand at this year's Tokyo Motor Show next month. The coupe is obviously inspired by the trio of concepts that Mazda debuted on the auto show circuit last year: the Nagare, Ryuga and Kabura concepts. While we don't know if these pics are official from Mazda or merely renderings produced by the magazine, we can tell you that at least the head on shot is a touched up version of a Kabura sketch. In fact, the entire car looks mostly like a production version of the Kabura Concept, though it features cues from all three concepts.

Though it's not known whether it would be front- or rear-wheel drive, the article is reported to mention that it would be powered by the next generation of Mazda's rotary engine, the RENESIS(2), which itself will incorporate the first increase in displacement of a Mazda rotary engine from its famous 1.3 liters since 1974.

Regardless of whether or not these are official pics, one thing's for sure is that they show a car we'd want to buy. Ever since seeing the Nagare, Ryuga and Senku concepts, we've wondered how those radical concepts might translate into a production car, and we might have our answer in a few weeks.

Thanks for the tip, Michael!

[Source: Rotarynews.com]

The folks who bring us all the News from the Automotive world supplied Autoweek, their sister publication, details on what is to become of the Mazda lineup over the next three years. Most of it is predictable enough, including the new Mazda6, due to be unveiled in Frankfurt, the refresh of the Mazda3 and the possibility of bringing the Mazda2 Stateside at the turn of the decade.

What caught our interest was the news of a Mazdaspeed MX-5, which will predictably be packing the turbocharged 2.3-liter liter four-pot that currently resides in the Mazdaspeed3, albeit slightly detuned to efficiently package the radiator and intercooler.

The Kabura concept, based off of the MX-5 underpinnings, may still be in the cards, as long as the automaker can include Europe and/or Japan in the production plans. Revisions would have to be made to the existing platform, but we suspect that it wouldn't take much to lengthen the wheelbase, slap on some new body panels and make the fixed-roof version of the Miata that we've longed for.

Also mentioned in the article was the forthcoming redesign of the RX-8, likely to bow sometime in 2009 or 2010, along with a new CX-5 which will likely draw cues from the Kuga concept set to be shown by Ford next month in Frankfurt. The only glaring omission: no mention of an RX-7 revival -- bummer.

[Source: Autoweek]

click on image to enlarge

The official leakage ahead of the L.A. Auto Show has begun, and Mazda has oozed out an obscure artsy rendering of a concept it will debut called the Nagare (pronounced na-gah-reh). Unlike the last three concepts from Mazda, the Sassou, Senku and Kabura, the Nagare is said to actually showcase Mazda's future design direction. The new General Manager of Mazda's Design Division, Laurens van den Acker, says the concept sums up the future of Mazda design in one word - "Flow". That's followed up in the press release by a heavy flow of PR design jargon that tells us nothing about the concept, things like "Negare examines light and shadow," and "an evolving expression of Zoom-Zoom." What can we tell you about the Nagare from the accompanying image? It has a brake light, at least one, tiger stripes on the driver's side, no doors, and, oh yeah, it's definitely in the business of examining light and shadow. Still, we did like the Kabura concept Mazda showed in Detroit back in January that was designed by Franz Von Holzhausen, who now heads Design for Mazda North America and lead the Nagare design team.

Follow the jump for Mazda's ebullient press release.

[Source: Mazda]

Automotive curmudgeon critic Jerry Flint puts Mazda in his crosshairs for his latest column, Backstreet Driver. He addresses what is a well-known issue about the automaker: There has been no growth in Mazda sales for over a decade.

Mazda vehicles are “it” cars among many automotive enthusiasts, who gush over their handling, bang-for-buck value, and design. The MX-5 (formerly known as the Miata, is one of Flint’s favorite cars), and the Mazda3 is widely considered one of the best cars available among reviewers.

Mazda’s problem, Flint argues, is rooted in its past, when the company tried to compete directly against Toyota on their home turf in Japan. While the company's current "Zoom Zoom" campaign has separated it from the world’s second largest automaker’s shadow, Mazda's small size, still growing dealership network, and leadership shuffle have hampered its growth. Historically, Flint says, companies in similar situations have collapsed, but, he then reminds readers what Henry Ford thought of history.

[Source: Forbes]