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]