Autoblog

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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]

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Mazda's sending its latest concept to NAIAS, this one named Ryuga. The gullwinged sports car is meant to build on Mazda's recently introduced "flow" design language first seen on the Nagare in LA. Not coincidentally, Ryuga is Japanese for "gracious flow." "Ryuga is Zoom-Zoom defined," said Laurens van den Acker, Mazda's global design director in a Mazda press release. "It combines vibrance, confidence, fun and youth all in one ingenious package."

The Ryuga is scheduled for introduction on the morning of January 8, the second day of the show's media preview.

Mazda also says it will bring along the 2008 Tribute HEV hybrid. Combining gas and electric motors, the SUV produces 155hp, but still qualifies as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle and Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle in California.

With the introduction of the Kabura earlier this year, the Nagare in L.A. and now the Ryuga in a few weeks, we understand that Mazda is in the process of revealing a production vehicle mimicking the design cues used in these concepts. Hopefully Mazda will give us something we can drive by this time next year.

Full Mazda press release after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]