Mazda Furai Concept and New Mazda RX-8 to Make World Debut at 2008 North American Int
 

I guess this settles it. A "heavily revised", i.e. major facelift is definitely on the way. Hooorayyy!!

From media.mazda.com


Mazda Furai Concept and New Mazda RX-8 to Make World Debut at 2008 North American International Auto Show

HIROSHIMA, Japan, December 12, 2007—Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premieres of the Mazda Furai concept vehicle and the heavily revised new Mazda RX-8 sports car at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), to be held in Detroit from Sunday, January 13 through Sunday, January 27, 2008. On the heels of its show-stopping debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show in October, the Mazda Taiki concept vehicle also will make its North American debut, the first time it has been shown outside Japan. Additionally, Mazda will have a special display of racecars on its stand during the press days, and the full lineup of production cars for consumers to sample on the public days.



All attending media are invited to the company’s formal unveiling on the Mazda show stand, scheduled at 13:45 p.m. on Monday, January 14, 2008.




[Mazda Furai, an eco-friendly, super performance concept car]



Mazda Furai –‘Sound of the wind’

Inspired by the fact that, on any given weekend, there are more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in the United States than any other brand, the Mazda Furai is the sort of car that could only come from a company that incorporates the “Soul of a Sports Car” into everything it builds, but with an eye toward the future and the environment through the use of ethanol (E100) produced by British Petroleum (BP).

Furai takes Mazda’s unique Nagare (Japanese for “flow”) design language a step further as it is translated into a concept car based on an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing car. The car utilizes the Courage C65 chassis the company campaigned in the ALMS series only two seasons ago, and the 450-hp three-rotor rotary engine that distinguishes it from anything else on the track.

Says Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda’s North American director of design, “Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models — commonly called supercars — that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before.”

Mazda’s critically acclaimed Nagare design language describes the flow of water, air, people or things moving in one direction. Mazda Nagare is flow, with an insightful and spirited styling, which, in Mazda Furai, invokes a raw, unfettered desire to possess everything this car represents.



Major Exhibits on stand

Reference exhibits Concept vehicles Mazda Furai (World Premiere)
Mazda Taiki (North American Premiere)
Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid (North American Premiere)
Scheduled for sale New Mazda RX-8 (World Premiere)
Technical exhibits MZI3.7 V6 engine cutaway model
RENESIS engine cutaway model
Next Generation I-4 Direct Injection gasoline engine cutaway model
Next Generation Clean Diesel engine cutaway model
Next Generation RENESIS (Rotary Engine 16X) engine cutaway model
Models currently on the market Mazda CX-7, Mazda CX-9, Mazda MX-5 PRHT, Mazda6, Mazda3, Mazdaspeed3, Mazda5, Mazda Tribute


Furai Video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEOHn7rspsk

nice, hope it makes it to philly show as well.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/3-rotor-rx8-rear-engine-track-today-132779/

this guy might have the pictures of the concept.

This is a mid-engine mazda concept that "connects the street to the track", are they seriously hinting at the next RX-supercar?

Furai takes Mazda?s unique Nagare (Japanese for ?flow?) design language a step further as it is translated into a concept car based on an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing car. The car utilizes the Courage C65 chassis the company campaigned in the ALMS series only two seasons ago, and the 450-hp three-rotor rotary engine that distinguishes it from anything else on the track.
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OMG!!! teaser pic.,

http://images.motortrend.com/future/...ept+teaser.jpg
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Is this for real? I've read many times on here why people think Mazda should not or would never consider making a supercar. Most recently in the discussion about "Skyxxxx". They made convincing arguments, often backed with historical "proofs" and I really had no reason to doubt their facts and predictions.

It would be quite amusing if all those making obvious jokes about "...I heard...Mazda 3-rotor..." turned out to be right one day.

Most likely these "press releases" are a hoax.

its on mazda's press release page dude
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LOL, "Mazda Furai, an eco-friendly, super performance concept car"

Where's Rotarygod? See, HG-RE has power potential!

Ok, I interpret their crossover supercar as "not quite track car, not quite supercar, and just possibly +2 suicide doors".

Just as the RX8 was released as "not quite 2 seater, not quite sedan; not quite fast, yet not quite slow either".

And their new crossover mini-suv being "not quite a Jeep, but not as useful as a real car either".

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=6268
http://www.motortrend.com/future/con...pt_first_look/

MT and RT articles surfaced right after the release by Mazda.
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no this is very real, i got the same press release email directly from Mazda as well

making a street car out of an ALMS racecar chassis? whodathunkit lol

It'll be cool if they fire up the 3-rotor indoor at detriot!!! as said by another guy who saw this car, they were driving reporters around Laguna Seca, so its definitely a working car.
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Hate to be a pessimist, but I think this is going to be like Nissan's Mid4 concept. It worked, journalists loved it, but in the end they said "naaaah". In this case I think Ford will $%&* it up. Hell, i blame them for everything else.

That teaser pic is pretty cool. I love the flat black paint job and those slits on the fender look great.

Man, I'm really feelin' the new Mazda design direction. They're definitely doing the most interesting stuff coming out of Japan. Can you believe the a Japanese car company is finally making innovative designs and not copying the Europeans?

I can't wait to see the Furai.

My nephews who will be hold enough to drive in the next year are already thinking about what cars they want to get and Mazda has an edge over most of the Japanese imports....the guys over at Mazda are doing an outstanding job.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/11/m...ut-at-detroit/


Additionally, Mazda will have a special display of racecars on its stand during the press days, and the full lineup of production cars for consumers to sample for public days.

I might have to go to this autoshow.
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ah... ... Jan. 14, '08.... Another whole month to go... I hate waiting....

Pic shows roughly 45% of the car and you still can't tell what the heck is going on. I blew up the fender and it has stickers all over it and the red pod on the roof looks like a big lent brush.

this looks promising...very exciting!

cant wait to see the whole thing..

Eco friendly my ass. If it as a rotary, I want it to spew out emissions the way i know and love.

OK just to clear some things up about this, a few of us saw this actual engine this year at SSX. It was at Racing Beat on the engine dyno. This car runs on 100% ethanol. No hydrogen! It has no power potential. Now don't get too excited about a 3 rotor Renesis. It's not one. It's the 3 rotor peripheral port race engine the Courage has been using. It's just really chromed up, painted and pretty now. Nothing new to see in the way of engine technology. RB actually tried to convince Mazda to let them turbocharge the 3 rotor just to have fun but they didn't. I can only imagine how crazy the rumors would get if it had a turbo 3 rotor!

This is not a new concept car. It's a promotional vehicle. This car will be run at the track but only from a PR perspective. You will not see a production supercar based off of it and you also won't see a new race car based off of it either. It's a promo item that goes around track to track. That's it.

This is the actual Courage that was raced for a few years. It's the same chassis and rebuilt engine. They have just custom built a new body around it. It should be neat looking but don't get your hopes up fantasizing about something it'll never be.

This looks amazing. Can't want to get some more details on it.



Seeing how Mazda is Ford's only holding operating in the black Ford probably doesn't get to say too much about what goes on there. Thank god.

uhhhh... you ruined my day

damn it, i just wish I knew more about the new rx8!!!!

i'm getting the same feeling.

But yet I am still happy that Mazda is crazy enough to do this to an old race car.
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heavily revised rx8?

I sense at least 3 new colors new grills and possibly what we've all been hoping for, climate control