Who invented the mazda furai

Instead of form following function, the two merge as one. The mindsets of road-car and racing car fans are quite different, so the purpose of Mazda Furai is to find a meeting point for these disparate interests. 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.

Some supercars visit the track on occasion, but they are primarily road cars not properly equipped for racing. The aim of Mazda Furai is to bridge this gap. That said, Mazda neither intends to race Mazda Furai , nor is it a supercar the company plans to build and sell in the near future. Rather, Mazda Furai is a design study that lives between those extremes. B-K finished third in championship standings both years; Bach and Cosmo were co-Rookies of the Year in The ultimate Mazda in our minds is rotary powered; as a company, we have no intention of abandoning that valuable asset.

When people think of the very best sports cars in the world, the rotary powered Mazda RX-7 is always on that list. In essence, the Mazda Furai creative process boiled down to guiding air over and through the body in fruitful ways. Drag, downforce, lift and overall esthetics were all key considerations. Instead of the stark interior typical of race cars though, this cockpit is finished with more comfortable but still highly functional surfaces. An electronic display screen and shift paddles are built into the steering wheel.

The greenhouse is somewhat wider than the original cockpit to provide adequate head and shoulder room and suitable outward visibility. Doors attached with butterfly hinges provide a very efficient means of entering the cockpit. It's likely that you already know the story behind it but for those who aren't aware, all that's left of the Furai assuming Mazda is still in possession of it is a charred hunk of carbon fiber. The tale's even more jaw-dropping when you remember that Mazda and Top Gear Magazine the publication that was doing a feature on the Furai on the fateful day it caught alight were able to keep the details of the disaster under lock and key until a year later.

It's probably the surprise announcement that lead to it being such a headline-grabbing news story at the time, and still something that brings a tear to our eye every time we see the pictures documenting the event. But a little bit of us will never get over the fact this stunning concept car that captured the imaginations of countless car enthusiasts the world over is now nothing more than a burnt-out chassis tucked away in the corner of Mazda's basement somewhere.

Add first comment. Now Buzzing. What's Hot. Porsche GT3. Car Advice. A guide to choosing between a brand-new or pre-owned vehicle. Understanding hybrid car tech and why it's beneficial. Things to Keep in Your Car. The engine, like so many other concepts here, runs green; it is powered by ethanol.

The Furai, however, was upstaged in many eyes by its predecessor, the Taikai, which was the third entry in the flow series and first shown at the Tokyo Auto Show last fall.

Another in the trio of Nagare cars is Ryuga, introduced in Detroit last year and on view again here this year in the Louis Vuitton Classics Award display. Dramatic and imaginative as they are, the trio of Nagare cars have struck many as impractical. With Furai, Mr. And it blurs the lines between racecar and road car. The Furai shows that the forms can have function — they can cool oil and provide downforce for racing.

But they do not show how Mazda call produce a sellable, street product with the design language. Wheels at the Detroit Auto Show. Times Topics: Detroit Auto Show.