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Adrian PatonMazda Furai Concept
December 28th 2007 22:00
The car nuts over at Inside Line have released a full set of images and more details about the latest concept car from Mazda ahead of its international debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January.
The Furai (Japanese for 'sound of wind') concept is based on the 2005 Courage C65 chassis, an LMP2-class entry in the American Le Mans Series.
This is what Inside Line had to say after one lucky staff member had the opportunity to jump into the cockpit for a couple of hot laps around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca piloted by ALMS ace Jamie Bach.
Powered by a mid-mounted, three-rotor Mazda 20B rotary engine fueled by E100 ethanol, the Furai generates around 450 horsepower. As expected, it's rapid. Even without its aerodynamic front splitter (a measure to prevent damage to this one-off showcar), the cornering grip is substantial, while even earplugs can't control the crescendo of sound from the rotary engine. Bach kept things tidy and clean in the corners, as the Furai we're sharing is the same one that will occupy the stage at the Detroit auto show.
And there's more:
The Furai sounds sensational at full cry. As we exited Turn 11 onto the main straight with the sound of the rotary exhaust reverberating off the concrete pit wall, the effect was not of a lone car, but instead an entire field of endurance racers. With the Furai, Mazda is suggesting that this aural deception will soon become a reality as it moves to join Acura and Porsche in an assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
No word yet on whether the Furai will enter production, but it would be safe to say that it gives us a hint of Mazda's future styling direction.
[Source: Inside Line via Autoblog]
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