At the
LA Auto Show this week, Mazda unveiled the fourth concept car in a series that extends from the Sassou at the
2005 Frankfurt Show. The new car is perhaps the most futuristic of them all.
Nagare is the name for the new concept, meaning 'flow' in Japanese, or "embodiment of motion" in Mazda's interpretation. The purpose of this concept is not to preview a new production car, but to investigate how future Mazdas could be styled to appear dynamic, even when at a standstill.
The Nagare is nothing short of breathtaking, if not beautiful in the classic sense. The low roofline is accentuated by the wide track, huge wheelarches and equally dramatic alloys. Drama is added to the rearwards sloping design by 'flow' marks in the huge one-piece doors, a detail that is echoed in the shape of the rear lights.
Those doors tilt and swivel up to allow access to a cockpit with an unusual layout. Though the Nagare is a four-seater, the driver sits on his own centrally, with his passengers ensconced at the rear.
Obviously, the show car has no real powerplant, but the designers foresee a Mazda sportscar sold in the year 2020 as possibly being powered by a hydrogen-fuelled rotary engine.
Mazda will follow up the Nagare with new concept cars at the 2007 Detroit, Geneva and Tokyo shows, though not all of them will be so revolutionary. We're told that the Detroit concept is "is practical enough to produce in the next decade", while the Geneva car "will embody design ideas we expect to implement in the very near future." We'll be at these shows to bring you the latest information and photographs. Keep an eye on the main
Motorshows Page.
Shane O' Donoghue - 30 Nov 2006