Mazda Furai To Entice Detroit : New Mazda 2008 review

Mazda Furai To Entice Detroit : New Mazda 2008 review
by Anthony Fontanelle
A hot new supercar will be unleashed by Mazda Motor Corp. to entice Metro Detroit. Yes, the company's Furai, an awesome supercar which is engineered to pull crowds closer, flaunts catchy lines and superb performing mid-mounted rotary engine. The supercar will make its official debut at this year's North American International Auto Show.The Furai, which means "sound of wind," is the fifth model in Mazda's lineup to sport the automaker's new design direction. It all started with the Nagare sports car which was launched at the Los Angeles Motor Show last year. Now, it's the Furai that will continue its legacy.Although the creation of the vehicle is officially a design study, elements of the Furai's styling could be reflected on upcoming coupes from the automaker including the next generation RX-8.The Furai inherits the sweeping nose of the Taiki concept, which was introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. The concept showcases flowing lines, precise vanes, as well as the silhouette of Mazda's corporate grille. It also boasts of the huge fighter-style canopy and deep air intakes ahead of the rear wheels. At the back there's a huge wing which is designed to produce plenty of downforce, dramatically curved rear wings and even more vanes on the engine cover.The Furai was penned by Mazda's North American design boss, Franz Von Holzhausen, and its shape was developed at the company's styling studio in southern California in collaboration with motor racing experts at Swift Engineering, said the Auto Express. Swift Engineering worked hand in hand with the automaker's pools of engineers and designers to ensure efficiency and quality of the model. They also focused on ensuring accurate cooling of the motor at high temperatures.The chassis of the Furai is from a racing sportscar - the Courage C65. Additionally, it is powered by a 450bhp mid-mounted three-rotor engine which runs on E100 bioethanol fuel, one of the friendliest to the environment. As such, the Furai is expected to lure aficionados who want the feel of a racetrack ride.Furai's aerodynamic features such as a front air splitter, rear diffuser and special headlamp trims create downforce that stick the car to the road, while the car's sculpted bodywork helps achieve a top speed of 180mph, according to What Car? Those are the features that aficionados are anticipated to look forward to.The concept car, which was initially unveiled last December, is expected to etch a niche in the auto industry. While some automakers feel the tough times in the industry, the maker of Mazda repair manual is positive it will survive with its new styling philosophy which does not compromise quality and reliability attached to the name of the automaker.