Adding to its string of exotically flavored concept cars rotating on the world's auto-show stages in 2007, Mazda promises their new Taiki concept, shown at the Tokyo show, will be the logical successor to the likes of the Nagare.
2007 Mazda Taiki concept |
In Japanese, its name means "a large, shining radiance." In practical terms, the Taiki concept car is adding quite a glow to the Mazda stand at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.
The unusual prototype, with its striking, outrigger rear wheels, is the fourth in an arresting series of design exercises, including such previous stand-outs as the Nagari, Hakaze, and Ryuga. And while the Taiki is almost certainly not going to replace the RX-8, not in current form, anyway, it provides some of the cues for "the possible direction" Mazda will take with a future, rotary-powered sports car, said CEO Hisakazu Imaki.
The nagare, or "flow"-shaped design is a striking exercise in aerodynamics, but equally important is the technology under the hood of the two-seat sports car.
Mazda has been one of the most aggressive automakers when it comes to the use of hydrogen power, though unlike many competitors, it has focused on ways to burn the lightweight gas in an internal combustion engine, rather than pump it through a fuel cell.
The Taiki features an advanced version of the unique Mazda rotary engine capable of burning either hydrogen or gasoline, which would allow it to tap into the existing service station network, or switch to the clean fuel - which emits nothing but water vapor in its exhaust.
While the Taiki may have a long way to go before reaching production, a prototype dual-fuel rotary is being field-tested under the hood of the RX-8, and Mazda will soon go a step further with a hybrid/hydrogen rotary powering a version of its Premacy van. That model is also making its debut at this year's Tokyo show.
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