Mazda's spent a lot of time in the past year showing exotic concepts that predict the shape of future sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. Now, at the Detroit show in January, Mazda will unveil a concept that takes on green performance in the sportscar arena.
The Furai is the latest Mazda concept to wear a design fashioned from the philosophy that shaped the Nagare concept from 2007. Only in this case, the exotic looks are blended with exotic performance - the Furai is based on an American Le Mans Series race car and is fueled by ethanol.
The ethanol powers a three-rotary engine with 450 horsepower, Mazda says. Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda's North American director of design, adds that the "Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. 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. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before."
Details are slim on the concept for now - stay tuned to TheCarConnection.com as the Detroit show previews keep rolling in.
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