Global InformationMazda Furai information
| Mazda Furai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Mazda |
| Designer | Swift Engineering with Mazda's design studio, Southern California |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Concept car |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Layout | MR layout |
| Platform | Courage C65 LMP2 |
| Doors | Butterfly |
| Related |
|
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.0 L (122 cu in) 450 hp (336 kW) R20B RENESIS 3-rotor |
| Transmission | X-trac 6 speed semi-automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,790 mm (109.8 in) |
| Length | 4,563 mm (179.6 in) |
| Width | 1,956 mm (77.0 in) |
| Height | 977 mm (38.5 in) |
| Curb weight | 675 kg (1,488 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Mazda Nagare |
The Mazda Furai (マツダ・風籟, Matsuda Fūrai) was a concept car revealed on 27 December 2007 and designed by Swift Engineering and manufactured by Mazda.[1][2] A teaser image of the vehicle was released on 11 December 2007.[3][4] The Furai officially debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Furai, meaning "sound of the wind", was the fifth and last of the Nagare line of concept cars that have been made by Mazda since 2006. The chassis was based on the Courage Compétition C65 Le Mans Prototype that Mazda last used to compete in the American Le Mans Series, two seasons previously[3] and was designed to use E100 ethanol fuel,[5] it was powered by a heavily modified 20B 3-rotor wankel engine that produces 450 bhp (336 kW; 456 PS). The engine was developed and built by renowned rotary tuner, Racing Beat, who also built the car's rotary-shaped muffler canister.[6]
The car wore the number 55, that of its 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning ancestor, the 787B. Unlike many concept cars, the Furai was fully functional and was tested at various tracks. It ran at Laguna Seca and Buttonwillow.
The head designer, Laurens van den Acker, had stated in an interview with Top Gear magazine that there would have been possibilities of the Furai being used for racing in Le Mans, and he also had strong hopes that the car could be brought to the market.[7]
The Mazda Furai also appears as a playable vehicle in various video game series such as Real Racing 3, Gran Turismo, Forza,[8] CSR Racing, GRID, Asphalt and GT Racing. Additionally, a die-cast toy of the car has been made by Hot Wheels.
- ^ Phillips, Drew (2007-12-27). "Mazda Furai breaks cover!". Autoblog. Weblogs, Inc. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ Wert, Ray (2007-12-27). "Mazda Furai, Revealed". Jalopnik. Gawker Media. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ a b Nunez, Alex (2007-12-11). "Mazda Furai concept, 2009 RX-8 to debut". Autoblog. Weblogs, Inc. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ Wert, Ray (2007-12-11). "Mazda to Reveal Furai Concept, 2009 Mazda RX-8 at Detroit Auto Show". Jalopnik. Gawker Media. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ Vasilash, Gary S (April 2008). "Mazda: Designing Like the Wind". Automotive Design & Production. Vol. 120, no. 4. pp. 36–38.
- ^ "Mazda RX-7 Performance Parts". Racingbeat.com. 2012-05-10. Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ^ "Hell hath no Furai". Top Gear. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ^ "Forza Motorsport 4 Cars - Mazda". Forza Motorsport. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02.