Mazda. Zoom-Zoom. Performance. These 3 words go hand in hand. Question. Do you know which vehicles are the most raced throughout tracks in the entire U.S.A? Yep. Mazdas. If you have ever driven a Miata, Mazdaspeed3 or 6, RX8, or was blessed with seat time behind the wheel of the mighty RX7, you would know what’s so special about the performance vehicles that come out of the factory at Hiroshima.
But with these awesome performance vehicles that Mazda currently makes, there’s one thing that almost all car fans, including Mazda owners, tend to agree on. The new Mazdas are uber ugly. The smiley face. That’s what most people tend to utter when they see a Mazda on the road now. And even if your modded Mazdaspeed3 is fast enough to take on the new STi, people are still going to point at the front of the car and laugh. It’s inevitable.
Apparently the heads at Mazda decided it’s time for a change. The current Nagare design that all current Mazdas share, which was introduced by Laurens van den Acker, is on its way out. Acker has left Japan to France, where he will now be designing cars for Renault. In his place, Mazda has now introduced Ikuo Maeda as the one that will literally pen Mazda’s future designs. Maeda is introducing a new, Kudo design theme, which literally means “Soul of Motion”.
Maeda’s first concept shows the new direction Mazda is headed for. The Shinari Concept shows cues of the RX8, but in a longer wheelbase and with 4 full doors. The front grill shows that while it’s still a Mazda, it’s definitely left that smile behind for a more serious face. The body reminds me of the Jaguars that are currently on the road, looking more performance-luxury then your standard Zoom-Zoom car. Heck, if the RX7 would come out looking like this concept, with the power to match, rotary fans around the world, and car enthusiasts in general, would be at a buzz for its release.
SPEEDMOTORING 