| Name | Mazda Furai |
| What it is | High-performance concept race car |
| Reveal Date | 2008 @ the North American International Auto Show |
| Termination Date | Technically, the Furai does not have a termination date as it was never intended for full-scale production. It did have an ‘end date,’ however; more on that later. |
| Weight | 1,488 lbs (675 Kg) |
| Engine | 2.0-litre RB20B RENESIS 3-Rotor engine |
| Transmission | X-trac 6-speed semi-automatic |
| Power | 450 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque |
| Performance | 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds The top speed was estimated at 180 mph |
| Highlights | The name ‘Furai’ translates to ‘sound of the wind,’ a nod to the concept’s raw nature. The concept car was built to honour Mazda’s international motorsports heritage and the 40th anniversary of the carmaker’s rotary engine. Mazda used its NAGARE (Japanese word meaning ‘flow’) design language to develop the Furai, placing emphasis on aerodynamics and an extremely lightweight design. The Furai was actually based on an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) prototype racing car. The car’s rotary engine was designed to run on pure ethanol, specially designed by Mazda and oil giants BP. Unfortunately, the Mazda Furai met an untimely end only a few months after its official debut. It caught fire during a 2008 Top Gear photoshoot and was completely destroyed before firemen could get to the scene. Mazda never bothered to rebuild, summarily closing the chapter on what was arguably one of the carmaker’s most exciting creations. |
Tolu Akinshete
Tolu Akinshete
