Mazda Furai on the Race Track!

[toffytofik]

The Furai, which celebrates 40 years of Mazda's rotary engine and international motorsports heritage is seen here in full intimate detail. Furai is the latest in the Nagare design series from Mazda introduced at the 2008 Detroit AutoShow (NAIAS). Based on a US Le Mans race series Courage C65 chassis and featuring a 3 rotor rotary engine fueled by ethanol. Hear the full sound these rotors make in this intimate video.Mazda Furai : Race Track - YouTube

Mazda has unveiled their Furai concept to the public. It is powered by three-rotor Mazda 20B rotary engine that runs on E100 ethanol and produces around 450 horsepower. Furai is built on a Courage C65 chassis that was campaigned by Mazda in the 2005 ALMS season. Furai means “sound of wind” after translation. The flowing shape of the Furai was co-designed by Mazda and Swift Engineering at Mazda’s design studio in Southern Californiahttp://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2007/12/medium_2144562032_cff4091d54_o.jpg


http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2007/12/medium_2143768327_83ee2b9f91_o.jpg

http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2007/12/medium_2142832288_780d1fd1e6_o.jpg

http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2007/12/medium_2143768201_b1fc1bde27_o.jpg



Pretty strange looking thing this is... too futuristic maybe?
But DAMN! What a thrilling sound it makes! :twisted:

[toffytofik]

Mazda Furai Concept w/ rotary sound/autotao.com - YouTube

[Svensson]

Awesome, thanks for the vids! :thumbup:

[HeilSvenska]

Stan?
http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=53686

But the Furai is awesome.

[toffytofik]

Stan?
http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=53686
No no, this thread was really just about the car on the track vids :P

[yg60m]

This sound is awesome !! Thanks mate :thumbup:

[torrentjunkie]

bloody hell...gotta say though, the front doesnt quite do it for me...the silhouette, side view, rear 3/4 just about every other angle is stunning... love the fighter jet/zonda/ caparo t1 concept esque glass bubble roof:thumbup: great sound!!

[T-Bird]

Gotta love the sound of a rotary engine. They truely are unique.

[PaulGT2164]

fantastic car. Great sound!

[04RCSTI]

good looking car, sounds awesome!

[styla21]

I this was only a cute looking prototype... Not an actual functioning car :| It sounds astonishing!
I hope they put some similar looking / sounding iteration into production.. The car world needs something new and exciting to stir some passion. Lately we get excited over the latest diesel VW Golf :huh:

[STiInYourEye]

What a cool car! I got to see it in the metal at the New York auto show, and it looked absolutely stunning. I hope we get to see this car in a series like the ALMS, battling it out with the Corvettes and Astons!

[79TA]

What a cool car! I got to see it in the metal at the New York auto show, and it looked absolutely stunning. I hope we get to see this car in a series like the ALMS, battling it out with the Corvettes and Astons!

Well, technically it's already in the ALMS as the Furai makes no secret about its being built on around a Mazda LMP2 car. So, when you're watching the LMP2 class Mazdas, you're seeing this car without the extra body work and "green" status.

In short, there's no chance that it will make it to production . . . not that I'd mind P2 or P1 based production cars.

It's not a coincidence that Ben Devlin has his name on the Furai . . .
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/3166/1004795mx1.th.jpg (http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1004795mx1.jpg)

[mazdascouser]

It was out on track again yesterday in California prior to being shipped to Europe to make its debut there. Ben Devlin was behind the wheel again and putting in some quick laps, which kinda confirms it is more than just a show car.

[toffytofik]

Furai at Buttonwillow (inside cam)
Mazda ALMS driver Ben Devlin takes Mazda designer Ken Saward for a few laps around Buttonwillow in the Mazda Furai Concept Car, which made its debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January. Keep in mind that this is a concept car...

Also featured at Top Gear news: http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/2854/
Furai in motion

The Mazda Furai just keeps getting better and better.
When we first saw the Nagare-themed race concept (http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/2518/) at the Detroit show in January, we were immediately smitten. A couple of weeks later, we spent a few days getting up close and personal (http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2008/03/stories/05/1.html) with its incredible, swoopy bodywork and decided it might just be the coolest thing in the history of ever.
And now, having just seen this video of the Furai lapping the Buttonwillow circuit in South California, we reckon we were right. Just a tip: if you're at work, you might want to turn your speakers down a touch.

Watch the Furai on YouTube

What a sound. We know the picture is bit grainy and you can't really see what's going on outside the cabin, but just listen to it. That's a 450bhp three-rotor rotary engine making that noise: a noise like Satan's own fleet of killer bumblebees.
We love the way the passenger keeps looking across at the driver. We can only imagine he's mouthing the words: 'Do you have anything to stop my ears bleeding?'
Now just imagine it round the Porsche Curves at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Make it happen, Mazda.
Mazda Furai Concept Laps Buttonwillow - YouTube

i think i'm deaf now...

[yg60m]

Thanks mate :thumbup:

[PaulGT2164]

awesome :)

[justin101180]

Great sound, Great looks. I love the car. I hope it will live up to its expectations.