Bold new Mazda 3 takes shape

This is what the Mazda 3 will look like... in 2018! The bold concept is the work of a young American des­igner, who won the marque’s competition to create a small family car of the future.

Mallory McMorrow’s vision, which was selected by the Japanese firm’s own design specialists and voted for by the public on social networking website Facebook, was transformed into a lifesize clay model. Then it was turned into a full-blown concept car before the eyes of visitors to the Los Angeles Motor Show.

When she was asked to describe the revolutionary project, the 21-year-old designer from Indiana said: “A decade from now, I want a car that doesn’t fall into a particular category, as well as a chassis that is made to handle every curve that comes its way.

“It will have the body and soul of a sports car, but will take into account that, sometimes, I want to have room for my friends, my things, or my dog. And it will feature a sunroof that is actually a sunroof – not one of those sun-in-one-quarter types!”

McMorrow was also keen that the exterior should turn heads even before the first rev of the engine. What’s more, she is confident that the design will not be diluted in the transition from concept to production model. “I want the kind of Mazda 3 that leaves a lasting impression,” she explained. “The everyday sports car... the five-door that makes me forget that I actually own a five-door.”

With the help of Mazda’s North America’s director of design, Franz von Holzhausen, that dream has now become a reality. He explained: “This competition was a tremendous success, and the entire process was really beneficial for us to understand what design means to our target buyers. The winning concept is a fresh new way to look at our compact hatch.”