Mazda’s fist of Furai!

By Owen Mildenhall

25th July 2008

Forget conventional supercars –one of the most outrageous models to be found at ExCeL this year is the stunning Mazda Furai.

First seen in January at the Detroit Motor Show, this striking machine isn’t your average lifeless concept. It’s a fully working car which combines cutting-edge materials, motorsport technology and one of the most famous engines in the firm’s history.

And Auto Express was given the chance to experience it. Named after the Japanese phrase for ‘the sound of wind’, the looks are out of this world. Mazda used a Le Mans sports prototype racer as the starting point, and clothed the composite chassis in dramatic, swooping bodywork.

As a result, it only sits a metre high and the tight confines of the cabin are accessed through featherlight scissor doors. The interior blends racing car controls with a ‘wave’ design dashboard that reflects the exterior.

However, it’s what’s beneath the engine cover that lies at the heart of this car’s appeal. To celebrate 40 years of the rotary unit, a 480bhp three-rotor version powers the Furai. Nothing prepares you for the wall of noise that erupts as this unique powerplant idles. On the move it takes on a high-pitched wail only a Formula One car can match. With the slick tyres, carbon brakes and paddleshift gearbox of the racer it’s based on, the Furai has the driving experience to match its styling.

So catch a look at this unique car at the Mazda stand, and check out autoexpress.co.uk to see it in action and hear the wonderful rotary engine for yourself.

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