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January 9, 2007

Mazda Ryuga concept

Styling of gull-wing sports car concept inspired by Japanese gardens and flowing lava

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Detroit, Michigan - Mazda introduced the Ryuga concept (pronounced 'ree-yoo-ga,'), which means 'gracious flow' in Japanese. Shorter and lower than the four-passenger RX-8 sports car, the Ryuga also accommodates four passengers in comfort. A relatively long (110.2-inch) wheelbase and two large gull-wing doors provide wide door openings.

The Ryuga's chief designer, Yasushi Nakamuta, previously headed the design of Mazda's third-generation 2006 MX-5 Miata. Nakamuta said the Ryuga incorporates elegant and refined design treatments which express Japanese concepts of "mysterious beauty and intelligence", based on the new design theme that began with the Nagare concept car unveiled at the recent L.A. auto show.

Nakamuta said the Ryuga's side surfaces were inspired by 'karesansui' (Japanese dry gardens). The carefully raked pebbles in these gardens represent peaceful ripples caused by a breeze over a pool of water. The karesansui's man-made image of natural flow is represented in the Ryuga's surface texture to express simplicity and refinement.

The headlamp shape resembles the flow of morning dew dropping from bamboo leaves. Flowing lava inspired both Ryuga's exterior hue and the tail lamp design. Depending on the incident light, the Ryuga's surface appears to be shades of yellow, red, and blue, like molten, flowing lava.

To impart motion, the 21-inch wheel spokes - different on the left and right sides - are slightly twisted as if they're delivering torque. To convey the feeling of gas turbine blades, the trailing edges of the wheel spokes are accented with a tinge of body colour.

The experimental "floating" centre cluster allows interface between the driver and the multi-function touch panel without having to take one's eyes off the road ahead. Information necessary for safe and dynamic driving is available to the driver with RPM and speed (which is shown in both analog and digital formats) being displayed on the same axis. Elongated pods give the cockpit depth while bringing information closer to the driver's eyes. An open-top steering wheel provides enhanced sight lines to the instruments and the road ahead .

Other important features that will support safe driving are the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) cameras installed for the rear monitoring system and the blind-spot monitoring system. These help ensure safe driving while changing lanes and allow easy identification of potential obstacles.

The Ryuga concept may be powered by an E85/Gasoline flex-fuel engine that runs on sustainable bio fuel.

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