Contest: Mazda Design Challenge

The 'Mazda Design Challenge', launched September 27 exclusively through the social networking website Facebook, is enlisting help from Facebook users in the United States to compete to design a future Mazda 3. The winner of the contest will work with Franz von Holzhausen, director of Mazda Design in North America, and his team, to bring the concept to life, live on stage at the 2007 Los Angeles International Auto Show in November.

Contestants submitted a 150-word description of their vision of the 2018 Mazda 3 including an optional sketch. The Mazda Design team is now judging the entries, choosing 10 semi-finalists to be revealed October 17. Five finalists will be chosen by the Facebook community. Each of the five finalists will be paired with a Mazda designer to hone their concept, which will then be judged and voted on in a second round by fellow Facebook members.

Voting will take place over the course of a week, with the winning designer traveling to Los Angeles to hone their work with the Mazda Design team. Over the course of the ten-day auto show, the winner will bring their vision to fruition, ending with a full-scale model that represents their view of what the 2018 Mazda 3 will be.

"Usually the design ideas come from inside our studio, but this is a rare opportunity for my team to look at design through our potential customers' eyes," said von Holzhausen. "Never before has any other automaker built a concept car on the show stand, in full view of show attendees. The pressure's really going to be on all of us - especially the contest winner - to get it finished in time for the closing weekend of the show."

Travel, accommodation, $1,000 cash and a new Mazda 3 to drive during their stay awaits the winner. In addition, the winner will introduce the final concept at its unveiling on the final day of the show.

To vote on the entries, join the Facebook group MAZDA Design Challenge

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