Mazda Ryuga concept: first official pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

14 December 2006 10:32

Meet the Mazda MX-3 of the future, the company’s Ryuga concept.

Gullwing doors and stubby styling forge a recreation of Mazda’s baby coupe that sold between 1991-98. It was notable for having the smallest V6 engine of its time, a 1.8 litre. The company has issued one design sketch of the Ryuga as a teaser ahead of its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2007. It’s the second in a series of concepts after the Nagare unveiled at last month’s Los Angeles Motor Show. Together, they spell out a vision for future Mazda design: wave-like forms to give machines organic movement. Ryuga is Japanese for ‘gracious flow’, apparently. Underneath that wedgy bonnet is a hydrogen-powered rotary engine, but the Ryuga is sadly destined to remain a concept car. Sources told CAR Online that plans for an MX-3 successor are on hold now that the MX-5 Roadster Coupe is mopping up sales of small tin-top sports cars. We’ll have to wait to see the full car next month, but one thing apparent from this design sketch is a whopping, super-sized grille. ‘We’ve worked hard to give Mazdas a recognisable face in the past few years,’ said a spokesman. ‘This might be a bit OTT, but it gives clues to our future design path.’

By Tim Pollard