Mazda Furai
Encyclopedia
The Mazda Furai is a concept car
revealed on 27 December, 2007 and manufactured by Mazda
. A teaser image of the vehicle was released on 11 December, 2007. The Furai officially debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show
in Detroit.
The , meaning "sound of the wind", is the fifth and last of the Mazda Nagare
line of concept cars that have been made by Mazda since 2006. The chassis is based on the Courage Compétition
C65 Le Mans Prototype
that Mazda last used to compete in the American Le Mans Series
, two seasons previously and is designed to use E100
ethanol fuel
, it is powered by a new generation 3-rotor wankel engine that puts out 450 bhp. The engine is developed and built by renowned rotary tuner, Racing Beat, who also built the car's rotary-shaped muffler canister.
The car bears the #55 number that of its 24 Hours of Le Mans
winning ancestor, the 787B
. Unlike many concept cars, the Furai is fully functional and is currently being tested at various tracks. It has run at Laguna Seca
and Buttonwillow
.
Head designer, Laurens van den Acker, has stated in an interview with Top Gear magazine that there are possibilities of the Furai being used for racing in Le Mans, and he also has strong hopes that the car could be brought to the market.
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
revealed on 27 December, 2007 and manufactured by Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
. A teaser image of the vehicle was released on 11 December, 2007. The Furai officially debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
in Detroit.
Mazda Nagare
The Nagare is a concept car that was introduced by Mazda at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Nagare is considered to be an exercise in natural and organic car design to explore the future of Mazda automobiles...
line of concept cars that have been made by Mazda since 2006. The chassis is based on the Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...
C65 Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
that Mazda last used to compete in the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
, two seasons previously and is designed to use E100
Common ethanol fuel mixtures
There are several common ethanol fuel mixtures in use around the world. The use of pure hydrous or anhydrous ethanol in internal combustion engines is only possible if the engine is designed or modified for that purpose...
ethanol fuel
Ethanol fuel
Ethanol fuel is ethanol , the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline. World ethanol production for transport fuel tripled between 2000 and 2007 from 17 billion to more than 52 billion litres...
, it is powered by a new generation 3-rotor wankel engine that puts out 450 bhp. The engine is developed and built by renowned rotary tuner, Racing Beat, who also built the car's rotary-shaped muffler canister.
The car bears the #55 number that of its 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
winning ancestor, the 787B
Mazda 787B
The Mazda 787 and its derivative 787B were Group C sports prototype racing cars built by Mazda for use in the World Sportscar Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1990 to 1991...
. Unlike many concept cars, the Furai is fully functional and is currently being tested at various tracks. It has run at Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
and Buttonwillow
Buttonwillow Raceway Park
Buttonwillow Raceway Park is a motorsports park in Kern County, California, north of the town of Buttonwillow and northwest of Bakersfield. Owned and operated by the California Sports Car Club, a region of SCCA, Buttonwillow is the "flagship" track of Cal Club, and is also the location of the...
.
Head designer, Laurens van den Acker, has stated in an interview with Top Gear magazine that there are possibilities of the Furai being used for racing in Le Mans, and he also has strong hopes that the car could be brought to the market.