Nice. It looks tricky to get in and out of in a hurry, but I hope they take it to Le Mans.

@Euromobile: Le Mans doesn't allow rotary engines anymore. After the 787 won in 91, they banned the wankel

I sure hope it's able to outrun dragons, 'cause I'd hit it.

I'm a little suspicious that this may conceal other-worldly technology. Look at the nose, it looks like something from Alien.

And yeah, that noise. I think I've just gone off music for life.

awesome...

@Euromobile: I'm not sure it complies with the projected 2008-2010 ACO rules.

Its the dragons mating call... I think I just grew wings...

@FLB: Pity. I wonder how much work it would take to make it comply. It'd be amazing to see it tearing up the Mulsanne with a pack of Astons, Audis and Peugeots.

Wow, great job Mazda! Now badge it an RX7 and start selling.

MAZDA BUKAKE

Incredible.

I love the rotary-shaped exhaust canister.
Bitchin'

I had to listen twice. That thing is practically singing!

Had to change my pants. Wow!

Damn, that's all I can say. That is awesome as expressed in sheet metal. I'd love an in-car hot lap video of it.

Hsuperman: I noticed that too! NICE touch!

They simply MUST sell this car, I understand that it will have to be tamed a little to be workable on the street, but Santa Maria! I want one!

hey guys, I'll be covering the the Mazda event tomorrow, and want to know if there's anything in particular you want to see detail shots on. Feel free to let me know here or through email.

That thing is FUGLY, but it seems to run well.

...and by tomorrow I mean Monday.

That sound is enough to make anyone want to join their local chapter of Royal Rotarians.

Ohh, baby, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, baby!!! oohh! Yeaah, baby! Uh huhh, hu, huuh, yeah, baby!!! Yeah!!
That right there is a slice of 100% pure rotary cargasm.
Now where's my lighter...

@Ben Wojdyla: A few shots of the interior and the engine bay would be very nice!

@biminitwst: LMAO...i couldn't have said it better...

@94z28rag: Whaaaat??? Would you say a 1994 Z28 is not fugly? If so, then you should check your eyes: they are on inside-out.

The Furai is not fugly.

Fyi, if anyone is interested, from rotary news:

"Built on a Courage C65 chassis and powered by a 450-bhp three-rotor rotary engine, this ethanol (E100) powered concept car was built in secret, but was reported to be running very quick lap times at Laguna Seca already!"

I heart this.

Ok... they got me. I am unable to contain my lust. I am ashamed.

asvnbpaiusfa;wlekjrtnawefrds

That is amazing!

@FLB: Edmunds quotes an engineer at Swift (the company that builds the Mazda-powered Champ Car Atlantics and helped develop the Furai) as saying the car could be made competitive without major changes...

personally, i would love to see a car in competition that looks like it was styled by a stylist, not a computer...

so is this, if sold, to be a billion $ auto. or something us average joes can get our slimy little hands on?

sound like a goddam podracer from phantom menace.... SHEEESH.. who the hell is that fuckin high ass hippie? talkin about "the sense of power, y'know, yeaaaa...."

hahaha I think maybe he made mayo in his Mazda suit and is in the afterglow, now that i think about it...

but don't rotary engines like.. explode and stuff... RX-8 speakin at least??

One thing i haven't seen anyone mention yet: the wing on that is not dead-on, it's slightly at an angle. Anyone know what that's all about? I don't think i've ever seen someone do that before.

@peabody3684:

If you mean "Are rotaries reliable enough for racing?" the answer is yes.

Its going to take a week to get the stains out of my pants.

@peabody3684:

Re: Rotary engines -- there's the reputation, but if you look at the numbers, especially the RX-8, you'll probably find its really not that bad. (And if someone wants to prove me wrong, they're welcome to.)

This video makes me want to put a 20B turbo into my FD. Despite the extremely high cost, I think the sound alone would be worth it.

Wow dang, that is lovely music. Sounds an awful lot like the pod racers from Phantom Menace. @Rust-MyEnemy is right on the money; gotta be something alien powering that thing.

you know the little "put put" at idle was a little disconcerting at first.It sounded almost like a small outboard for a bass boat. Then the throttle opens with the BRAP!! and that high pitched whine is like autoviagara...you have my ATTENTION...proceed

@peabody3684:
read and be enlightened
[en.wikipedia.org]
thats their very first rotary hoonmobile and the engine didnt cause any problems but axles....

I'm going to go sit in my car and have a cigarette.

@peabody3684: The "fuckin high ass hippie", as you so eloquently put it, is Franz Von Holzhausen, the head of Mazda's US design team responsible for this cargasm.

And no, rotaries don't "like.. explode and stuff..." when driven by adults and maintained. How old are you?

To BEN WOJDYLA: gotta get a close up of the wheel so we can see the break pads and such. And a good shot of the back. And the obvious: instrument panel, engine compartment, and just a general shot of the cabin so we can see how cramped it is.

@Shapeshifter: Looks straight in all directions to me.

@yellofury: Disconcerting? How about....lovingly familiar? :D

[www.youtube.com]

@peabody3684: I talked to my RX-8 tonight. As far as he knows, his rotary engine hasn't exploded yet. He seems to run well enough and hasn't been in the shop outside of oil changes in 55k miles. And he's even an '04 model too, the very first year they came out. He's more reliable than any other car I've owned...and more importantly, more fun to drive as well.

Leftlanenews blog called. They want their village idiot back.

@1300ccsoffury: COTD but just the part about LLN :]

FINALLY!!!!

HOT WHEELS has infiltrated MAZDA :]

@peabody3684: Rotaries are absolutely fine if properly maintained. The rotor wear problem that bankrupted NSU back in the '70s is a thing of the past. The only major downsides of rotary engines are their insatiable appetite for petrol and expensive synthetic oil.

Ooooh...I wonder if a diesel rotary is possible...

More sound:
[www.youtube.com]

I didn't know dragons and cars could reproduce.

@snep: Who said anything about reproducing?!?

Hmm, They just might have improved the sound of this car over the old 787B. See [www.youtube.com] . Can we have some in car action please..

i am in love. I will trade my imaginary R8 for one of these

@Novaload: I did.

@Da5idRicardo: Would that be the production or LMP car?

Note to Ford and NBC: this is your new Knight Rider soundtrack.

Groove, that is simply amazing. Wonder what time it posted.

@irieblue: The old 787B was a 4 Rotor vehicle this is a 3 Rotor vehicle. So sounds would be different. Also the 787 had adjusting intake runners that would expand and contract based on RPM so that would make a big sound difference too. Speed source has been using this engine in the grandam rolex series and the sound is amazing. There are in car videos on utube.

@Jake: Based on the Courage C65, eh? Yeah, that actually is interesting. Hadn't heard that before, actually.

Really is a pity about the Le Mans exclusion. ACO's gotta work on that. Meantime, FIA GT action, please.

And the cutesy muffler's gotta go.

Simply Gangsta!

Auditory Bliss, great job Mazda!