Mazda Furai & RX-8 Facelift at 2008 NAIAS

I love how the front air damn and side pods have wavy lines that seem to imitate the flow of air around the car.

I love this design. First time I saw it I was taken back. That's what new cars should do.

Brilliant, now built it!
 
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Scans surface from Japan

Where many automotive sites had their hopes up for an all new, next generation RX-8, the spotted mule was instead an RX-8 facelift which is scheduled for a Detroit debut in just over a week time at the North American International Auto Show.

Ten days after the surfacing of those spy photos a Japanese magazine's front cover surfaced on the internet clearly showing the updated RX-8, but the image itself was of very low quality. Yesterday however, Mazda mad Ahura of Mazda-Madness.nl found larger scans of the facelifted RX-8.

So now we know what the faelift will consist of, a new front fascia with adjusted grille, wider headlamps and the foglights have been placed higher while the LED rear lights have received a rounder look. The pictured RX-8 is an RS version with new 19 inch alloy wheels, Recaro seats, rear spoiler. Bilstein suspension which will make its debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon tuner show on January 10.

Source:
http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080104.002/leaked-mazda-rx-8-facelift
 
I like the facelift. Not sure about those wheels though. I think car companies are getting just a little too desperate in being original with wheel designs. They usually just turn out ugly.
 
I don't like how it's going into the Peugeot class of grinning.
 
Generally I like it, but I'm not sure about the exposed crash bar on the front. It does reduce the chance of picking up rock chips and parking lot scrapes on that leading edge. I wonder if those small Venturi-esque Tunnels on the rear bumper are functional and not just for decoration?

The first thing I thought was that somewhere in this car's heritage someone had an affair with a Corvette. There's also some Porsche influence in the air scoops. I am a bit sad about the loss of the fender gills, I really liked that about the older RX8.
 
I'm just curious if those taillights will fit older model RX8s. I hate the current ones (Probably one of about 3 things I hate on the car) and would love to get those fitted.
 
I really like the details in the Furai's styling. It almost looks as though they set a sculpture of the basic shape of the car in front of a high-powered wind tunnel, then turned it on full-blast and let the air currents bend and stretch the mold into what you see tearing around Laguna Seca (then Mazda added on some aerodynamic devices onto the car to give it some extra downforce.) The phrase "looks like it's moving even when it's standing still" may be a bit cliche, but the Furai really does look like it's traveling at 160mph at a standstill. Plus, the only way I could see them improving the engine is by adding an extra rotor, a la 787B.

In short, put me on the "do want" list.

/maybe a career in automotive journalism isn't far off...
 
Nothing on this earth sounds better than the symphony produced by 3 or more rotors in a wankel singing their high pitch tune. Mazda heres some advice: Build.
 
No way that car would ever be practical or cheap.

They should still take the concept and fit it into some racing class and race it, though, as a prototype. 24h of Le Mans?
 
No way that car would ever be practical or cheap.

They should still take the concept and fit it into some racing class and race it, though, as a prototype. 24h of Le Mans?

I'm pretty sure rotary engines are banned from a lot of FIA Race classes, including 24h Le Mans..
 
I'm pretty sure rotary engines are banned from a lot of FIA Race classes, including 24h Le Mans..

FIA let them race in Lemans, figuring they would never win. They did in 1991 and were subsequently banned for unfair advantages. Total BS. First and only time Japan won the race.
 
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