A short tidbit of news here, Mazda debuted their Ryuga concept at the 2007 NAIAS. While it is piston powered, it is the third concept to have this body shape. While Mazda isn't confirming it, with 3 concepts in 1 1/2 years, this concept will probably see the light of day very soon. Probably by 2009.



RYUGA: (pronounced “ree-yoo-ga”) is Japanese for gracious flow “Ryuga celebrates refined and controlled motion,” van den Acker continued. “Nagare is a dream or an emotion that’s just beginning to take shape; Ryuga extends that idea by adding definition.

“To draw this new surface language closer in time to a car Mazda will produce for sale, we’ve added interior and powertrain details that were purposely absent from Nagare.

“Mazda is a brand that thrives on distinctive design. We are standing up to be recognized for boldness and originality. We have the courage to forge leadership in selected areas such as dynamic performance and striking design. Combined, these attributes give each of our products the soul of a sports car. The flow expressions that Nagare and Ryuga embody will be seen both in the near term on other concept cars and in the long term on production models.

“We’re working on the face of Mazda to make it more distinguished and instantly recognizable. We can adjust this new surface language to suit various models within the Mazda family. The recent success of our product line has given us the confidence to seize this look as our own.”