All concept vehicles have names in which represent Nagare's "wind and flow" theme in one way or another.
Concept cars
The Mazda Nagare, the first in the design series.The Mazda Ryuga, the second in the design series.The Mazda Hakaze, the third in the design series.The Mazda Taiki, the fourth in the design series.The Mazda Furai, the fifth in the series, and the most storied and most popular Nagare car.The Mazda Kazamai, the sixth in the design series.The Mazda Kiyora, the seventh in the design series.
The Mazda Nagare is the first car built under the Nagare design language, and shares its name with the language itself. The car debuted at the 2006 LA Auto Show.[3]
The Nagare takes the form of a long-wheelbase Kammback sports car. The futuristic interior is very irregular, with the driver placed front and center under the roof's highest point, and three additional passengers seated behind in a "wrap-around lounge". The Nagare also has butterfly doors that span nearly the entire wheelbase.[4] The Nagare's engine is non-existent, as it is not a running prototype.[3]
Designer Franz von Holzhausen mentioned during an interview at Autoblog that he took inspiration from nature and applied it to the Nagare concept.[3] Some of von Holzhausen's words are typed below:
"We began by studying motion and the effect it has on natural surroundings: how wind shapes sand in the desert, how water moves across the ocean floor, and the look of lava flowing down a mountainside. Natural motion registers an impression in your brain and that's what we hoped to capture with the new Nagare surface language. Once we started sketching our ideas, we weren't surprised to find similar quests underway in other product design disciplines. We found examples of motion influencing the shape and surface of furniture, architecture, apparel, and artwork. Nagare undoubtedly proves our confidence in identifying a new and exciting visual language for Mazda as we lead the way in defining the interaction of motion and flow in automobile surfacing."
The Mazda Ryuga is the second vehicle built under the Nagare series. The name Ryuga (流雅, gracious flow) references the purpose of the design. The car features gull-wing doors and a futuristic interior, hinting at Mazda's planned future in design. It is powered by a 2.5-litre Mazda MZRinline-four engine.[5]
The Mazda Hakaze(葉風, leaf wind) is the third car to be featured in the series. The car has a crossover body style with scissor doors. According to Mazda, the car was more production-ready than the Ryuga and Nagare.[6] It is powered by a 2.3-litre MZR engine.
The Mazda Taiki is the fourth vehicle featured in the series. The name Taiki (大気, large atmosphere) is intended to complement the car's atmospheric canopy surrounding the driver and passenger; its interior continues the flowing design theme. The rear wheels appear to extend out from the body. Power comes from an improved version of the 13B Renesis Wankel engine used in the RX-8.[7]
The Furai was tested on many circuits, such as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In 2008, the car was destroyed after catching fire during a Top Gear photoshoot. This event was fully revealed to the public in 2013.[9][10]
The Mazda Kazamai is the sixth Nagare car. Taking the form of a compactcrossover designed for the Russian market,[11] it is powered by a 2.0-litre engine with direct injection to increase both performance and fuel economy and decrease emissions. The name Kazamai (風舞, wind's dance; swirling wind) serves as its motif,[12] with aerodynamic styling inspired by crosswinds, large 22-inch wheels, and the use of aluminium to reduce weight.[11]
The Mazda Kiyora(清, pure) is the seventh car in the Nagare concept series. Unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, it is a water-themed, city-oriented compact car[13] with transparent polycarbonate butterfly doors and a water filter that converts rainwater collected on the car's roof into drinking water. The Kiyora also possesses a haptic touchscreen designed to mimic the rippling of water.[14]
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