Mazda Taiki concept

Mazda's Taiki concept is the fourth concept car in the Nagare design series, taking the 'flow' theme to new levels and reflecting the possible direction for the future of Mazda sports cars. The Taiki employs a front-engine rear-drive layout, a unique 2-seat configuration and Mazda's next-generation RENESIS rotary engine.

Visually, the concept (whose name expresses the atmosphere - called taiki in Japanese) looks as if it was honed in a wind tunnel, with swooping, curvaceous panels that make the most of aerodynamics. The proportions of the car, a stretched coupe form with short overhangs topped by an all-glass canopy, "visually expresses the flow of air" and was inspired by the image of a pair of Hagoromo - the flowing robes that enable a celestial maiden to fly in Japanese legend - floating down from the sky.

The interior was inspired by Japanese koinobori - the decorative "climbing carp streamers". Designers were charged with creating an 'air-tube' cockpit, visually depicting the flow of the wind from the dashboard and seats down to the door trim.

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