Mazda's provocative Nagare (pronounced "nah-gah-reh") - Japanese for "flow" - concept car, revealed at the LA Auto Show, introduced a new surface language that evokes the emotion of motion in a stationary automobile.
Evolving that idea further, Laurens van den Acker, Design Division General Manager for Hiroshima, Japan's Mazda Motor Corporation, revealeds the Ryuga (pronounced "ree-yoo-ga") - Japanese for "gracious flow" - concept, at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
"Ryuga celebrates refined and controlled motion," van den Acker said. "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," van den Acker continued. "In addition, large wheels placed at the far corners of Ryuga's exterior lend a highly stable, balanced stance. The aggressive wedge shape imparts motion even when this sports coupe is parked. Volumes that are small in front, larger at the rear, wrap around and over the wheels to give the exterior tension and direction.
"After we began studying natural phenomenon for inspiration, Mazda designers were initially hesitant to apply their findings, but I encouraged them to blend artistic and sculptural beauty to see where it led. Once we did, the results were both original and instantly appealing.
"While this initiative began with textures inspired by nature, it goes much deeper than that. We're looking at grand gestures that wrap all over the vehicle's exterior and throughout the interior. Some of the proportions are dramatically wind-swept. There's drama at every turn. There are no square corners."
