Mazda design chief Ikuo Maeda is almost ready to show the next phase of the firm's styling evolution, according to well placed sources.
Maeda, who took over from Laurens van den Acker last year, is likely to unveil his vision on a concept that will be launched in Milan in September.
Mazda's more recent models have taken design influences from the Nagare series of concept cars, which included the Furai race car. The aim was to create cars that looked to be shaped by movements in nature.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Re: Mazda to launch new concept
The current MX5 isn't fully realised. Those pronounced semi-circles around the wheel arches on the same plane but at different levels annoy the eye, and the latest corporate grille and extruded fog light cowls are forced. The roll-over bars are a distraction to the side lines, but I suppose we have to have them in open topped cars. At least they don't resemble the giant paper clips of Audi TTs.
Re: Mazda to launch new concept
A move away from the copy of the Peugeot gaping mouth would be very welcome.the new 5 and 3 look awful from the front.good cars otherwise though
Re: Mazda to launch new concept
Mazda have built some great concepts over the past 3-4 years, but the transformation of this styling language to their production cars has been a bit hit and miss. The new 3 is basically an old 3 (bland) with huge flowing wheelarches stuck on that are out of kilter with the size of the car, and new 5 again looks like the old car whith some very random looking curved slashes carved into its flanks in some kind of effort to make an MPV look like its flowing and sporty. Can someone tell Mazda that carving creases doesn't make a car sporty, its the stance and balanced proportions that so that. Even the old Mazda 5 was a success next to the new one, and RX8 and Mazda 2 all look great but they are yet to adopt the new stying so wait for them to be ruined.