Mazda flows into Detroit
Motown was the scene of some more 'Gracious Flow' in January 2007 thanks to Mazda, as the company introduced the concept Ryuga – the evolution of the Nagare concept introduced a month earlier in Los Angeles.
“Nagare is purposely emotional and expressive. Anyone who sees it is drawn for a closer look; they’re moved to caress surfaces inspired by nature, to understand how they could work on an automobile. But we wanted to take the idea further,” said Laurens van den Acker, Mazda Design Division General Manager. “The Ryuga concept we’re presenting in Detroit is our next step in the evolution of Nagare. It’s an exploratory design study that’s more realistic than Nagare and therefore more useful in gauging reactions from those who see it.
“To put this in fashion terms, if Nagare is haute couture (a custom designed and tailored garment), Ryuga is prêt-a-porter (ready-to-wear, not one of a kind).”
Pronounced “ree-yoo-ga,” Ryuga is Japanese for gracious flow
“Mazda is a brand that thrives on distinctive design. We are standing up to be recognized for boldness and originality. 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,” continued van den Acker. “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. ”
Large wheels placed far to the corners of Ryuga’s exterior lend a highly stable, balanced stance, while the aggressive wedge shape imparts motion even when the sports coupe is parked.
“While this initiative began with textures inspired by nature, it goes much deeper than that,” explains van den Acker. “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.”
While the dominant flow theme of Ryuga is simple, the details – such as the side surfaces and the wheels – are intricate. Solidity and fluidity live here together, in harmony.
“Ryuga incorporates elegant and refined design treatments which express Japanese concepts of mysterious beauty and intelligence,” says Ryuga chief designer Yasushi Nakamuta, who previously headed the design of Mazda’s 2006 MX-5.
Evidence of these mysterious Japanese concepts are:
- Ryuga’s side surfaces are inspired by karesansui (Japanese dry gardens), whose carefully raked pebbles represent peaceful ripples caused by a breeze over a pool of water.
- The headlamp shape is supposed to resembles the flow of morning dew dropping from bamboo leaves. Advanced LED and fluorescent tube technology will enable a similarly striking design to be used on a production vehicle in the foreseeable future, says Mazda.
- To impart motion, the 21-inch wheel spokes (different on the left and right sides) are slightly twisted as if they’re delivering torque to the road.
- Flowing lava reportedly inspired both Ryuga’s exterior colour and the tail lamp design. Depending on the incident light, Ryuga’s surface appears to be shades of yellow, red, and blue, exactly like molten lava as it flows.
There are no side mirrors on Ryuga. Rather, cameras located at the forward end of each moulding relay rear views to a center cockpit display screen. Turn signals are integrated into these protruding accents, while a blind-spot monitoring system alerts the driver to objects that may be hidden from view.
Ryuga is significantly shorter and lower than today’s 4-passenger RX-8 sports car, yet it too accommodates four passengers in roomy comfort. A relatively long (2800 mm) wheelbase makes for a large passenger-friendly interior.
As the almost full-length gull-wing doors rise to expose the interior and allow easy slide-in access, the passengers are presented with a cockpit designed to maximize the emotional connection between the car and driver, and the social atmosphere of the rear passenger space, with its lounge-like comfort.
The experimental ‘floating’ instrument cluster allows a high level of interface between the driver and the multi-function touch panel without having to take one’s eyes off the road.
Elongated pods give the cockpit depth while bringing information closer to the driver’s eyes. An open-top steering wheel provides enhanced sight lines to the instruments and the road ahead. The combination of leather, polished aluminum and translucent plastic give the interior a warm glow.
Mazda is working on various technologies to deliver Zoom-Zoom driving in the future, including earth-friendly environmental technologies. As part of the initiatives, Ryuga is fitted with a 2.5-litre E85/Gasoline FLEX FUEL engine capable of running on sustainable bio-fuel. This engine delivers ample torque and power, balancing driving and environmental performance.
Ryuga features steer-by-wire technology with a steering wheel highly sensitive to the driver's touch. The dramatic turbine-like wheels are shod with TOYO PROXES 245/35R21 tires carved with an original tread pattern perfectly suits the Ryuga’s design concept.
Mazda Ryuga specifications
Length: 1,280 mm
Width: 1,900 mm
Height: 1,260 mm
Wheelbase: 2,800 mm
Engine: 2.5-litre E85 capable
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Drive wheels: front
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