Autoblog

1. how ugly can it get

i guess Mazda thought a lot more uglier than I could imagine

Posted at 1:40PM on Jan 13th 2008 by Ligor

2. The car is stunning. Hands down amazing design.

Zoom Zoom

Posted at 3:23PM on Jan 13th 2008 by GDUB

3. *blink blink*

Wow. I think your computer screen might be broken.

To each their own, but I LOVE it.

Posted at 11:42PM on Jan 13th 2008 by Lee Gibson

4. Def not ugly. I am so inlove I am going to say this is in my top 5 best designed vehicles ever. Its just amazing.

Posted at 1:49PM on Jan 14th 2008 by meshies

5. It's hot - it may look like a Batman prop but that is a good thing.

Posted at 1:46PM on Jan 13th 2008 by carguy

6. it would look right at home on the race track, even some LMP look in it. but it looks too far-fetched as a production vehicle, especially that nose. Put some RX8 in the front and it looks better.

now from a tech standpoint its awesome!

Posted at 1:48PM on Jan 13th 2008 by MemphisNET

7. Reminds me of the Mazda 792P. The most beautiful race car in history (IMHO).

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/RX-792P.html

Posted at 7:33PM on Jan 13th 2008 by Temple

8. This is the most amazing concept to come out in more than a year. No other company has been so daring and actually pulled it off. -- Mazda's never been my kind of car, but I'll give them credit where they deserve it. Great job Mazda with your functional piece of rolling artwork.

Posted at 2:10PM on Jan 13th 2008 by Chase

9. The rims on the back being smaller than the front really messes with me.

I don't know if I'm blown away by this, they took a race car and slapped on a lot of stuff that makes it less aerodynamic.

Posted at 2:13PM on Jan 13th 2008 by why not the LS2LS7?

10. @Ligor

Are you blind.

Posted at 2:23PM on Jan 13th 2008 by stefan

11. Does Mazda actually sell it as a track car? They really should.

Posted at 2:31PM on Jan 13th 2008 by clevershark

12. Mazda doesn't even race the Wankel themselves in the US right now. They dropped the Wankel and picked up a 2.0L turbo AER motor for ALMS.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/11/mazda-announces-alms-entry-rotorheads-weep/

Would you buy a rotary track car from a company that doesn't even race it themselves?

Posted at 2:52PM on Jan 13th 2008 by why not the LS2LS7?

13. The reason Mazda doesn't race the rotary themselves in ALMS is because the FIA banned rotaries after 1991. The year Mazda won the 24 hours of Le Mans.

They still race Star Mazdas with rotaries though.

Posted at 3:56PM on Jan 13th 2008 by HotRodzNKustoms

14. Then again could this car actually race 24 hours without the engine blowing its seals or wearing down its rotor tips?..

Posted at 2:34PM on Jan 13th 2008 by clevershark

15. This is the exact chassis and motor (787B I believe) that won the 24 hours of Le Mans making Mazda the only Japanese manufacture to ever win the famed race.

Now I have a can am car with a 13B and it is the most reliable big horse power race car I have ever owned. The motor will last an entire season without needing a rebuild!

Posted at 3:49PM on Jan 13th 2008 by HotRodzNKustoms

16. If the rotary were so unsuitable for endurance racing, why was it banned from competition after it won?

Posted at 12:12AM on Jan 14th 2008 by Lee Gibson

17. This thing is HAWT.

It could lose a bit of complexity on the front with the braided lines around the marker lights...

But otherwise, the lines of this car are truly original and about as sexy as a dedicated race car design has been lately.

The sleek canopy with a point at the front, the shape of the front fender blending into the concave side intakes, the sleek finish. over the rear tires...

And those sexy as hell wheels. The rears may be smaller diameter in order to have taller sidewall tires, but I am pretty sure it is wider. I SO hope that wheel design arrives on the consumer market. It looks fantastic.

Good job, Mazda. Best implementation of the new design language yet. NOW, Bring us a RWD coupe, Kabura or slightly bigger RX_.

Posted at 2:35PM on Jan 13th 2008 by mk

18. Dear Autoblog, I love you, but your gallery resizing is as bad as it ever was.

Posted at 3:13PM on Jan 13th 2008 by Dan

19. i think you guys attached the wrong photos to this story. because the thing in the photos is absolutely gross-out disgusting.

i'll take my headlights without wrinkley skin flaps from now on. thanks.

Posted at 3:41PM on Jan 13th 2008 by 010111

20. I am absolutely bonkers for this car. I want it in my life.

@Za- Mazda may have a relationship with Kumho for Victoracer/Ecsta spec tires in the Star Mazda or Spec Miata series or something. And who cares, anyway? Does every American car come with Goodyears?

Posted at 4:43PM on Jan 13th 2008 by Will