Just two weeks shy of its Detroit Motor Show unveiling, images of Mazda’s Furai (means “sound of the wind”) have been leaked onto the net. Not your average concept, the Furai is a fully functioning ethanol fuelled racer. Powered by a triple-rotor 20B rotary engine, the Furai has the benefit of close to 336kW/450hp when run on E100 ethanol. Based on the 2005 Courage C65 chassis as used in the LMP2-class of the American Le Mans series the Furai is not just a show pony.

The Furai is the fifth and final concept in the series having been preceded by the Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze and Taiki concepts. Is this the future design direction for Mazda or are they just teasing us? The Furai’s stunning design is the creation of Mazda’s Southern Californian design studio, with the help of race-car specialists, Swift Engineering. The result is an intriguingly styled concept that still manages to generate 80 percent of the downforce of the original race spec bodywork.

The Furai is expected to feature alongside Mazda’s new RX8 at the Detroit Motor Show - stay tuned for more info over the coming weeks.

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[Source: WCF]