Mazda at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Written by Leonte Cristian.

Mazda MINAGI concept Mazda will show at this year's edition of Geneva Motor Show it's MINAGI concept. The MINAGI SUV is the 1st concept car from the next generation of new Mazda models equipped with the SKYACTIV powertrains, chassis, body and safety technologies. "KODO - Soul of Motion" is also present in the MINAGI concept. At 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Mazda will show both MINAGI and SHINARI concepts, among the MX-5 "Spring 2011 Special Edition" that will be released in European markets. Read more from the PRESS RELEASE below!

PRESS RELEASE

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Mazda Motor Corporation is presenting the world premiere of its new MINAGI concept car. On the main stage in Geneva both the MINAGI and SHINARI concepts embody the brand’s new KODO design identity. In addition, the stand will host a special exhibition of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies including new powertrains, transmission, body and chassis technologies which will feature in next-generation Mazda products. Finally, Mazda is introducing a new ‘Spring 2011 special edition’ MX-5 sportscar for the European market.

‘KODO – Soul of Motion’, the new design language
At its heart,Mazda’s new design language ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ is based around the power and beauty that one sees in the instantaneous movement of animals or humans. With the keywords –Speed, Tension, and Allure – this design language aims to express a faster and more forceful movement, and brings a more soulful new element to Mazda vehicle design.

Mazda MINAGI Concept – World premiere
The new Mazda MINAGI concept is a compact crossover SUV that embodies Mazda’s all-new, next-generation product features, adopting the full range of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies –from powertrains to chassis and body – and KODO, the new Mazda design theme. Mazda MINAGI is the second of the KODO design series, following the Mazda SHINARI design concept that debuted last year. The two concepts indicate the future of Mazda design and demonstrate the potential of Mazda’s design language.

Mazda SHINARI Concept
Mazda’s KODO design language is beautifully expressed in the SHINARI concept car. SHINARI is a four-door, four-seat sports coupe concept with an exterior form expressing tension, agility and power. SHINARI perfectly communicates Mazda’s new KODO design theme in a graceful and animated form.

Mazda SKYACTIV – next-generation technologies
Mazda is displaying its core SKYACTIV technologies at Geneva, all part of the next generation of upcoming products. The SKYACTIV-G direct-injection petrol and SKYACTIV-D diesel engines drastically reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions, while Mazda SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission and SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission improve performance, fuel consumption and driving feel. SKYACTIV-Body is lightweight, rigid and safer and Mazda’s SKYACTIV-Chassis is the lightweight next-generation chassis of the future.

Mazda MX-5 Special Edition, Spring 2011
Also at Geneva, Mazda is introducing a new ‘Spring 2011 special edition’ MX-5 for the European market. This new limited edition MX-5 model has unique features and an exclusive body colour to add a more premium feel to the world’s best-selling open top two-seat sportscar, and is available in both the soft-top and roadster coupe bodystyles.

Mazda ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ Design Language

Over the years Mazda has often explored the idea of ‘motion’ to inspire its unique vehicle designs. The next generation of Mazda cars, influenced by nature’s power and beauty, has been evolved by taking the instantaneous movement of animals or humans as its inspiration. The new design language is called ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’

At its heart KODO is based around the image of a predator, as it strikes at its prey, or the stabbing movement in the ancient Japanese martial art of kendo to express the instant where accumulated force is released. This is the form displayed in the exact moment motion begins – in the moment when a cheetah pounces on its prey, or the moment of a sword strike in kendo. It is when accumulated tensional force is released with the most finely-honed balance of strength and streamlined beauty. It is an exhibition of power and speed, of controlled tension, that creates a sophisticated and seductive beauty.

This instantaneous movement is the ultimate form of motion, filled with vitality and emotion; it is the essence of Mazda’s new design language which will be incorporated into all Mazda designs to express faster and more forceful movement and convey a more soulful element to Mazda vehicle design.

The Mazda MINAGI concept car embodies Mazda’s new SKYACTIV technologies and new KODO design language, signaling the way for the next generation of Mazda cars to come

The MINAGI concept showcases characteristics likely to be seen in the next generation of Mazda cars. For this reason, Mazda has fully incorporated its SKYACTIV technologies into every aspect of driving performance, including the powertrain, chassis, and even body design. MINAGI challenges conventions with emotional design and exhilarating performance.

MINAGI’s design elements combine the expression of energy pulsing throughout the vehicle with the keen agility to move about freely and nimbly. With its upright, compact packaging, MINAGI offers a vision of KODO design that is different to SHINARI, yet it shares the same sinuous, powerful stance.

“I wanted to convey something different from the Mazda SHINARI. I felt a compact crossover SUV was the perfect vehicle to express agility and focused movement; the flexibility of four limbs moving in unison, and an upright posture.”

Masashi Nakayama
Chief Designer, MINAGI Concept

Mazda MINAGI is a stylish expression of pent-up energy. In Japanese, its name conjures up the image of an object pulsating with energy and perfectly reflects the vehicle’s speed, agility and spirited character. For MINAGI, Mazda designers looked at different aspects of cheetahs as they hunt. A cheetah’s head is positioned high, while long, powerful and supple limbs hold its lean torso upright to enable it to change direction quickly at high speed. Mazda’s designers set out to evoke the moment when an animal contracts its muscles, ready to lunge at its prey. Such a lunge can be in any direction; an idea which fits with the function of an agile crossover SUV as it darts through a sprawling cityscape.

Mazda SHINARI Concept

The Japanese word shinari describes the power, suppleness and forceful resilience seen when objects of high tensile strength, such as steel or bamboo, are twisted or bent. It can also refer to the appearance of a person or animal as it flexibly transforms its body to generate fast movement. It is this movement thatinspired Mazda’s designers to convey ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ in the form of SHINARI, its first KODO design concept.

The Mazda SHINARI is a four-door, four-seat sports coupe concept. Its form suggests the powerful and tense movement of a lean and supple animal’s body with highly developed muscles. The exterior form of SHINARI incorporates lines and surfaces with subtle twists that are full of tension to express agile and powerful movement and convey Mazda’s new design language ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’. Thanks to the tension conveyed by its surfaces, Mazda’s SHINARI looks ready to leap at any second. The design communicates the sudden release of pent-up energy while showing beautiful and supple movement.

Mazda’s designers focused on the delicate and accurate control of all of the car’s exterior elements in order to balance the car’s organic forms and express SHINARI's message. The front fender is a signature element of the car and it is one of SHINARI’s most significant features. As is the floating bar – which links the grille with the headlights – and expresses speed in three dimensions.

The styling is also highly functional. Aerodynamic performance was a key priority for Mazda’s design team. At the front and rear of the car, the centre of each fascia has been designed to channel and then optimize airflow along SHINARI’s underbody. The flared line which visually connects the front bumper with the side sills and the rear bumper fulfills a similar role, directing airflow along the car’s flanks, and further contributing to the coupe’s aerodynamic performance.

Mazda SKYACTIV technologies

Mazda’s new SKYACTIV technologies combine breakthrough innovation and state-of-the-art technology. These next-generation technologies include petrol and diesel engines with record compression ratios, all-new manual and automatic transmissions and body and chassis systems which are lighter and more responsive. The introduction of these technologies will result in major reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for all Mazda models. In line with Mazda’s ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom’ strategy, these technologies will improve the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold globally by 30 percent by 2015 (compared to 2008)

Mazda’s ‘breakthrough’ engineering and manufacturing approach to its next generation of vehicles has enabled it to solve various conflicting issues simultaneously. For example, how to increase the compression ratio of a petrol engine without the risk of a drop in torque –

due to knocking. This has led to a number of breakthrough technologies, with the goal of achieving the ideal internal combustion engine. Combined with a successful lightweight strategy – encompassingnext-generation engines, transmissions, vehicle body and chassis technologies – which dramatically improvesfuel economy and CO2 emissions, these new technologies will begin to be deployed on all vehicles in the Mazda line-up globally starting from 2011.

Mazda MX-5 ‘Spring 2011 Special Edition’

Twenty years on, Mazda’s legendary MX-5 sportscar has become the world’s best-selling two-seat open top roadster with more than 900,000 units produced thanks to its unique formula of pure Zoom-Zoom spirited driving fun combined with reliability, durability and affordability

At this year’s Geneva show, Mazda is introducing a ‘Spring 2011 Special Edition’ of the MX-5.

The new model has special features including a premium leather interior and a new unique Dolphin Grey exterior colour. Upgraded exterior equipment includes chrome door handles, silver fog lamp bezels and chrome surrounds around the front bumper grille plus a white lens on the high-level brake light. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels in a bright finish complete the premium look. Inside, interior equipment includes tinted grey leather seats and chrome rings around the dashboard instrumentation and air outlets. True to the spirit of Zoom-Zoom, the Mazda MX-5 Special Edition still boasts perfect 50:50 weight distribution and a high power-to-weight ratio.

The Special Edition is available with the 126 PS, 1.8-litre engine in several LHD markets and with the 1.8-litre engine or 160 PS 2.0-litre engine in the UK. All engines are combined with a five-speed manual transmission.

Depending on country, the 1.8 model is available either with a soft-top or retractable hardtop. The 2.0 version with a retractable hardtop is only available in the UK.

All models have the same legendary sportscar handling, agility and performance for which the MX-5 is famous, plus the same modest CO2 emissions, enviable reliability and affordable ownership and running costs.

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