THE ECO-FRIENDLY BAT CAR

If Batman suddenly turned eco-warrior, this is the car he would drive!

The latest Mazda concept, the Furai, is a vehicle any superhero would be proud to drive thanks to its comic book styling.

Part of the Japanese motoring giant's Nagare - Japanese for 'sound of the wind' - design range, the Furai wowed many people at the recent Detroit auto show.

Based on an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing car, the vehicle is packed with plenty of bat-power with a 450bhp triple-rotor rotary engine, driven through a X-trac six-speed transmission with paddle shifters.

But with great power comes responsibility and the Furai's stunning performance is matched by environmentally concerns enabling the engine to run on 100% ethanol fuel.

Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda's North American director of design, says: "Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars.

"Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models - commonly called supercars - that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before."

Mazda's acclaimed Nagare creations are created to describe the flow of water, air, people or things moving in one direction. This accounts for the dynamic curves and design swooshes that suggest Furai is on motion, even when it is parked.

"Nagare is flow, with an insightful and spirited styling," explains von Holzhausen. "The Furai, invokes a raw, unfettered desire to possess everything this car represents."

To the environmentally-friendly Bat Car Robin!

MUST CREDIT PHOTOS BY
REX FEATURES
Story: Dean Murray