Mazda Shinari design concept

Mazda SHINARI Concept: Speed and Strength in motion that strikes the heart

At this year's 2010 LA Auto Show, Mazda gave North America a glimpse at its SHINARI pure design concept vehicle. Under the direction of Ikuo Maeda, the company's new global design director, SHINARI is the first vehicle to feature Mazda's new global design language, KODO, or "Soul of Motion." SHINARI takes lessons learned from the successful NAGARE ("flow") series of concepts, and takes Mazda's design to an exciting new level.

The SHINARI is a four-door, four-seater sports coupe that perfectly expresses the KODO design theme in a graceful and carefree form. The Japanese word "shinari" references the powerful yet supple appearance of great resilient force when objects of high tensile strength, such as steel or bamboo, are twisted or bent. It also refers to the appearance of a person or animal as it flexes and transforms its body to generate high-speed movement.

One glance at SHINARI stirs one's emotions. Its form expresses the powerful movement of a lean yet extremely muscular body, appearing both supple but at the same time filled with tension. Mazda's desire is to strike a chord in car enthusiasts' hearts and go beyond the notion of rational logic. SHINARI's form purely embodies that desire.