Starting MSRP: NA

Vehicle type: coupe
EPA fuel economy: NA
Available engine:
158-hp, 2.0-liter I-4
Available transmissions:
six-speed manual

'First arrow' sets stage for future sport compacts
From Mazda

The essence of Mazda's "Zoom-Zoom" spirit is providing customers with stylish, insightful, spirited products capable of enriching their lives in exciting ways. Now, Mazda presents Kabura, a design concept that ventures beyond the typical compact sports coupe to explore several fresh ideas that could appear in future production models.

Kabura incorporates the front-engine, rear-drive layout long delivered by Mazda's MX-5 and rotary-engine sports cars.

To support youthful lifestyles, Kabura stretches the bounds of interior versatility, replacing the typical 2+2 layout with a 3+1 arrangement. All passenger seats fold flat to make way for snow boards, shopping bags and other tools of an active life.

Though Kabura has the presence of an exotic sports car, it has the practicality and affordability that youths yearn for. "Kabura" is a Japanese term taken from "kabura-ya," an arrow that makes a howling sound when fired and was historically used to signal the start of a battle.

"With Kabura, we set out to use innovative design to rekindle the passion for driving," said Franz von Holzhausen, director of design for Mazda North American Operations. "Our intention is to rouse the segment with some intravenous creativity.

"While we have no plans at the moment to build a production version of Kabura, it is not a complete flight of fancy. It embodies several innovations Mazda could implement when a compact sports coupe Ö is ready for production."

Von Holzhausen's team designed Kabura with an extra right-side door. After the front door is opened, touching a button slides the bonus door back and out of the way.