It "broke down" after I originally posted it. Hopefully, it's fixed now.
BTW, an interesting fact I just picked up from WardsAuto.com: The Kabura was the first Mazda designed in their California design studio under their new director Franz von Holzhausen, who designed the Pontiac Solstice roadster.
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Here you go guys since I love you all so much except for a couple of people here someone scooped this off a latest magazine issue that just hit the stands. This is just a preview I know you cant really see but it gives you a general idea. Hold on to your horses till the final unveiling. I hope Mazda makes it http://allcarsallthetime.blogspot.co...o-hoof-it.html
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An interesting factoid I just read about the Kabura: It's actually a 3-door coupe. The left (driver's) side is conventional, with one door and a back seat with tight legroom. The right (passenger's) side, on the other hand, has a shallow, close-to-the-windshield dashboard, a passenger seat pushed forward and, as a result, legroom for the right-rear seat is comparable to front-seat legroom.
The right side of the car has 2 doors: a regular large door for the front passenger and a small rear door à la extended-cab pickups or Mazda's own RX-8. The one in the Kabura, however, has an interesting twist: instead of swinging out to open, it slides INTO the body, like a home pocket door.
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Industry Editor, Moderator, All-around Car Nut and the official my.IS Grandpa
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."—Soren Kierkegaard
Wow, 2500 lbs, rear drive - make it look a little more normal and I'm sold!
From Edmunds:
Quote:
The "no-brainer of the show" award goes to Mazda for building the car every enthusiast wants — an inexpensive, lightweight, rear-drive coupe. Remember when carmakers sold these cars in the United States? Neither do we, but we're pretty sure it wasn't that long ago and we're pretty sure that if it's done right it will be a scorching success.
Mazda can do it right.
And it can be done using parts that already exist, which enormously increases the likelihood it will get a thumbs-up for production. The fundamentals are already in place on the concept: RX-8 underpinnings including double-wishbone suspension up front and a multilink layout in the rear. The engine and transmission, a 2.0-liter four and six-speed manual, come from the MX-5.
The big news is the weight. When asked about a weight target, Moray Callum, general manager of Mazda's Design Division, said it's possible the Kabura could weigh less than the MX-5 (2,498 pounds).
The Kabura already looks right. It's got Mazda's signature front wheel arches and there's certainly some RX-8 in its nose and greenhouse. But we're convinced it would sell because of its formula for cheap, fast driving fun. Looks, in this market, come second.
As a bonus, the Kabura has some smart interior features which make it usable enough to function as an only car for the low-bucks buyer. Mazda calls its seating arrangement a 3+1 layout. The unique design puts a full-size rear seat behind the front-passenger seat. Moving the fuel tank under the other rear seat makes room for three adults to sit comfortably while the folding jump seat is reserved for smaller passengers. It's also a hatchback which makes it even more utilitarian.
What's Edmunds' Take?
"We can build the Kabura with existing parts," Callum said.
I'm in love with the Kabura and I hope Mazda will make it. I just leased the 250 and hopefully this will come out in time for my trade-in, assuming they actually make this thing and drop a nice engine into it of course. Found these hi-res wallpapers if anyone interested. http://www.kaburaforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28
But nobody knows if it's getting a miata engine or the rotary engine.
But nobody knows if it's getting a miata engine or the rotary engine.
If you read a couple of posts above yours, you'll find that, according to Edmunds.com, it uses the Miata engine. It is possible (but not likely) that a production version could use a rotary, making it an RX-7 successor.
It seems to me, though, that a production Kabura would be more of a successor to their Zagato-influenced, insect-like MX-3, only with RWD this time around.
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."—Soren Kierkegaard
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