Mazda Shinari Concept

The Mazda Shinari Concept – pointing the way to the Mazda RX-9?

Mazda has revealed the Shinari Concept this morning which they say points the way to Mazda’s future designs. We think it’s a precursor for a Mazda RX-9.

We’ve only just had the news that the Mazda RX-8 has bitten the dust, victim of the upcoming Euro 5 emissions regulations. One less Mazda until we see the rebirth of the RX-7 and a halo model in the Mazda RX-9 in the next year or two.

But we’ve had nothing really concrete on the RX-9, apart from what we know about the development of the next generation Wankel engine – the Renesis Rotary Engine – which we first saw as far back as 2007 in the Taiki Concept.

Although Mazda are know to have had problems with Renesis, we hear that development is done and we are likely to see a reborn Mazda RX-7 in 2011 and a high-end Mazda RX-9 by 2012, both featuring the Renesis engine in different states of tune, from a low 250bhp to a high 350bhp.

But apart from renderings of the RX-9 we’ve had no idea how its likely to look. That is until Mazda lifted the cover off the Mazda Shinari Concept in Italy this morning.

Mazda are aiming to push upmarket and want their offerings to be considered the equal of the German triumvirate – BMW Audi and Mercedes. Despite that Mazda seem to have built a concept which could almost pass muster as a modern Jaguar if it had a different grill.

So far Mazda have given us precious little on the Shinari except to say that the Shinari is the future of design at Mazda. Which if it is, and they get build, fit and finish and quality on a par with the Germans, the future looks rosy.

And it gives us a very good idea what the Mazda RX-9 will look like.