#Nagare

The ugly duckling/swan theme is an often used cliche in romantic comedies and other low-grade forms of entertainment, but we were caught of guard when Mazda ditched their Nagare design language and blossomed into a beautiful creature with the Shinari concept.

Nagare, if you remember, is the current design theme for Mazda that looks a lot like a mutated sea creature.  The Shinari, on the other had, and the accompanying Kodo design language, looks like something from an expensive European manufacturer that costs many multiples of what a Mazda3 would.

The four-door coupe Shinari, seen in the video, is a promising start to a new era of design in Mazda, and we can’t wait to see how it will extend to its regular lineup

[Source: CNET]

Hit the jump to see the official video

With new cars getting heavier as the years go on, Mazda is bucking this trend for their next MX-5, aiming to cut the car’s weight from its current 2500 lbs to 2200 lbs, just slightly heavier than the original 1990 Miata’s weight.

All aboard the speculation train! The rumors surrounding Mazda’s new RX-7 don’t stop coming, and with the demise of the RX-8, its a safe bet that Mazda will follow up their quirky four-door sports car with something more conventional.

Mazda appears to be on the cusp of banishing their former “Nagare” design language to the junk heap. Nagare was responsible for the controversial front fascias on the upcoming 2011 Mazda5, the current MX-5 and the Mazda3. However, Mazda executives were apparently unhappy with the execution of the styling and demanded a change.

Mazda‘s swoopy, sometimes controversial “Nagare” styling has been jettisoned after a few short years as the pre-eminent design language for the Hiroshima, Japan-based car company.