A Fresh Face: The Mazda Takeri Concept
One of the prominent reveals of the first day of the Tokyo Motor Show was the Mazda Takeri concept. The enthusiast-oriented automaker had released photos a month ago but the Japanese show is the first the public has seen the car in the flesh, to rave reviews.
The shape is obviously the main draw, one of the first Japanese forays into the new “four-door coupe” territory pioneered by the Mercedes CLS, Volkswagen CC and Audi A7, among others. I have to say, if Mazda builds the car—and it looks surprisingly production-ready—they stand to leapfrog Nissan’s attempts to become Japan’s automotive style leaders, echos of a period in the early-to-mid ’90s when they penned a series of stunners, from the FD RX-7 to the MX-6 and 929.
Beyond the nicely-sculptured proportions, the Takeri serves as further evidence Mazda is ditching the derided “smiley faces” in favor of a positive, versatile grille shape. It’s appeared on the upcoming CX-5 small SUV as well, but on the Takeri the fascia radiates strong overtones of the Jaguar XF‘s front end—not a bad car to use as inspiration. However, in the Mazda’s case, I’d venture to say the pupil has surpassed the master, giving the Takeri more tension and poise than the XF’s comparatively plain grille.
The mechanicals receive a suite of Mazda’s latest initiatives as well. In addition to featuring their new Skyactiv efficiency program, which encompasses engine, transmission and chassis elements, the Takeri also showcases the automaker’s awkwardly-named i-ELOOP regenerative braking system. From Motor Trend‘s post:
i-ELOOP converts kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it in capacitors for quick charge and discharge to power the vehicle’s electrical components. The automaker claims the system reduces fuel consumption by as much as 10 percent.
It won’t set the world on fire, and it all sounds very show car-ish, so it’s questionable how much of that would make it to the assembly line, but it does illustrate Mazda’s willingness to think outside the trendy hybrid/electric box. I hope to see the car in a showroom soon.