MIMS 2008 good things come in 3s

It doesn’t look like a Mazda3, but the Mazda Hakaze concept may share more than just its parentage with Mazda’s best-selling medium car.

Don’t expect suicide doors, removable roofs or leather floors on your 3 anytime soon. But underneath the skin, it’s development DNA that will transfer over to the next generation of Mazdas. Along with the Mazda3, the platform could also underpin a compact soft-roader that would round out its CX SUV series to – you guessed it – three cars.

The Hakaze is also the third concept in Mazda’s Nagare series, following the Taiki concept and the savage Furai LeMans prototype.

First previewed at last year’s Geneva motor show, Hakaze is a concept crossover inspired by sand dunes and samurai swords.

Part of its roof is removable, using a similar system to the production Citroen C4 Pluriel which allows the roof to unlock and be stored away in the boot for a full open-top experience. Cameras and sensors replace door handles and mirrors, and the road or the passengers inside can be shown up on the dash at any time.

Mazda also revealed another extreme concept car, which took pride of place in the centre of its stand despite its diminutive size.

The Mazda2 Extreme rally car is the second 2 to get a rally makeover in recent years, and the fourth in Mazda Motorsport’s Extreme line of concept cars.

The Extreme Mazda2, developed here in Australia, runs a worked version of its 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine which, according to Mazda Motorsport head honcho Allan Horsley, “should develop 25 per cent more power than the standard car.” Rough maths has it at 95kW or so.

The car is yet to complete its development, though Horsley made mention of a future testing program for the 2 with rally driver Rick Bates.

Bates is contesting Targa Tasmania April in one of two Mazda3 MPS rally cars – the second driven by international import Alister McRae, brother to the late Colin McRae and a rally sensation in his own right.

The 2 is running a dirt rally setup, and Mazda hopes to run it in state or possibly ARC rally championship rounds in the coming months.

Also on the stand was a 40th anniversary RX-8, and Mazda’s lovely new 6 lineup.