Mazda Kabura Concept

"The word 'kabura,' in Japanese, means the first arrow released signaling the start of battle," says International Editor, Sam Mitani. Very appropriate. Powered by the MX-5 Miata's inline-4 and having a front-engine, rear-drive layout, the Kabura appears to fall into the coming-to-production-soon concept car category. Speculation is that a production Kabura will most likely be called RX-7, a legendary name that the Japanese manufacturer very much wants to bring back. What's more, this reincarnated RX-7 is rumored to become the brands lowest-priced sports car that would be, according to Mitani, more like the first-generation RX-7 ― an affordable sports car with solid performance and everyday comfort. Look for a full report on the Mazda Kabura ― plus a slew of other cool future machines from Japan ― in the cover story from the April 2006 issue of Road & Track.

By Jim Hall