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Mazda
Senku
The Mazda Senku is marketed as "a four-seater rotary
sports car for adults" and is one of Mazda's newest
hybrid car offerings. The Mazda Senku made its world premier
at the Tokyo Motor Show at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba prefecture
in October 2005. Mazda unleashed a variety of cars and technological
advances at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, but it would be fair
to say that most eyes were locked on the Senku.
Mazda Senku Rotary Hybrid Concept Car
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The Mazda Senku is clearly marketed to adults as a concept
car that will not only be reliable but also exciting. The
Senku has the first-ever rotary hybrid engine powertrain
based on a next-generation 13B-DI direct injection gasoline
rotary engine with a hybrid unit. Mazda has designed the
hybrid powertrain itself, using a new direct-injection two-rotor
engine that is combined with a battery, motor, and generator.
The battery is located between the engine and the firewall,
which helps create an equal distribution of weight and maintain
a lower center of gravity. As with some other hybrid systems,
the Senku includes an "idling-stop system" that
helps boost the fuel economy of the vehicle and lower overall
emissions.
The Mazda Senku has a tremendously sleek design, complete
with long sliding electric doors. The car is 15.3 feet long,
73 inches wide, and 55 inches tall which makes it bigger
than the Mazda RX-8. It also has a 122-inch wheelbase. The
Senku is built on a new style of multi-frame technology
that saves weight and makes the car safer in impact situations.
The multi-frame technology essentially supports the engine
and front suspension and pillars are placed inside the backs
of the car doors to maintain rigidity despite the sliding
door openings.
The Senku comes with seven-speed manual transmission and
a twin-plate clutch, double wishbone suspension, and huge
Yokohama Prototype 005 tires. It also includes a power-operated
hatch that lifts the glass roof to reveal solar panels that
assist in charging of the battery. The sliding doors are
also electric.
Many that have viewed the Mazda Senku are quick to comment
on the sleek design and the fact that the car appears to
be "floating" because of the wheelbase, huge tires,
and literally no overhang. The shape of the vehicle is smooth
and sleek, with no clattering ornamentation to distract
the consumer. Others comment on the large amount of personal
space and the comfort of the leather seats. One could make
the argument that the Senku was one of the roomiest and
"zoom-zoomiest" cars at the show. Truly a luxury
hybrid hydrogen machine for a new generation of "mature"
drivers, the Mazda Senku is a true head-turner.
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