Paris 2010: Mazda Shinari Concept

Lately, concepts have gotten less and less outlandish and have instead become more thinly guised previews of upcoming production vehicles.

They also are used to test the waters of public opinion. Sometimes, they are made to show off the manufacturer's new design language while also being a potential production vehicle.

The Shinari Concept from Mazda is one such concept, meant to preview the styling language for the next-generation of Mazda products.

Here at CarThrottle we've always liked Mazdas for their performance philosophy, but stylistically the previous generation is when Mazda styling hit its stride.

The Shinari Concept is a four-door, and it just wouldn't be a modern four-door concept without falling into the rakish "four-door" coupe mould.

The influence of the Mercedes-Benz CLS on automotive design continues and is felt more than ever before. The look borrows more from vehicles like the Aston Martin Rapide and Fisker Karma however. With both of those being stunning vehicles, that isn't a bad thing. However, the Shinari doesn't come across as being exactly original.

The first thing that is noticeable is the absence of the Mazda "smile" that appears on the current 3. That won't be a trait of future Mazda products.

The Shinari combines industrial and fluidic design, aiming to meld the two. The name Shinari translates to "resistance to being bent." The rear end is perhaps the closest element to current Mazda vehicles.

The design is a result of combination of input from design teams in Japan, Germany and the United States. The Japan team had the lead on the exterior, while the interior work was handled primarily by the team in the United States.

In keeping with the changes wrought on the exterior, there is little traditional Mazda DNA in the interior design of the Shinari. The interior is very minimalist, with a driver-focused design.

The overall design is assymetrical, and there are flowing door panels that continue into the wrap around dash. We like it. A very driver-focused design is going to be implemented in future Mazdas.

The usual expanse of buttons in the center stack has been replaced by a new control interface in the center console. Will it look exactly like this in practice? Not likely, although we are looking forward to its implementation.

The details of of the Shinari are definitely concept-esque, but the overall design wouldn't have too hard of a time making the transition from concept to production.

The business case for such a car was reportedly considered when making the Shinari. We could see the car being a nice "halo" range-topper for Mazda, enabling it to offer its take on a four-door coupe.