the exquisite eunos cosmo
Exquisite typically is a word applied to something very beautiful, maybe delicate, perhaps highly sought-after. When it comes to cars, most people wouldn't really think of using it to describe a Mazda, but more like an Aston Martin, a Jaguar, or something Italian. Yet a strong case can be made for Mazda's design expertise, at least in my opinion. Of all the Japanese car makers, Mazda has consistently put out more attractive designs than others. You may think the original Cosmo Sport is less of a clean and classical shape than the Toyota 2000GT (and you would have a point), but take a look at the original Luce and Luce Rotary Coupe. Granted, they were penned by Bertone, and rumor has it that the design was originally destined for an Alfa, but still credit Mazda for putting it in production. More recently, there were the 4th generation 626 that stood out from its contemporary bread-and-butter sedan rivals, the MX-6 derived from it that's still arguable the most beautiful mid-range FWD coupe yet, the curvaceous and graceful 929, not to mention the Eunos 500 or the dynamic Lantis. In terms of cars for the masses, Mazda definitely has a knack at cranking out pleasing designs. And why shouldn't it? It has talented design studios in Japan, California, and Europe, and, perhaps more importantly, it has a corporate spirit that appreciates some of the best of the classic racing and sports cars traditions more so than the likes of Toyota and Honda. In terms of cars not destined for the masses, however, Mazda has put out products that are even more extraordinary. Predictably, one of them is the 3rd generation RX-7, the FD3S. The FD was truly an extraordinary car, both in terms of its design or engineering. It truly was tragic that a) it lacked just that last bit of finishing that hampered its reliability upon release and b) it was yanked from the US market so quickly. As it remained in Japan and enjoyed continuous development at the able hands of Takao Kajima, the FD's greatness only increased throughout its 11-year lifespan. Besides its pure sports spirit, another remarkable thing about the FD was that it actually brought in profit for Mazda over its production cycle. However, this post actually celebrates the FD's bigger brother, the extraordinary Eunos Cosmo.
One of my friends who grew up in Japan, who also has no interest in cars, once told me that the most prestigious sports car in Japan is the Fairlady, the Z-car. In that case, the Cosmo must be the Z-car for Mazda. Credit Mazda to have always attributed the name Cosmo to something special. The original Cosmo Sport is definitely very special. The very next Cosmo, sold as RX-5 in the US, was a luxurious grand tourer with Americanized styling. The subsequent Cosmo continued the theme of the prestigious GT and, when equipped with the 12A turbo rotary engine, held the title as the fastest production vehicle in Japan for a time. When it came time to develop the fourth generation Cosmo, Mazda was riding high. It had just made waves with the highly acclaimed Miata, and plans were in place to diversify Mazda's lineup in all sorts of upmarket directions. With the Miata in place as the affordable sports car, the next-generation RX-7 was planned as the all-out super sports car with target set on the likes of Porsche or NSX. On the other end of the spectrum, the replacement of the venerable Luce premium sedan, the Sentia/929, ostensibly emulated the Lexus LS, which had made just as big a splash as the Miata. The Cosmo was not to be outdone, and the fourth generation car was allocated to the new premium Eunos nameplate. The result was one hell of a car. Still aimed to be a luxurious GT, the new Cosmo took it to the next level, as Toyota did with the Soarer (Lexus SC). Its new segment peers are now more like the Jaguar XJS. Curiously, it seemed to be intended solely for the domestic market. As such, its styling, while elegant and very attractive, was very much in line with traditional Japanese taste. I think it's very beautiful in an understated way. The car was certainly luxurious with a sleek interior covered in supple leather. It also has the distinction of being the very first production car in the world equipped with GPS navigation. An in-dash display, now a common option, serves as the control for the GPS as well as cellular phone, radio, climate control, and even television. The instrument clusters contained backlit gauges, as first popularized by Lexus. The JC platform the new Cosmo rides on is related to that of the RWD HD platform underpinning the Sentia/929. Perhaps the most remarkable, and legendary, feature of the new Cosmo is the 3-rotor 20B engine, the only ever such engine in the world. Essentially a 3-rotor version of the 13B-REW in the FD, the 20B-REW is similarly equipped with sequential twin-turbo. Here marks another first in the Cosmo. Unlike parallel bi-turbo setups that, for instance, boost each bank of a V6, the sequential system spools up a small turbocharger at lower engine speed, with the larger second turbo joining in at higher RPM. The purpose of this is to ameliorate turbo lag, and while the boost can still be felt, for the most part the system succeeded. Both 13B and 20B engines are available on the Cosmo, the latter of course is the powerhouse, endowing the suchly-equipped cars with ample torque, acceleration, and speed. The Eunos Cosmo was definitely a very advanced car, both in and out of its time, and every bit worthy of the Cosmo name. It also still holds the title as the most expensive car Mazda has ever marketed.
The Cosmo remained in production for six years, from 1990 to 1995. The early-90s did not treat Mazda well, partly because of the boom of the SUV craze along with the resultant demise of the coupe/sports car market. Recession in Japan also hit Mazda hard. Its plan for ambitious growth was rapidly stunted, and despite the number of amazing products and designs that came out of this period, the business side of Mazda suffered greatly. Mazda's premium brand, Amati, under which some of the Eunos (and perhaps ẽfini) models in Japan would be marketed in the US, was stillborn. At the end of its production, just under 9000 Cosmos were sold. In contrast, and fortunately, the FD remained in production through 2002. Nowadays, the Cosmo is both rare and a veritable classic. Its 20B-REW is also popular for swaps into the FD. Graymarket imports have sent a few Cosmos to Europe and North America. I've seen one at SevenStock, and it really is quite a car. In the skin, it's both understated and quite striking, as few cars that reached our shores wore such elegant and svelte coupe shape.
As I said many times, the late-80s up to the first half of the 90s is one of Mazda's golden eras. The Eunos Cosmo, along with the last RX-7, are Mazda's magna opera from this time; they were truly magnificent machines. After the JC, the Cosmo nameplate has yet to grace a Mazda, neither has Mazda produced such an ambitious, high-end model. The Millenia represents the last remaining outright premium car Mazda has produced. Powered by an award-winning Miller Cycle engine and clothed in a design of clear relation to the Eunos Cosmo era, the Millenia was an excellent car that few people appreciated. While the RX-8, Mazda's current flagship, can be outfitted quite luxuriously, spiritually it's more akin to the RX-3. Will we ever again see the likes of the JC or the Cosmo name grace another deserving car? After a difficult period in the late-90s, Mazda has regained its groove and is riding high again. Nearly every car in the current lineup developed by Mazda is an excellent, distinctive, and acclaimed car. Mazda has also regained its independence, with Ford no longer a majority stakeholder. And with the SKYACTIV campaign, which includes technically advanced and highly fuel-efficient engines, the future looks bright. Recently, there was also the Shinari concept car that launched the new design language, Kodo.
Led by Ikuo Maeda, one of the key designers who penned the RX-8, the Kodo design theme promises some stunning cars. Some are speculating that the Shinari may foretell the next rotary Mazda, while the official word is that the Shinari merely shows off some of the styling elements to be found on future Mazdas. What I found very interesting are that a) the Shinaris (there appears to be at least two cars) appear not to be inanimate clay models but running concepts, b) the design itself is obviously FR, judging by the placement of the wheels (and what is the underpinning platform???), and c) the concept is quite well-finished and *realistic* (just think about some of the recent Mazda concepts that were quite out there). On the other hand, all three are true for the Kabura, and nothing has come of that (...yet). I think the Shinari is quite a stunning and gorgeous design. In many ways, it reminds me of the very first RX-8 concept car, that red one that was very design-y but a very realistic car also lurked underneath. If something resembling the Shinari goes into production, and it is an FR car, AND there is a rotary engine option (the under-development 16X, or SKY-R?), this will likely be a car fitting for the Cosmo name. One can dream, but I can't wait to see what Mazda has in store.
