Top Gear have reported the car was shooting flames from the exhaust while they were testing it – perfectly normal. They wanted to capture a few quality photos of the flames, so set about tracking it down the runway in another car with their photographer. However, during this run, they spotted flames coming from the engine bay.
The tracking car pulled alongside the Furai to warn the driver as soon as possible, then hurtled back down the runway to alert the fire crew who couldn’t see what was going on, because they were the other side of a crest on the runway. Little did they know this was to far away at the time.
The wind blow the fire towards the front of the car, engulfing it in flames. When the fire crew arrived, they drenched the car in an attempt to eliminate the fire, but by this time it was much, much too late. The Furai was sadly lost. As if to add insult to injury, one fireman even ripped off the door in order to get a better shot at the fire with the hose.
It only took eight minutes from the start of the fire to the car’s utter destruction. There was only one Furai in existence, and now there are none. At the time, Mazda swept up the pieces and took what was left of the car to their Advanced Design Studio in California, although its current whereabouts are unknown. This wasn’t a good day at the office.
Top Gear’s full report can be found here.
