Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy, a prominent hallmark of the brand’s road-going models, is now being applied to its latest race car – the RT24-P. Built to comply with Daytona Prototype international (DPi) rules, the top level of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the prototype race is set to make its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona in late January 2017.
“Kodo design is at the heart of any vehicle that carries a Mazda badge, and that is very evident in the design of the 2017 Prototype. We considered the two main parameters of designing a successful race car for this series: aerodynamic performance and the new-for-2017 technical regulations,” said Ken Saward, senior design manager at Mazda Design Americas.
“Working with Multimatic’s aerodynamicist and engineers, we discovered that applying the Kodo design philosophy to the surfaces and the silhouette of the car enabled us to create a dynamic, purposeful-looking design and a very aerodynamically efficient one,” he added.
The sleek body contours and the five-point Mazda grille rest upon underpinnings developed by Riley Technologies in relationship with Multimatic. The new Riley Mk. 30 chassis carries the MZ-2.0T engine, which is carried over from last year’s IMSA programme.
Mazda says the name ‘RT24-P’ is meant to evoke the Mazda Road to 24, a driver development program that provides scholarships to help championship-winning drivers progress from grassroots into the upper categories of professional sports car racing. Additionally, the “24” also represents the engine’s 2.0 litre four-cylinder configuration, while the “P” signifies Prototype.
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