 Its name “Nagare” translates into English as “flow” and the designers specifically studied motion and the effect it has on natural surroundings when creating this vehicle.It was designed by Laurens van den Acker, Mazda’s global design director at the time (since replaced by Ikuo Maeda), and his advanced design studio team in Irvine, California.As head of the international Nagare design team, Laurens’ main task from Mazda was to design first and engineering later.