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And Now, Mazda’s F*cked up Bubble Car From the 1970s

Zachariah Kelly Avatar
Zachariah Kelly
And Now, Mazda’s F*cked up Bubble Car From the 1970s

Some car companies love doing a freaky little concept vehicle. A real head-scratcher. A sci-fi prop on wheels with an engine. Mazda is no exception with the EX-005, one of the most adorable but f*cked up-looking cars I’ve ever seen.

Seriously, look at this thing. It looks like somebody stuffed three LEGO wheels into the sides of an apple. It looks like a bubble soccer ball.

Interestingly, not much is known about the Mazda 1970 EX-005. Mazda only has one official page on the car, and it’s placed alongside other Mazda concept cars.

So, I’ve been forced to scavenge across the internet for information. I have, of course, reached out to Mazda to see if they can give me some official information on this road bubble, but for now, I have to settle for what’s available on other websites.

According to All Car Index, it’s actually a hybrid, with a 200c petrol engine and an electric motor. Photos on that website make it look dangerously low to the ground.

Apparently, it could fit four people in there, according to Car Styling, and the bubble was “approximately the size of an office chair.” A single-rotary engine is what charged the battery.

Many of the articles online revolve around the car’s appearance at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show, where the car was displayed alongside Mazda’s much-loved RX500. While the Mazda EX-005 looks like a pinball, the RX500 looks like a pinball machine.

And Now, Mazda’s F*cked up Bubble Car From the 1970s
Photo: Mazda

Screw the RX500, I’m an EX-005 apologist. Let me drive to work in my happy little apple car.

Now, look, unfortunately, surprise surprise, the EX-005 isn’t the safest car. Covered in glass with no crumple zone, sitting so low to the ground you could watch a cockroach crawl across the sidewalk, this thing would be a speedbump compared to the cars on the road today. It’s no surprise that it was never produced for sale.

But it’s a fun little concept car. He’s shaped like a friend.

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