Mazda has recently changed its design language and adapted the new highly-acclaimed Kodo philosophy. There are not looking to change that anytime soon. Nevertheless, when they were presented with the opportunity to take part in a design study project with students of Clemson University and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, they jumped at the opportunity.

The Mazda Deep Orange 3 is the result of that project, and it is, by the looks of things, a very futuristic version of Mazda3. Designed by dent Frederick Naaman under supervision of Mazda North America design director, the car boasts a hatchback form, five doors, and very interesting angles and curves that give it a very sleek and modern look. The front grille is inspired by Mazda’s current corporate look and acts as the core of the design, to which all the lines end.

It’s not all about the looks, though, this Orange 3 – which is by the way gunmetal gray! The concept features – or at least they say it does – a clever hybrid powertrain with an even more intelligent power transfer system that can automatically shift between front-, rear-, or all-wheel-drive. The Orange 3 is also the first car to have a 3+3 seating configuration, and the only one to use a new kind of innovative sheet-folding technology.

Projects like this give the students a chance to work with auto makers and experience first hand the challenges and rewards of developing a car from scratch: “These students have provided fresh and inventive ideas from sketch pad to sheet metal, and the final product truly speaks to that open dialogue and collaboration between the Art Center College of Design and Clemson University,” said Derek Jenkins, design director for Mazda North American Operations.