“A big, angry RX-8.” That’s how designers of the 2007 Mazda CX-7 describe their creation. The vehicle’s program manager, Shunsuke Kawasaki, suggests that his goal was to “make the nicest SUV in the North American market, an SUV with the soul of a sports car.” To do so, he and his team attempted to blend sports car attributes – speed, athleticism, and driving pleasure – with SUV traits – sturdiness, practicality, and a commanding view of the road. The result is the CX-7, or what is referred to internally as the Metropolitan Hawk.