Fastest Cars: Tokyo Motor Show

Showing posts with label Tokyo Motor Show. Show all posts

Honda EV-STER Concept to Spawn a Production Model

It looks like the retro-styled N Concept 4 city car won't be the only Honda study displayed at this month's Tokyo Motor Show that will end up going into production as the Japanese carmaker's CEO Takanobu Ito told German magazine Auto Motor und Sport that the open-top EV-STER has also received the green light.

The Honda boss revealed that the battery-powered, rear-wheel drive roadster could arrive in the market as early as 2012, adding that the company may also introduce more conventional version with a classic gasoline engine, without offering any more details.

However, it's only reasonable to assume that the gasoline model would be a hybrid matching an internal combustion engine with an electric motor.

At 3,570mm (140.5-in.) long, 1,500mm (59.0-in.) wide and 1,100mm (43.3-in.) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,325mm (92.5-in.), the tiny concept is marginally larger than Honda's 1990s mid-engined kei car, the Beat.

[JDM Honda Accord pictured above]

There's plenty of news coming out from the sidelines of the Tokyo Motor Show and a lot of them concern Honda's future plans.

Along with the Acura-badged NSX hybrid concept that's heading to Detroit, we also learned that Honda is preparing a raft of hybrid powertrains for its mainstream models.

Only a select few will be able to get behind the wheel of the new BRZ GT300, but Subaru hopes to create a strong link between the production and the racing versions of its new rear-wheel drive coupe, both of which made their world premiere at this week's Tokyo Motor Show.

The impressive looking BRZ racer will compete in the in the GT300 class of the 2012 SUPER GT series in Japan. The GT300 cars are much more regulated than the vehicles in the GT500 class with their output limited to 300-horsepower, which means we may see Subaru opting for a turbocharger to increase the standard model's 2.0-liter boxer engine's output.

Gentlemen, you may start your engines because we have a special treat for you today. After all the metal from the 42nd edition of the Tokyo Motor Show, it's time for something a little bit different but equally, if not more, interesting.

If the opening picture caught you attention, there's a lot more from where that came from in our high resolution gallery that you're more than welcome to enjoy directly after the break.

As you may already know, even though they share the same name, the European and North American Honda Civics are two very different cars.

This is good news for Honda’s European arm, since the Frankfurt Motor Show-launched five-door hatch received a warm welcome, but bad news for their colleagues in North America who have faced a barrage of criticism.

While in the business of producing and developing cars for Toyota for more than half a century, Kana Auto Works has generally stayed under the radar.

However, at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese company came out of its shell introducing several bespoke models.

Aside from the Toyota Century-based FS Hybrid concept that we showed you earlier today, Kana Auto Works also displayed two prototypes of the newly presented Toyota Aqua hybrid, which will be marketed under the Prius C brand name outside of Japan.

Crazy concept cars are something of a staple of the bi-annual Tokyo Motor Show, which takes place this year at the Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward from November 30 to December 11.

And while the star of Toyota's booth is no doubt, the new 86 coupe (formerly known as the FT-86), Japan's top-brand has plenty more in store for us including the Fun Vii concept study.

The students over at Nihon Automobile College [NATS] in Japan have churned out some pretty bizarre creations over the years ranging from a Honda Beat dressed in an NSX suite to a high-ridding Volkswagen pickup truck.

At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, NATS displayed the EV-Sports Prototype01 that is based on the first generation of the Honda Insight hybrid.

Japan's traditional automotive and motorcycle brands aren't the only ones pushing the envelope with their odd concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Kowa, a company that engages in medical and optoelectronic business, and Tmsuk Co. Ltd., a robot development manufacturer, joined forces to create three attention-grabbing electric-powered prototypes under the Kobot brand name.

Making its first appearance on Japanese soil at the Tokyo Motor Show is the Teewave AR.1, a working prototype for a pure-electric roadster model that is the result of a nine-month partnership between Gordon Murray Design and materials company Toray Industries.

To keep the two-seater model's weight down, Toray designed a frame made out of carbon fiber while the seats, outer body panels and other parts are also all molded out of the lightweight material.

Tucked away in a corner of the Tokyo Motor Show is this conceptual proposal for a luxurious full-size sedan named the FS Hybrid by Japanese firm Kanto Auto Works [KAW], which happens to be a long time partner of Toyota.

KAW has several plants throughout Japan as well as in Thailand and Brazil. It has built several Toyota models while also helping the Japanese company in the engineering field with projects like the MR2-based GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II that was also on display in Tokyo.

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show that runs from November 30 through December 11, Mitsubishi unwraped the second generation of its Concept PX-MiEV, which brings the study a little closer to production.

Believed to preview the looks and possibly an alternative powertrain option for the next generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Concept PX-MiEV II is a follow up to the PX-MiEV study displayed at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

On the outside, there are some minor styling changes such as the higher roofline, larger mirrors, plus more conventional looking alloy wheels, lights and bumper designs, all of which suggest that the PX-MiEV II is pointing to the styling of the next Outlander.

One of Honda's less publicized world premieres at the 42nd edition of the Tokyo Motor Show could well very turn out to be the most interesting. We're talking about the new N Concept 4 which is a follow up to the EV-N study that was displayed at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

The new N Concept 4 has not only veered closer to production in styling but it will actually go on sale next year. The announcement was made by Sho Minekawa, who is the Managing Officer and CEO for Honda Regional Sales Operations in Japan, during the company's presentation in Tokyo.

"As a part of the N Series, a new model based on N Concept 3 will be introduced to the market in spring 2012, followed by the introduction of another model based on N Concept 4 in fall 2012," said Minekawa. "With that, we will strive to increase our mini-vehicle sales to 280,000 units, which would double the sales of 2011," he added.

The N Concept 4 will be based on the running gear of Honda's new Kei-class N Box tall city car, which also made its world premiere in Tokyo but more on that later.

Apparently, the Prius nameplate isn't as strong in Toyota's home market of Japan as it is in the rest of the world as what we will come to know as the new Prius C will be marketed locally as the Aqua.

Besides the name, there's nothing else different about the Aqua that made its world premiere this week at the 42nd edition of the bi-annual Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.

This has been a rough year for Japanese automakers but if there's one company from the Land of the Rising Sun that's showing a lot of potential, that would be Nissan - be that with its quirky looking Juke crossover, the pure electric Leaf or the tarmac-shredding GT-R sports car.

Perhaps the most important news coming from Nissan at the Tokyo Motor Show is the company's decision to heavily invest in its performance arm NISMO and expand its offerings to include more focused editions of Nissan's mainstream models.

These have been challenging times for Isuzu but the Japanese company is still holding on with its light commercial and truck offerings.

At this week's Tokyo Motor Show, Isuzu presented the Japanese premiere of its new 2012 Isuzu D-MAX mid-size pickup truck that was developed in collaboration with General Motors.

Danny de Vito and body builder-turned actor-turned California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, were probably the only twins that were completely different to one another. On the other hand, that was a comedy film in which artistic freedom allows the producers to do anything they please.

In the real world, human twins may indeed differ, mostly in character – though not as much as Arnie and Danny by any stretch of the imagination. In the automotive world, however, when two manufacturers jointly develop a vehicle, 99.9% of the times it ends up being identical to its sibling.

Even Subaru and Toyota are not pretending that their BRZ and 86/GT86 are anything but the same car. They clearly admit it in their press releases and even inscribe it on the engine cover. It’s badge engineering, pure and simple.

Therefore, all the hoopla about the extremely low center of gravity, the compact dimensions, the fun to drive RWD configuration et al is repeated in the BRZ which also made its premiere today at the 42nd edition of the Tokyo Motor Show.

Visitors at this week's 2011 Tokyo Motor Show will have the chance to see Toyota's MR2 roadster-based GRMN SPORTS HYBRID Concept II in the flesh.

Developed by Toyota and its motorsports partner Gazoo Racing, the prototype made its debut at this year’s 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring in Germany.

For those of you wondering, "GRMN" is an acronym for “Gazoo Racing tuned by the Meister of the Nürburgring,” the latter being a nickname for Toyota’s late test driver Hiromu Naruse who died in an accident last summer while driving a prototype of the Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition.

The GRMN SPORTS HYBRID Concept II is a development of last year's racing prototype that was based on production MR-2. The second iteration of Toyota's hybrid sports car features a brand new body while also improving upon the first concept on the powertrain front.

The good thing with concept studies is that reality doesn't have time to sink in during their creation so designers can pretty much do whatever they want. And while Suzuki's Regina concept may not be to everybody's liking, its groovy -almost Citroen-like- styling won't go by unnoticed.

Suzuki says that the Regina embodies its vision of a next-generation global small car featuring a lightweight construction and impressive fuel economy.

The concept is 3.5-metres long and 1.6-metres wide, while it weighs in at just 730kg (1,609 pounds). According to the Japanese automaker, the quirky looking city car has a drag coefficient at least 10% lower than that of current models of the same size and category.

While the new BRZ coupe and the Sports Advance Tourer concept are the ones to watch out for at Subaru's Tokyo Motor Show stand, the Japanese automaker also revealed the much more important from a sales perspective, domestic market versions of its new Impreza. Read more »

Honda EV-STER Concept to Spawn a Production Model

Honda to Introduce New Hybrid Variant of Accord Sedan Next Year

Subaru BRZ GT300 Fires up on the Track: First Official Video

High Heels and Shiny Wheels: The 2011 Tokyo Motor Show Edition

Honda CEO Takes Personal Responsibility for Underwhelming U.S. Civic

Toyota Aqua Hybrid Spiffily Modded by Kana Auto Works

It's a Car, It's a Smart Phone, No, It's the Toyota Fun-Vii Concept [Updated Gallery]

NATS Turns First-Gen Honda Insight into the EV-Sports Prototype01

Tokyo Motor Show Oddities: Kowa Tmsuk's Kobot Electric Trikes[with Video]

Tokyo Motor Show: Gordon Murray's Toray Teewave AR.1

Kanto Auto Works' FS Hybrid Concept is the Rolls Royce of Toyota Models

Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi's Concept PX-MiEV II Plug-in Hybrid SUV [Updated]

Honda to Take on Fiat 500 with N Concept 4, Production Model Coming in Fall of 2012

Live Photos of the New Toyota Aqua or Prius C from the Tokyo Motor Show

NISMO Adds Some Zing to Nissan Leaf EV with New Concept at Tokyo Motor Show

Tokyo Motor Show: New Isuzu D-MAX Pickup Truck

Subaru BRZ Joins its Toyota Sibling at the Tokyo Motor Show [Live Photos + New Videos]

Toyota's MR2 Based GRMN SPORTS HYBRID Concept II gets its Motorshow Debut

Suzuki Envisions a Global Compact Car with Regina Concept in Tokyo

Subaru's New JDM Impreza Sport Hatch and G4 Sedan Break Cover in Tokyo

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