Tokyo Motor Show
Tokyo Motor Show, Automotive News, Latest car models, Worldwide Auto News
Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Tech, Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars, Acura, Honda
We don't know what the next Acura (Honda) NSX will ultimately look like, but we do know that it will have a 5.5-liter V10 throwing down 560 hp through a torque-vectoring SW-AWD setup. The folks over at Auto Express have a cutaway view of the NSX's gizzards, and what lurks beneath the creased and chevroned skin of the next do-it-all-faster supercar could be good for a few extra heartbeats. We do hope, however, that these exterior renderings are quite a ways off. Otherwise, it might not be so bad if Acura offers a cutaway version of the actual car so that you don't have to see its body, because even under the camo, the new NSX is shaping up to be um, homely.[Source: Auto Express]
Under the skin of the 2010 Acura NSX originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Convertibles, Economy, Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota, Rumormill
Toyota worked up an entirely new platform for its new iQ minicar, which features a very unique 3+1 seating arrangement in an effort to outsmart its competitors. Such a development takes a good deal of resources and Toyota seems to be considering ways to defray that cost through additional models based on the same underpinnings. The latest vehicle architecture to add to the always active rumormill would be a small two-seat roadster. If the German buff book Auto Motor und Sport is correct, expect the new sub-Miata-fighter to debut in concept form at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show and be called the Spider. The roadster would likely get the same powerplants as the normal iQ, including both gasoline and diesel four-cylinder variants. A decision on a production model, though, is likely still a good ways off. Other iQ models said to be waiting in the wings are an upcoming Yaris successor, a hybrid and a mini-minivan. Though we know the iQ has a good chance of being sold in the United States wearing a Scion badge, we have no idea yet how many of these other models could follow.
Gallery: 2009 Toyota iQ
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Carscoop]
Rumormill: Toyota developing baby roadster based on iQ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars, Acura, Honda
Click above for a gallery of the Acura Advanced Sports Car concept.
By most accounts, Honda originally planned to show off the next generation NSX to the seething throngs at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. But due to the less-than-positive reception the Advanced Sports Car concept garnered at the Detroit show, Honda's designers headed back to the drawing board to redesign the front clip housing the 550 hp, 4.5-liter V10.
Now, Autocar has gotten word from a Honda insider that the NSX is bound for the 2009 Tokyo show, sporting a new front end that "has Chevrolet Corvette undertones" and is slated to for production in the fall of 2010.
The new NSX will supposedly kick off Honda's first serious attempt at producing rear-wheel-drive vehicles to rival BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Infiniti, including new platforms that will underpin Acura's larger sedan offerings and an S2000-based Acura sports car that takes aim at the Mercedes SLK. The launch of Acura's 7-series fighter isn't due to make an appearance until 2015. For Honda' sake, let's hope they can expedite development to make it happen around the turn of the decade.
Gallery: Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept
[Source: Autocar]
Honda NSX to spearhead RWD model lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Gadgets, Safety, Tokyo Motor Show
Forget about light-emitting diode (LED) or liquid crystal display (LCD) dashboards. According to Daihatsu, the next hot ticket will be 3D holographic technology. Daihatsu teamed up with Provision Interactive Technologies to implement a 3D dashboard for their latest concept car which debuted at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. Attendees were so impressed with the technology, that Provision raced to file a new patent for the product they call "HLXX."
The HLXX technology utilizes a traditional 2D flat screen dashboard with a second 3D holographic screen. During normal operation, the driver views instrument gauges on the 2D monitor. If warnings or alerts occur, the 3D system instantly presents the information to the operator as a three-dimensional image -- facilitating immediate driver awareness and recognition, according to Provision. Daihatsu plans to incorporate HLXX technology into their vehicles by 2012. Until then, you'll just have to imagine what it looks like... as for obvious reasons, a flat JPEG computer image cannot replicate the hologram!
Gallery: Daihatsu 3D Dashboard
[Source: CNN Money]
Daihatsu teams up with Provision to create 3D holographic dash originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Time Warp, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Motorcycles
Click the pic above for more high-res images.
Retro is fast becoming an accepted design theme industry-wide with vehicles such as the New Beetle, Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 shining as examples of the genre. The same can be said of motorcycles, with such designs as the Ducati SportClassic range as well as half of Triumph's line acting as flag-bearers. Harley could be grouped into that category as well, although they've never really changed since... well, the beginning of time. Anyway, Honda is considering capitalizing on the market trend with a new design inspired by the ground-breaking CB's of the 1970's. When it was first introduced, the CB750 turned the motorcycle world upside-down and went a long way towards making the sporty English bikes of the day obsolete overnight. As an odd turn of events, though, the CB1100F seen above would be anything but revolutionary in the sporting bike game today, considering that the air-cooled engine, skinny "right-side-up" fork and dual shocks are carry-over pieces from the original design. Of course, that's why it looks retro and why many people would likely run to their nearest Honda dealership to place their orders.
Gallery: Honda CB1100F
[Source: Motorcycle Daily]
Honda set to go retro in '09 with CB1100F? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Podcasts, SEMA, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Trucks/Pickups, Green, Tokyo Motor Show, Ford, GM, Honda, Pontiac, Toyota
Now here's something worth giving thanks over. The podcast makes its return in time for you to load it on your iPod for the drive over the river and through the woods. We've been away at shows, so of course we do some recapping of whatever highlights struck our fancy at Tokyo, SEMA, and LA. We start Autoblog Podcast episode #81 by discussing pickups, though. New spy shots of the 2009 F150 have surfaced and that pushes us into a wider ranging discussion about pickemups. From there, we try to send GM the message that messing with the nose of the Solstice is a bad idea, and the very last car they should be worrying about, anyway. No current Pontiac discussion would be complete without mention of the G8, so we make sure to pontificate about that for a while, too. John, Damon, and Alex take a little time out to gloat over discuss what's currently in the Autoblog Garage, touch on the fact that the Scirocco's not coming stateside, and partake in a scorching GM vs. Honda/Toyota green car debate. It's all over in 52 minutes, thanks for waiting so long, we'll do it again soon!SUBSCRIBE to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
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Autoblog Podcast #81 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars
Toyota's showing in Tokyo was rife with disappointments, none more so than what was over at the Lexus booth. Beyond its LF-Xh hybrid crossover, rumor had it that a revised version of the LF-A supercar would make an appearance. No such luck. Instead, the same show car we've seen over the last year stood alone, longing for refinement.
According to Winding Road's Japan correspondent, the reason for the dismal showing was a shakeup on the engineering side of Lexus' new halo. A number of "key engineers" have apparently been yanked off the project to work on other programs within Toyota, and that, partnered with problems providing power from both a V10 and a gas-electric hybrid V8, along with reaching the 218 MPH targeted top speed, has caused delays in development.
The business plan for the LF-A includes building 26 units per month, and sources suggest that sales are likely to begin in 2009 - the same year Acura will bring its own supercar to market.
[Source: Winding Road]
Gallery: Lexus LF-A Concept
What else is new? Lexus "struggling" to develop LF-A supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Economy, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki
The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
click above image to view just how much legroom this truly mini vans have
Pity poor Suzuki. Japan's vast market for mini vehicles has been dominated by the company since the creation of kei cars in the '50s, but ever since the turn of the millennium, Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu has been taking some serious chunks out of Suzuki's market share. The final straw came at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show when Daihatsu premiered the Tanto -- a kei with minivan-style sliding rear doors and simply astounding amounts of leg room and interior space. Suzuki had to react, so at this year's Tokyo Motor Show it unveiled the Palette (shown above), a car strikingly similar to the Tanto in profile, but with a smidge more legroom.
So balance has been restored to the kei car market then? Nope. Daihatsu has upped the ante by removing the B-pillar from the Tanto (shown at right), creating a mammoth hole through which struggling toddlers can be passed. The ball is back in your court Suzuki.
Gallery: 2007 Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Palette
Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Palette vs. Daihatsu Tanto originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Green, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show
The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
click above image for more live pics of the Daihatsu HSC Concept
We missed the Daihatsu HSC at Frankfurt somehow, but stumbled across the little concept in Tokyo. Its "catamaran-like underbody", a CD value of 0.28, and idling stop function coupled to an advanced CVT all adds up to 60 mpg. Check out those mirrors and the funky interior, too. Looking around the stand here in Tokyo, it strikes us that a lack of B pillars and A pillars that flow into the headlights may well become Daihatsu trademarks over the coming years.
Gallery: Daihatsu HSC Concept
Continue reading Tokyo Motor Show: Daihatsu HSC is one slippery little sucker
Tokyo Motor Show: Daihatsu HSC is one slippery little sucker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki
The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
There's more than a hint of Toyota's PM, i-Swing and i-REAL series about this concept. But where Toyota admits that the driver may occasionally want to get out of the pod, Suzuki sees no reason for such extravagant use of your legs when operating the PIXY. Leaving the city for a blast down the highway? Just drive your PIXY in to your SSC mothership. Want to go for a thrash though the mountains? Park up in your SSF sports-car unit. There's even a speed boat (SSJ) on the cards, not that you'd be able to smell the sea breeze. Both the PIXY and SSC appear to be hermatically sealed and were unbearably hot under the stage lights. Ideal transportation for a post nuclear war world perhaps?
Gallery: Suzuki Sustainable Mobility (PIXY + SSC)
Continue reading Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Pixy & SSC
Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Pixy & SSC originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan
The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
Click above image to view more live pics of the crab-like Pivo2 from Nissan
After a few days of regurgitating the same old story to the world's press, company PR men are apt to let little gems slip as fatigue and boredom set in. This year's classic comes from a Nissan PR man, who for the sake of his career, shall remain nameless.
The Pivo 2, replete with an R2D2 like co-pilot and wheels that can twist 90 degrees to the car's axis, was "designed with urban females in mind, as they have bad senses of direction and are not so good at driving." His words, not ours.
Click through to find more pictures of Nissan's answer to this urban malaise.
Gallery: Nissan PIVO2
Tokyo Motor Show: Nissan Pivo2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki
The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
click above image for more live shots of the Suzuki Kizashi 2 concept
Following the debut of the first Kizashi concept in Frankfurt, the folks at Suzuki's design studios have butched up the concept even more. Check out the Ben Hur/James Bond tire-chewing alloys. Though there may be plans afoot for the Kizashi to see production, those wheels are not included among them.
Gallery: Suzuki Kizashi 2 Concept
Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki Kizashi 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, SUVs, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki
The 2007 Tokyo Motor Show ended last week, but today we're cleaning out our closet of yet-to-be published posts from this biggest of biannual Japanese auto shows.
click above image to view more live pics of the Suzuki X-Head
Remember the Suzuki Samurai, the lightweight 4x4 much maligned for being just as likely to topple over as any other Jeep of its day? Well, it's alive and well and being sold throughout the world as the Jimny. The X-Head just might be its future and we can only hope that Suzuki's notoriously tight bean counters do not savage the functional yet oh so cool interior too badly. Who knows, they may even bring it Stateside. Yeah, right.
Check out our original post on the Suzuki X-Head here and view live pics from last week's Tokyo Motor Show in the gallery below.
Gallery: Suzuki X-HEAD Concept
Tokyo Motor Show: Suzuki X-Head originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Auto Show, Minivans/MPVs, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen
click above image to view more pics of the VW Space up! Concept
That's right, Volkswagen thinks Americans are fat. At least that's what we take away from comments made by executives indicating that the second and larger up! concept that debuted last week at the Tokyo Motor Show could be sold in the U.S. because it's larger than the first one that debuted in Frankfurt. The first up! concept was a small three-door hatch, and by small we mean very small. The Space up! meanwhile is like a small four-door minivan of the concept on a longer chassis. Basically, we hear VW saying that the smaller three-door hatch version just wouldn't play well with our pudgy selves. That said, the up! van isn't a sure thing either, as VW states it will take the next three months to evaluate whether or not to produce a lineup of rear-engine up! vehicles. One last test for the cars will be in mid-November at the LA Auto Show where a third concept will be revealed. This one, likely to have an equally silly name, will be powered entirely by electricity.
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
Gallery: Volkswagen up! Space Concept
Gallery: VW up!
VW up! van could come to U.S. because we're fat originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Japan, Tokyo Motor Show
Click above picture to view complete gallery
After all the excitement of official reveals had passed and car company execs had gone back to their hotels, the lovely models of the Tokyo Motor Show were always around to brighten up a background. This year's standouts from last week's show were the girls gracing the Ferrari and Maserati stands, but some of the models from the tire companies were also easier on the eyes than most. Check out the extensive photo gallery below to see all of the good looking girls from the show.
Gallery: Ladies of 2007 Tokyo Motor Show
Tokyo Motor Show: Models of a different sort originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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