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At the 50th-anniversary Tokyo motor show,
BRIAN LONG sees a
multitude of domestic and foreign hybrids as evidence of more
concern with global warming than fun behind the wheel…
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This year's Tokyo Show somehow lacked the glitter and glamour of the
earlier events I'd attended. Apart from the Nissan GT-R concept and
Mazda's striking Senku, both of which created a real buzz at the
time of their unveiling, one had to look hard for notable exhibits.
Many of the more viable projects had been seen before in Frankfurt
and elsewhere, while others were of no special interest or just too
whacky to ever be judged as anything other than pure folly -
something designed to amuse the public but of little benefit to the
furtherance of either the manufacturer or the motor industry in
general.
Of course, if alternative power is your thing, then there was plenty
to see - the multitude of hybrid power-units on display from both
domestic and foreign makers made it clear that this was the way
forward in an era more concerned about global warming than fun
behind the wheel.
But as a sports car enthusiast, I found it very difficult to accept
that there were no such vehicles on the Toyota stand - the Celica
and MR2 are all but dead - despite the company's heavy involvement
in the JGTC and Formula 1.
Future
However, its Fine-X concept, which made its world premier at the
show, was certainly worth checking out, with its hybrid fuel cell
system and in-wheel motor drive. This was a real glimpse into the
future - the foreseeable future - which a heavyweight business like
Toyota has every chance of putting into production.
The Lexus brand has just made its debut in Japan. The stand was
typically tasteful, reflecting the newly-built showrooms that have
sprung up in the last couple of months in exclusive areas across the
country.
At the moment, domestic buyers are limited to variants of the IS, GS
and SC lines, although one can only hope the magnificent LF-A grand
tourer and elegant LF-S sedan make it through to production status.
The LF-S certainly looks as if it could be the new LS - Toyota
Celsior - although the GS on display was perhaps just as interesting
- the GS450h, with its hybrid petrol/electric power source.
Toyota now also owns Daihatsu, and more recently, Subaru, too. The
Daihatsu stand was actually one of the best in terms of appealing to
enthusiasts.
As well as the expected one-box machines that form the cornerstone
of the Daihatsu business in Japan were on display, and it has to be
said the SK-Tourer concept is a styling triumph in this most
utilitarian sector of the market.
In addition, there were the high-performance Copen ZZ, and the HVS -
a hybrid open sports two-seater - and the futuristic UFE-III -
another hybrid machine with a remarkable Cd of just 0.168.
I was lucky enough to visit Subaru's R&D facility a few months back,
so I know the engineers have some amazing technology in the
pipeline.
Sadly, very little of it was on show, but the IVX-II, with its
Active Driving Assist System, at least gave the public a taste of
what's to come. The hybrid B5-TPH concept was attractive, and the
compact R1e - with its electric motor and lithium ion battery pack -
should make an excellent town car.
Honda, which, in my opinion, has recently struggled to get the
desired results in the styling department, presented a couple of
magnificent concepts in the form of the Sports 4 and FCX sedans, the
latter based on a fuel cell platform.
At Nissan, the star of the show was undoubtedly the Skyline GT-R
concept. This legendary moniker, with a proud heritage stretching
back to 1969, can be seen once again on a new muscle-bound coupé
that follows on from the 2001 concept. |
Lexus LF-A concept grand tourer
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Lexus LF-S concept sedan
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Mazda Senku hybrid coupé
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Nissan Amenio luxury people mover
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Nissan Foria coupé
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Nissan Skyline GT-R concept
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Toyota Fine-X concept with super
gull-wing door
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Toyota Fine-X concept
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Scramble
Only a few yards away - almost unnoticed after the scramble caused
by the GT-R - was the Amenio luxury people mover, and the Foria
coupé, the lines of which owed a great deal to the original Silvia,
although the Mazda RX-8 doors make it a whole lot more practical
than its ancestor.
On the subject of Mazda, the rotary-engined Senku hybrid four-seater
coupé took centre stage. Though the company's hydrogen-powered RX-8,
already being used on roads in the Hiroshima area, where the Mazda
factory is, proves there is still a lot of scope for development of
the rotary engine - despite today's strict emission regulations and
public concerns about fuel consumption.
In addition, this was the first time many people had seen the new
Roadster MX-5, and the MPV made its world debut at the same time.
Mitsubishi has been trying desperately to shake off a lot of bad
press recently, but the new Outlander should sell well, and the
Concept X (in the mould of the Lancer Evolution) drew many nods of
approval. It was the 'i' - a small four-door vehicle like the
Mercedes A-Class, but with a three-cylinder under-floor
turbo-charged engine - that proved the most interesting vehicle on
display, however.
Also noteworthy for its levels of performance and cruising range
when compared to regular EVs was the Lancer Evolution MIEV, with its
in-wheel electric motors drawing power from lithium ion batteries.
Suzuki displayed a number of concepts and sporting machines, but the
most striking was the charming, retro-looking LC. This was powered
by a standard 660cc three-cylinder twin-cam unit, with front-wheel
drive and an automatic transmission.
Mitsuoka, a small specialist manufacturer that usually concentrates
on converting existing models - such as the Viewt, a Jaguar Mk II
look-alike based on the Nissan March - was keen to show off its
Orochi supercar.
This bold project is an open two-seater with exotic styling, based
on a similar car that originally made its debut at the 2001 Tokyo
Show.
Special mention should go to Keio University, which has successfully
developed an electric vehicle capable of 180mph/ 300km/h. This
eight-wheeled monster, which is also quick off the line, proves that
green doesn't necessarily mean boring, and it will be interesting to
see if any of the car's technology gets used by mainstream
manufacturers in the future.
Threat
While a lot of foreign cars were making their Japanese debuts at the
2005 event, only Hyundai, Audi, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, VW, Bugatti
and Alpina showcased completely new concepts in Tokyo.
The Korean vehicle, the 4WD NEOS-IIII luxury SUV with a 4.6-litre
V8, was perhaps the most interesting, as it gives a clear indication
of the marque's desire to continue its move further up-market.
Judging by a friend's reaction to the new Sonata, all the
established car making nations need to start taking the threat posed
by Korean cars pretty seriously. It's not so very long ago that
those in the industry mistakenly underestimated Japanese products.
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