Sunday October 28, 2007
Clean and green
Story and photos by ANTHONY LIM
As global warming grab headlines everywhere, carmakers are feeling the heat and responding with cool green ideas.
THERE has certainly been no shortage of new faces at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, with no less than 36 world premieres in the passenger car segment alone.
Though the 40th edition felt somewhat subdued and less vibrant on the first press day than the 2005 show, there was enough to suggest that the event – which continues to be run at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba – should happily serve its primary aim of satisfying the Japanese buying public.
In line with current trends, this year’s show – which started yesterday and ends on Nov 11 – continues to promote green and greener.
The battery-powered and fuel-cell electric options look like the path of choice where Japanese automakers are concerned.
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Nissan's mighty GT-R. |
Seven years after the last Skyline, the new CBA-R35 rolls in with a bang, but will no longer wear the moniker and will be simply known as the GT-R.
It’s a massive car in every way, offering all-year-long performance, what Nissan tags as an open market type of supercar.
The company isn’t just presenting the car as a piece of work as opposed to being mere manufactured goods, but also proudly proclaiming it to be Japan’s first entry into the supercar market.
The 1,740kg vehicle is as fast to 100km/h (3.9 seconds) as a Porsche 911 Turbo. Power comes from a twin IHI turbocharged 3.8l VR38DETT engine that puts out a healthy 473bhp, and it’s mated to a Borg-Warner GR6Z30A twin-clutch six-speed transmission.
The company can only make 1,000 units a month, and it will begin selling in Japan on Dec 6, with three versions – Standard, Black edition and Premium edition (with added niceties such as a Bose sound system) – being offered. Expect a long waiting list for this one.
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Toyota Hi-CT is said to be inspired by a gorilla. Can you see the resemblance? |
The Intima, meanwhile, is a design that takes the company’s Modern Living Concept for interiors, elements of which have been featured on current production models, to a new dimension. On this sedan-based offering, things are decidedly scrumptious, and expansive.
The front door opens to what must easily be a 135° angle, and the rear door opens from the C-pillar outwards, and coupled to a large glass roof, there’s certainly enough space and interior presence.
Of course, the show-stealer for Nissan came in the form of the Pivo 2. Nissan says that the environment friendly electric urban commuter – decidedly geared towards the female consumer – offers an “always enjoyable, everywhere convenient” driving experience.
And why not? For the first, there’s a Robotic Agent, with accompanying nodding and shaking head, that provides a friendly interface with which you can communicate with the vehicle on such things as basic vehicle functions to locating the nearest available parking; “conversations” are possible in Japanese and English.
As for the latter, the 360° revolving cabin (hence, no reverse gear) of the original has been retained, but now 90° turning wheels, each powered by a new in-wheel, disk-type 3D motor, allow sideways movement as well, so there’s definitely no lack of manoeuvrability, and it’s steer and brake by-wire on this car.
Nissan also showcased the NV200, a light commercial van concept initially seen in Frankfurt. The design incorporates a storage pod that extends rearwards from the van’s load area when the vehicle is parked. As the pod is deployed, the now empty load bay is transformed into a mobile office – the front passenger seat swivels backwards on a curved rail to face a computer table, which drops down from the side of the van.
Love it or be ambivalent about it, there’s no shaking off the fact that the new Subaru Impreza WRX STi, sans tail, is here to stay. The vehicle made its debut at the show, completing the full line-up of the current Impreza series in Japan, and is powered by a 304bhp 2.0l boxer block featuring active valve control.
Over at Daihatsu, the very butch looking Mud Master-C, a compact, lightweight truck-like offering, stood out. Designed as a mountain bike support vehicle, this one offers substantial off-road agility, with a 370mm ride height and generous angles of approach, as well as convenience; large gullwing doors on three sides means easy loading and unloading of cargo. With a body-on-frame construction, it promises to be robust too.
Mazda presented its visually stunning Taiki concept car, which is based on the flow of air as a design concept. It’s the fourth in the series of vehicles evolving from the Nagare design theme; the Nagare, Ryuga and Hakaze concepts were also present to provide visual reference on how things have shaped up.
Power comes from the new RENESIS rotary engine, which also made its world debut at the show, and the two-seater is equipped with a seven-speed, dry twin-clutch transmission and rides on specially developed 195/40 R22 Yokohama Advan Super-E spec Prototype 007 tyres.
Also making its world debut was the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, which features a newly developed hydrogen rotary engine; leasing in Japan is scheduled to commence next year.
Elsewhere, the new Atenza, or Mazda6 as we know it, made its Japan debut. Nice lines, in the flesh.
Meanwhile, there was no shortage of concepts at Toyota Motor, with six new offerings on show, these being the RiN, i-REAL, Hi-CT, 1/X, FT-MV and Crown Hybrid Concept.
Of note is the Hi-CT, or “hi ride city truck” to give it its full name. It’s supposedly inspired by the shape of a gorilla. Seriously.
The vehicle seats five comfortably, and the rear seat can be tumbled forward to reveal a rear-facing “rumble” seat for a fresh perspective of the world.
Take off the trunk box and you get a rear deck that you can mount say, bicycles, and if you then raise the back door it all turns into a mobile stage. Truly, a vehicle you can monkey around with.
Over at Lexus, the LF-Xh specialty SUV and LF-A two-seater sportscar took their first public bow, while Honda’s main displays centred on the soft-skinned Puyo and rakish-looking CR-Z concepts.
Suzuki had plenty to offer too, with the radical Concept Kizashi 2 leading the way.
Other Suzuki premieres were the Pixy single-seat transport device, X-HEAD cross-utility vehicle and Palette mini-car. There was also the SSC (Suzuki Sharing Coach) which, when paired with the Pixy, becomes a mini-car mobility unit; it can hold a maximum of two Pixys, but if you choose to explore different paths, the Pixy can be paired with the sportscar-based SSF and a boat unit called the SSJ.
Two new 4WD concepts, the funky looking i MIEV Sport and elegant Concept-ZT, carried the flag for Mitsubishi. The former is a bolder approach in form to the i MIEV, and the electric vehicle features three permanent magnetic synchronous motors, two in-wheel at the front and a single unit at the rear.
As for the Concept-ZT, it’s powered by the new 4N14 2.2l clean diesel engine, which offers 188bhp and 400Nm of torque. The common-rail unit features a variable geometry and a variable diffuser turbocharger. Oh yes, and the new Evolution X was to be seen.
In terms of non-Japanese offerings, there were the Ford Escape Concept and Audi A1 Metrosport Concept.
BMW gave its new M3 sedan its first major public outing – as expected, the understated form should do well with those not wanting the flash of the Coupe. New too, the Concept 1 Series tii; the design study based on the 1 Series Coupe features both external (side skirts, new rear diffuser and front air dam, carbon-fibre bonnet, among others) as well as interior revisions (bucket seats, alcantara panel and door linings, white paneling and rev counter face).
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