Time now to wrap-up the coverage from the Tokyo Motorshow starting off with some final pictures of the Honda CR-Z. Honda has promised this will be a fun car to drive, despite it being a hybrid. The CR-Z will run a 6-speed manual box, an interesting choice for a hybrid as they all seem to employ CVT transmissions to easily combine the assisting power of the electric motor.
The interior is pretty much production ready, a few details and materials will need to be toned down before the debut of the CR-X three months from now at the Detroit show in January. I wonder if it will feature the same eco-display found on the Insight that turns green when you are being a good boy!
Honda have decided to bring the European version of the Civic Type-R into Japan, not yet sure if this will be a limited edition run but I'm sure there is more to come on this platform as I remember seeing one at Mugen a few months ago when I went to pick up a "Mugenized" Insight. I'm sure they will have something ready for the Tokyo Auto Salon in January.
I thought it would be worth taking a more detailed look at the Supasse-V, as for me any company that creates bespoke hand-built cars like this deserves a mention. Information is scarce at this stage but from what I managed to find out it runs it's own custom aluminum chassis…
…mated to a MazdaSpeed 2.3L turbocharged engine from the MazdaSpeed Atenza. Like I mentioned before that means 260 HP in a car weighing in at 850 kg, so you can just imagine how fast this little thing will be around a nice twisty road!
The doors rise vertically to expose the simple interior, a little cramped but extremely functional, just like that of a series-1 Lotus Exige. When completed the car will be sold for around ¥9,000,000, just under $100,000.
The second car they make, the Caterham-looking Supasse, is powered by a Nissan SR20DE and boasts some pretty impressive technical solutions like Formula 4 in-board pushrod suspension for both the front and rear. It only weighs 548 kg and the SR motor develops 160 HP, giving a similar power to weight ratio of a Nissan GT-R.
Korean CT & T Co showcased their City EV electric car, displayed on their stand in various guises like this Police car above. They say the City EV is the cheapest electric vehicle around and is cheap to run with a monthly maintenance cost of only $7. It can travel up to 75 miles on a full charge and reach a top speed of 44 mph.
In an attempt to fill up some space of the massive halls of the Makuhari Messe a separate exhibition was set up where famous Japanese cars from history were on display, like this, the Mazda RX500 concept, recently taken out of storage and restored to full glory.
Built in 1970 the 10A powered rotary supercar managed to achieve a top speed run of close to 150 mph, showcasing the potential of the Wankel engine. Apparently it was always thought Mazda created three cars, one yellow, one green and the silver one above, but during the restoration it was discovered the RX500 above had three layers of paint. This is indeed the only one in existence.
I found it pretty cool how the FT-86 was literally 20 meters away form the little Yota-hachi above, the first production sports car from Toyota. To me the Sport 800 has a more evident link to the hachiroku concept than the actual AE86. What do you guys think?
Never actually knew the S13 Silva won car of the year back in 1988-1989…
…while the first generation AW10 MR-2 grabbed the award in 1984-1985.
The Toyota Altezza, took the award in 1998-1999, a year after the original Prius. Would be cool if Toyota snapped up another award with the production version of the FT-86, bring back fun to the masses with an affordable sports car!
The Toyota Hybrid line-up gained yet another model with the new Sai, a sort of bigger sedan version of the Prius.
The larger 2.4L powered hybrid will hit dealers across Japan from December and for the time being it's set to remain a Japan-only model.
I found the little Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo, a little micro commercial van, a cool idea. If there is one city that could already benefit greatly from little electric-powered practical vehicles like this it's Tokyo! Now all they have to concentrate on doing is getting rid of stinky old diesel trucks and busses that make up well over 50% of the city's traffic, not to mention pollution!
The Tokyo Motorshow wouldn't be the Tokyo Motorshow without crazy wacky concepts like the Nissan Land Glider. It might look like a silly idea with no future but for city use it doesn't make a bad argument for itself!
I for one would love to have a go slaloming through Tokyo traffic in one of these things! Check out the interior, looks pretty cool right? It's practical too as there is another seat behind the driver much like a jet-fighter cockpit!
That's it for the 2009 Tokyo Motorshow, the quietest and oddest I have been too. The no-show from foreign manufacturers, save a few, definitely made it uneventful compared to previous years but looking at it optimistically there were some important cars there for us enthusiasts. Can't wait to see how the car world develops over the next couple of years until the next show from Makuhari Messe!
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
nice post! no shots of the toyota ft-86 though??
For the record, the Supasse is more likely modeled after the Lotus Seven, not any Caterham, since Caterham products are all of the same blood
(along with dozens of other kit-car brands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven#Replicas)
hmm.... isn't the sai hybrid just the jdm version of the lexus hs??
that's what i was thinking....
it is. (Sai=HS)
@ BlueSlug
Caterham makes the actual Lotus Super 7. All the tooling a machinery was sold to them by Lotus.
The Euro Civic Type-R is going to be sold in Japan? Then can we have the JDM Civic Type-R sold over here! lol
nice to the see type R, thats the championship edition, white on white and it has a LSD, the regular type R has no LSD, but thats ok, i drove one and its a blast in the twisties, revving to 9000rpm is so sweet!
take off the stupid electric motors and i'd buy a cr-z.
Another enjoyable post from you!
The Sports 800 is easily one of my most favorite Toyotas, and I wish they made a newer version with a flat-2 or flat-4 engine produced by Toyota themselves (No cooperation with Subaru, I don't quite like that), while maintaining a similar design (With a targa top of course). IMO, the FT-86 would fill the space of the Celica or AE86, so a smaller sports car wouldn't be a bad idea.
By the way Mr. Dino, is it possible that you can make more trips to the Daikoku? Those articles you have posted here like the "7-7 Meeting" are by far my favorites on Speedhunters.
The Toyota Sai isn't going to be a Japan only vehicle, it's been introduced here as a Lexus lol
it's called the HS250 or something like that
@ Neil
The Toyota Sai is esentially a Lexus HS250, but it's a less luxurious and cheaper version (hence the Toyota and not Lexus badge) and will only be sold in Japan. So I guess both you and Dino were right (and wrong)!
are you on drugs? that sport 800 has about as much to do with an ae86 as the FT-86 has to do with the AE86. All I'm seeing is a smaller 2000GT.