Nissan Roundbox
The stubby, chunky little Roundbox looks, to us, like it could have lots of potential as Nissan's rival to the cool Renault Twingo. The four-seater concept is packed with electronic gadgetry, of course, but also offers cool sensations thanks to the convertible roof and see-through panels in the bottoms of the doors that show the ground rushing past. If you've ever travelled in a glass elevator, you'll know how weird this can be. Will it lead to a production city car? Well, it's certainly cool enough, without being too wacky in engineering. Could be just the boost Nissan's small car range needs.
Audi Metroproject
Ah, the long-awaited Audi MINI! We've heavily previewed this wantable car already on MSN Cars, but it's worth featuring again, given its likely importance. Due some time in the next couple of years, the concept showcases clever 'electronic' quattro, via a rear hybrid motor, which gets remarkable economy figures from a powerful turbo petrol engine. But it's how it looks that will be the biggest pointer to the future production A1. Expect that car to resemble this concept very closely indeed, as Audi aims to cash in on the premium supermini market. BMW is duly warned.
Nissan GT-R
The much-missed Skyline finally returns: Tokyo marks the long-awaited debut of the all-new Japanese hi-tech supercar. The R36 is sure to be explosive; Nissan is said to have benchmarked it against the mighty Porsche 911 Turbo during development, and you can be certain the GT-R will be as quick, if not quicker. Don't underestimate how potentially bonkers this big coupe could be. Those who visited the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year may already know this, mind: remember, Nissan ran disguised prototypes to show off some of its heady potential. Expect, with the covers off, clean styling carrying all the trad GT-R cues.
Subaru G4e
Seats five, goes 120 miles per charge, is tiny, compact, and (in more ways than the obvious) very green. Meet Subaru's G4e electric concept city car, which shows the world it's not just about performance cars and disappointing hatchback rivals to the VW Golf. Particularly light in weight, it's powered by latest-generation Lithium Ion batteries - one of the first cars to be so; if they can get it into production with them, it will be a real coup for Subaru. More word will follow on the day of the show if, and when, it will reach production. One thing's certain though; Subaru's crying out for a car like this.
Suzuki X-Head
This is the Tonka toy you can drive for real. It looks like a big kid's plaything and it converts into various disguises by bolting on and off different load beds. There's the self-explanatory Camper, the Fashion for the style conscious and the Rescue for everyone from the Forestry Commission to the Lifeboat people. Not that the X-Head will be much good at pulling anything significant out of trouble. It's only got a 1.4-litre engine, coupled to an Audi-like twin clutch automatic gearbox. "The epitome of functional dependability and fun" is how Suzuki describes the X-Head. We're inclined to agree.
Subaru Impreza WRX STi
You never believed Subaru when it said it wanted to major on the family market did you? It won't in Britain until next year but the STi is unveiled in all its glory in Tokyo. It's still a hatchback, which will upset the purists, but there's also still the 2.5-litre flat four with well over 300bhp. We can't be precise just yet because Subaru is holding back on the exact mechanical specification until press day, but you can see from the picture that there's the expected bulging arches and 18 inch alloys. The interior features heavily bolstered sports seats, drilled pedals and a concerted attempt to move away from the rather plastic-dominated design of the 1.5 and 2.0.
Honda Fit
Fit is the Japanese brand name for what we know as the Jazz, Honda's five-door supermini. There's an all-new look but the Fit retains the features that work so well in the original, including great interior space and clever folding seats. The seats in the new car are higher and the passenger one can rotate to make entry for a wheelchair through the back door a possibility. That will be a unique selling point for the UK. The sad news is that UK buyers won't get the new Jazz for at least a year. It seems British buyers love the existing car too much - it regularly comes out top of polls for the car most owners would recommend to a friend.
Lexus LF-Xh
This could well be the next Lexus SUV, replacing the RX300 and RX400h. The body is much sleeker and more powerful-looking than the current car that, in ours eyes, has dated rather quickly. The show car has, of course, Lexus's hybrid drive, with a petrol V6 backed up by a high output electric motor. The interior is equally light years ahead, with swooping, tasteful lines and a real minimalist feel. Bet that doesn't last right through to production! But the LF-Xh is bigger than the RX and that will help it compete against its true rivals instead of fighting off the class below, which has crept up in size.
Toyota Hi-CT
Toyota may have started off with the same thought processes as Suzuki did with the X-Head, but the result is oh-so-different. The HiCT is an edgy urban vehicle that offers "a new kind of automotive cool". Or a new level of ugliness, depending upon your point of view - it looks like its been modelled on the weird "guppy" planes that carry Airbus wings around Europe. No matter. There's a removable rear trunk and a deck where surfboards, bicycles and other equipment can be loaded. And it has plug-in hybrid technology - you can charge it from an external source for a greater range.
Yamaha Tesseract
Yamaha is showing several petrol-electric hybrid concepts - but nothing is more outlandish than the Tesseract. A four-wheel bike, it defies classification, but does do one really cool thing: it leans into corners, just like, err, a bike! Thank very special 'dual scythe' suspension which, if the company's able to put it into production, could really shake up the motorcycle market. That is, if you can still call it a bike... Needless to say the V-twin engine/electric motor combo will be fast - while heavier than a traditional bike, it's still a bantamweight - and will also sip hardly any fuel. Not only in looks could it be transport of the future.
Some funky little motors, that are, I'm sure very practical, as well as looking good.
The stubby, chunky little Roundbox looks, to us, like it could have lots of potential as Nissan's rival to the cool Renault Twingo. The four-seater concept is packed with electronic gadgetry, of course, but also offers cool sensations thanks to the convertible roof and see-through panels in the bottoms of the doors that show the ground rushing past. If you've ever travelled in a glass elevator, you'll know how weird this can be. Will it lead to a production city car? Well, it's certainly cool enough, without being too wacky in engineering. Could be just the boost Nissan's small car range needs.
Audi Metroproject
Ah, the long-awaited Audi MINI! We've heavily previewed this wantable car already on MSN Cars, but it's worth featuring again, given its likely importance. Due some time in the next couple of years, the concept showcases clever 'electronic' quattro, via a rear hybrid motor, which gets remarkable economy figures from a powerful turbo petrol engine. But it's how it looks that will be the biggest pointer to the future production A1. Expect that car to resemble this concept very closely indeed, as Audi aims to cash in on the premium supermini market. BMW is duly warned.
Nissan GT-R
The much-missed Skyline finally returns: Tokyo marks the long-awaited debut of the all-new Japanese hi-tech supercar. The R36 is sure to be explosive; Nissan is said to have benchmarked it against the mighty Porsche 911 Turbo during development, and you can be certain the GT-R will be as quick, if not quicker. Don't underestimate how potentially bonkers this big coupe could be. Those who visited the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year may already know this, mind: remember, Nissan ran disguised prototypes to show off some of its heady potential. Expect, with the covers off, clean styling carrying all the trad GT-R cues.
Subaru G4e
Seats five, goes 120 miles per charge, is tiny, compact, and (in more ways than the obvious) very green. Meet Subaru's G4e electric concept city car, which shows the world it's not just about performance cars and disappointing hatchback rivals to the VW Golf. Particularly light in weight, it's powered by latest-generation Lithium Ion batteries - one of the first cars to be so; if they can get it into production with them, it will be a real coup for Subaru. More word will follow on the day of the show if, and when, it will reach production. One thing's certain though; Subaru's crying out for a car like this.
Suzuki X-Head
This is the Tonka toy you can drive for real. It looks like a big kid's plaything and it converts into various disguises by bolting on and off different load beds. There's the self-explanatory Camper, the Fashion for the style conscious and the Rescue for everyone from the Forestry Commission to the Lifeboat people. Not that the X-Head will be much good at pulling anything significant out of trouble. It's only got a 1.4-litre engine, coupled to an Audi-like twin clutch automatic gearbox. "The epitome of functional dependability and fun" is how Suzuki describes the X-Head. We're inclined to agree.
Subaru Impreza WRX STi
You never believed Subaru when it said it wanted to major on the family market did you? It won't in Britain until next year but the STi is unveiled in all its glory in Tokyo. It's still a hatchback, which will upset the purists, but there's also still the 2.5-litre flat four with well over 300bhp. We can't be precise just yet because Subaru is holding back on the exact mechanical specification until press day, but you can see from the picture that there's the expected bulging arches and 18 inch alloys. The interior features heavily bolstered sports seats, drilled pedals and a concerted attempt to move away from the rather plastic-dominated design of the 1.5 and 2.0.
Honda Fit
Fit is the Japanese brand name for what we know as the Jazz, Honda's five-door supermini. There's an all-new look but the Fit retains the features that work so well in the original, including great interior space and clever folding seats. The seats in the new car are higher and the passenger one can rotate to make entry for a wheelchair through the back door a possibility. That will be a unique selling point for the UK. The sad news is that UK buyers won't get the new Jazz for at least a year. It seems British buyers love the existing car too much - it regularly comes out top of polls for the car most owners would recommend to a friend.
Lexus LF-Xh
This could well be the next Lexus SUV, replacing the RX300 and RX400h. The body is much sleeker and more powerful-looking than the current car that, in ours eyes, has dated rather quickly. The show car has, of course, Lexus's hybrid drive, with a petrol V6 backed up by a high output electric motor. The interior is equally light years ahead, with swooping, tasteful lines and a real minimalist feel. Bet that doesn't last right through to production! But the LF-Xh is bigger than the RX and that will help it compete against its true rivals instead of fighting off the class below, which has crept up in size.
Toyota Hi-CT
Toyota may have started off with the same thought processes as Suzuki did with the X-Head, but the result is oh-so-different. The HiCT is an edgy urban vehicle that offers "a new kind of automotive cool". Or a new level of ugliness, depending upon your point of view - it looks like its been modelled on the weird "guppy" planes that carry Airbus wings around Europe. No matter. There's a removable rear trunk and a deck where surfboards, bicycles and other equipment can be loaded. And it has plug-in hybrid technology - you can charge it from an external source for a greater range.
Yamaha Tesseract
Yamaha is showing several petrol-electric hybrid concepts - but nothing is more outlandish than the Tesseract. A four-wheel bike, it defies classification, but does do one really cool thing: it leans into corners, just like, err, a bike! Thank very special 'dual scythe' suspension which, if the company's able to put it into production, could really shake up the motorcycle market. That is, if you can still call it a bike... Needless to say the V-twin engine/electric motor combo will be fast - while heavier than a traditional bike, it's still a bantamweight - and will also sip hardly any fuel. Not only in looks could it be transport of the future.
Some funky little motors, that are, I'm sure very practical, as well as looking good.
Labels: News
