| Are you looking for green, mean and wacky | | | | alleviate the image of sports cars as gas |
| cars? Well, do not look too far. They could | | | | guzzlers with concept hybrids running on a |
| be in the Asia Pacific - in Japan in | | | | mix of gasoline and electricity. Honda |
| particular. At the 40th Tokyo Motor Show, | | | | flaunted the Puyo with a "gel body" to |
| expect to see idiosyncratic and stunning | | | | improve safety and "the feel of an adorable |
| cars. | | | | pet." |
| | | | |
| This year's motor show is aimed at showcasing | | | | "Nobody's ignoring or bypassing any |
| thrilling cars designed to captivate the | | | | particular technology," said Ghosn. But it is |
| hearts of the next-generation drivers. Amid | | | | not all about saving the planet: Nissan took |
| declining sales in their home market, | | | | the wraps off its hotly anticipated GT-R |
| Japanese automakers have strived to unravel | | | | supercar, hoping that there is still a market |
| the best concepts that they could offer. | | | | for high-performance muscle machines despite |
| | | | the buzz around hybrids. |
| From bubble-shaped fantasy vehicles to sleek | | | | |
| petrol-guzzling sports cars, lightweight | | | | And from the Mazda Motor Corp. came Taiki, a |
| hybrids and cars designed to feel like riding | | | | concept sports car with a captivating styling |
| a rollercoaster, automakers touted their own | | | | and wind-swept design. |
| unique visions of the future, reported the | | | | |
| AFP. Rivals flaunted their green credentials | | | | "Generally my observations of most sporty |
| with an array of environmentally friendly | | | | cars are: they look great and sales start out |
| vehicles crammed into a convention centre | | | | great but they decay very rapidly," said |
| near the capital, as record high oil prices | | | | Christopher Richter, auto analyst at |
| prompt unprecedented interest in | | | | investment bank CLSA. "You can imagine why |
| fuel-efficient motoring. | | | | makers put sporty cars into their line-ups |
| | | | rather sparingly." |
| The auto industry is entering an "era of | | | | |
| unprecedented change," said Nissan chief | | | | Among the more wacky designs on the motor |
| executive Carlos Ghosn, adding that his | | | | show was Suzuki's Sharing Coach which looks |
| company hopes to start mass marketing of | | | | more like a small spacecraft than a car, with |
| electric cars by 2012. "The age of | | | | two smaller one-person PIXY pods on wheels |
| sustainable mobility is closer than anyone | | | | that fit snugly inside. |
| realizes." | | | | |
| | | | "The Japanese market is still ranked third in |
| The Toyota Motor Corp. is among automakers | | | | the world. But the situation is not good for |
| trying to lighten the load so as to reduce | | | | Japanese automakers," said Hirofumi Yokoi, an |
| fuel consumption, unveiling the 1/X | | | | analyst at auto consultants CSM Worldwide. |
| (pronounced one-Xth) plug-in hybrid. The | | | | "Young Japanese have a different lifestyle. |
| concept car is said to be two-thirds lighter | | | | They are not interested in purchasing |
| than the Prius and twice as fuel efficient | | | | big-ticket items like cars." |
| thanks to the use of carbon fiber materials. | | | | |
| | | | Apparently, it is high time to step on EBC |
| "We have gone back to the basics and | | | | Active Brakes Direct and try more |
| reconsidered everything," said Toyota | | | | environment-friendly auto technologies. "The |
| president Katsuaki Watanabe, who trundled | | | | future is not just about hybrids," concluded |
| onto the stage on the i-REAL, which resembles | | | | Richter. "When I talk to automakers I sense a |
| a high-tech armchair on wheels. | | | | lot of uncertainty about what is going to be |
| | | | the dominant technology going forward. |
| Both Toyota and Honda Motor Co. strived to | | | | |