Refreshened Mazda Roadster

There are few better sights than a banged up old Mk 1 Mazda Roadster complete with worn tyres, sun diminished paintwork, rusted arches, a few dings in the body work and a cheap slightly silly sounding aftermarket exhaust.

These cars represent the essence of non impressive income performance motoring.  Recently you can pick up a 90’s Roadster for about the same price as a set of tyres.  They are simple, robust, wonderfully diminutive, rear wheel drive and beautifully handling machines.

Proof exists in the little Mazda that satisfying sports car ownership doesn’t need to mean huge power, high expense and temperamental mechanicals.

Today at the end of 2008 we still have the Roadster or be it in it’s slightly fatter and more pristine looking Mk 3 version.

Unveiled earlier this month the revamped Mk 3 has hardly changed from the original new generation Roadster released in 2006.

To be honest i liked the Mk 3 as it was but Mazda don’t agree and subsequently have felt the need to a little fettling.

The changes are almost entirely cosmetic.  A new front  five point grille takes the place of the previous oval mesh and now includes fog lights.  Attention has also been focused on the rear bumper to create a more extreme convex shape that Mazda says improves airflow.

Mechanically the car benefits from some acoustic tuning to create a more purposeful soundtrack from the twin tailpipes as well as a revised suspension.  Perhaps more fundamental is that the 2 litre 170 ps engine now achieves a 500 rpm increase.

The 2006 Mk 3 is still a fairly rare sight on the roads when you compare it to its predecessors.  It was criticised by some quarters as a much softer feeling car than before and that it may have pandered to too big a customer base in the drive to bring the car more upmarket.

That may be the case but (new facelift  included) it is an attractive thing and even with the added fat the years have added it manages to look intensely well proportioned.

Historically Mazda’s roadsters are hightly regarded the world over and always seem to achieve a mention in those silly top ten cars ever lists that magazines and Discovery Channel are so fond of.  Usually a Jaguar E Type or Corvette wins outright depending on whether the results were produced in the UK or America.

Although an all new design is expected in 2012, Mazda do seem to attaching a lot of importance to this mid life update, even persuading their top developer Takao Tokushima to stay on a further year before retirement to ensure the new product.

In Japan we get a choice of five or six speed manual or 6 speed automatic.  Cars can also be specified with either a soft top ot retractable hard top.

Prices from 2,330,000 JPY.

 

Refreshened Mazda Roadster

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback

When discussing the Mitsubishi Lancer, a lot of people imagine the Evolution model, that nutty, turbocharged football hooligan of a machine.

Of course that would be wrong because what the lancer line has always represented for the most part is mundane sedans that inoffensively and uncomplicatedly traverse the world’s roads, ferrying people and it has to be said, all done rather prosaically.

The Lancer has a continuous heritage running back to 1973 and has been popular almost everywhere in the world.  In whatever obscure country you find yourself in you will probably see one.  If aliens ever make contact and request to know a thing or two about us, we had better send them a Lancer.

It is a car, very much a car, a car in the classical sense, it looks like a car.  For example it has an engine, doors, controls, seats and that sort of thing.  It is the quintessential car.

Upon receiving a Lancer, aliens would think us competent, composed, benign, responsible.  They might also think us a bit lacking in imagination but certainly nothing to be concerned with and most importantly would not consider Earth desirous enough to warrant launching a hasty attack.

Naturally we would need to check and double check that we weren’t sending them a turbocharged Evolution edition or they might take our communication as an act of aggression.

Since earlier this year Europe has had another variation on the Lancer to complement the Sedan version in steady sales.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback is built on the same platform as the Sedan but is refettled to make a hatchback.

This has now just made it to Japan. 

 Europe gets a few engine options including some lower capacity petrol units as well as the ubiquitous diesel.  We on the other hand get the cream of the crop.  Either a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre producing 154 ps or a very much more exciting 240 ps turbocharged Ralliart edition more in the vein of the current Evolution sedan but alas not quite as powerful.   Both engines are Mitsubishi MIVEC units.

The Ralliart edition is no doubt a fast car and benefits from 4wd and Mitsubishi’s quick SST transmission.  It also looks a bit special with a couple of vents and a scoop on the bonnet distinguishing the car unmistakeably as having a bit of testosterone as well as real athletic abilities.

The NA versions look a lot tamer and come with an industry average CVT transmission only.

Both cars are not bad looking but you might have imagined that the intention was with the Sportback to make it more of a dynamically appealing designed version of the sedan with a younger target audience in mind.  At least that’s what i thought.

The admitedly handsome front is carried over exactly from the sedan but the rear is of course new.

The execution of the hind quarters seems a little awry.

It might be that the rear was designed on a Friday afternoon before the start of a holiday weekend because it really looks like an afterthought.  It’s easy to imagine the chief designer with his own Lancer’s keys in hand biting at the bit and upon observing one of his staff’s renderings for the arse of the car remarking “That will do”……..”Yeah, keep it simple”……..”It looks alright don’t you think?”………”C’mon the others already in the bar by now”. 

That’s certainly the impression i have.  The rear is just squashed eighth  generation sedan and because of the stock sedan long front the rear looks a little excessively flabby and high arsed in profile but that’s not to say a lot of attractive women don’t look like that too.

What is one mans bowl of rice is another’s plate of fine sushi and Mitsubishi know that but in my almost Godly opinion, a rather thoughtless design never the less.

In offering only high capacity engines in Japan, Mitsubishi have fairly ruled out a large part of the opposition but that doesn’t mean people are going to buy the Sportback in such a hatchback crowded marketplace.

Prices start from 1,921,ooo JPY  for the normally aspirated 154 ps version and rise to a sinful (actually pretty reasonable) 3,013,000 JPY for the 240ps high spec Ralliart edition.

For those whose wives won’t allow them the Ralliart model, Mitsubishi will do you a sportier LOOKING type of the standard 2.0 litre.

It’s possible you might fool 1 in 1000 people. 

 

Ralliart Sportback

Revised GT-R And Cost Increases

Of all of the car bosses in Japan, Carlos Ghosn of Nissan has been the noisiest in calling for a general price increase on all cars and citing increasing raw material costs as the reason. 

He previously stated that he would wait for Toyota to take the lead but seems to have decided to strike out on his own. 

First to receive fiscal scrutiny is the Porsche baiting GT-R. 

Nissan’s flagship model has gone up by an average eleven percent on the original price. 

Meaning revised costs as follows.

Standard GT-R   8,610,00 JPY

Premium GT-R   9,240,000 JPY

Black Edition GT-R 8,820,000 JPY

Of course to justify the price increase, Ghosn has got his hands dirty and fettled with the car a little.  He’s managed to increase power by 5 ps to 485 ps and at the same time improve fuel efficiency to 8.3 km/l from 8.2 km/l.

Both fairly negligible so Nissan has also thrown in a reworked suspension set up that is said to upgrade handling.

Buyers of the Black Edition only will also have their car shod with the famous Nurburgring smashing Dunlop Sport 600 tyres.  Purchasers of the standard and premium GT-R will have to make do with the current Bridgestone shoes.

All this farting around has caused a bit of a stir with potential customers who walked into a Nissan dealership in November (when orders were not being taken due to the ongoing pricing decisions) hoping to secure a prime slice of high technology Nissan beef at the previously stated 7.7 million yen.

Upon trying to pass over a suitcase full of cash to the knowing salesmen they were told that no orders were currently being accepted for at the time  mysterious reasons. 

Apparently Nissan’s sales people were also less than impressed at the sudden controversy and being forced to pass on the bad tidings to expectant punters.  Basically they were as much in the dark as their customers as to what was occurring.

Simply put the fast Nissan was too cheap to begin with and Nissan soon realised this especially when combined with real production cost increases.

It’s actually worth a lot of money and probably even more than the revised price suggests.  If  Porsche produced a car this capable they’d sell it for double but they have that privilege and Nissan still do not.

To pass on the bad news as nicely as possible and to disguise it as a developmental improvement cost the Japanese firm has had a fiddle with the car.

All said and done, it’s still an exceptional value supercar.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that if you complain loud enough Nissan will offer you a night of splendour at a fancy restaurant in your area accompanied by one of their Many magnificent Super GT race queen’s followed by a bit of slap and tickle at a love hotel of your choice, discretion assured.

Or did i just make that up.

Japanese Market Honda Accord

The Accord is one of Honda’s world cars.

Its name is known throughout the world and has been on sale in most markets for nearly 30 years.

Now comes the eighth generation that became available in Europe in the middle of this year but surprisingly didn’t reach us in Japan until now.

The new car comes  in either sedan or estate version and whereas Europe gets a host of  diesel and petrol engines, we only get the top of the heap 2.4 litre petrol VTEC unit producing a reasonably healthy 206 ps.

In Europe the sedan Accord is employed as a repmobile clocking up huge mileages  pounding the continent’s motorway network and it also sells as a family car.

It’ll be a tougher sell in Japan, where these sorts of car are largely out of fashion.  Unless you’re over 50 no-one really buys sedans anymore and those of more advanced age that do, only buy them to remind themselves how cars used to look when they were making them.   It is also far too premium to sell as a company car here. The Tourer (estate) model will grab a few more sales though and could break into the huge family market sector.  However some obstacles remain as most young Japanese with children these days tend to get themselves into a large people carrier like a Honda Stepwagon, Nissan Serena etc as soon as possible and with the same urgency that you or I might buy a pushchair upon confirmation of impending birth.

As a new father myself i was witness to this phenomenon.  After regularly pulling up at the maternity hospital car park it struck me the number of gleaming brand new people carriers parked up and i’m not afraid to admit that i felt a bit small and vulnerable in my reasonably priced Honda Fit (Jazz) with leather steering wheel.  Of course a good number of those holding their new key less entry fobs were new fathers themselves and at the most had only one other child but somehow felt the need to have 7 seats at their disposal.  There’s bound to be more than that as well if you take a good poke around in the glove box or under the seat perhaps.  Frankly the whole episode upset me so much that i even had a look at Isuzu’s heavy vehicle line up on the web and to this day still half plot celebrating the birth of our second baby with the purchase of an Isuzu Journey 19 seat bus.  Ohhhh the look on their faces will be a treat.

Back to the Accord.

It’s clear that the new car leans heavily on its predecessor.  In fact it’s the SAME BLOODY CAR!!!!!!.  Well actually it isn’t but you could be forgiven for thinking so with only a cursory look at the lines.

The grille is pure seventh generation inspired although the headlights are more aggressive and thoughtfully designed.  Body lines are complicated but fluid and work well as they caress towards the rear.  The Accord’s arse is very exciting if only for the glorious twin tail pipes that jut magnificently.

Good looks are mostly true for the Tourer version.

It all starts off conservatively and inoffensively Accord at the front and flows liquidly outwards to the rear culminating in an aggressive squat arse with a window line that accentuates the effect.

On the inside and in keeping with the car’s semi premium status, things are very comfortable.  A long low dashboard takes centre stage that pushes the driver fairly far back.  Lots of soft plastics prevail and i’m sure the seats are very comfortable.

Perhaps best of all it seems the new Accord has a very thick steering wheel that might help those who are more in touch with their feminine genes feel more suitable or it could make you feel worse by exasperating small hand syndrome.

Honda’s new Accord is not at all cheap.

Prices for the Tourer start at 2,950,000 JPY and for the old man sedan edition 2,700,000 JPY. 

Honda Accord Tourer

Honda Insight Update

Last week Honda released a picture of  a near production ready Insight.

Rather negatively it doesn’t look as exciting as the concept but that’s sort of what happens to all concept cars when they reach this stage in the process.  Never the less it still maintains that bold exotic grille and the basic form still persists.

A major announcement is expected at the beginning of February regarding firm details, so expect Honda’s president Takeo Fukui to be standing amongst a plethora of Insight’s in all seven confirmed colours somewhere in Tokyo around that time.

For those Japan based buyers who are chewing at the bit to buy, you will be able to register your interest for an early delivery slot sometime in January.  Which is next month.

Some further information is creeping out in respect of the car’s specification and pricing.

As is known the car has been designed to be as light as possible and is reputed to weigh in at only 1,180 kg which is considerably less than the current Prius.  Some of this saving has been achieved by a revolutionary light windscreen developed by Honda.

The battery is to be placed under the rear 400 litres of luggage space and reassuringly won’t need to be replaced until after 15 years.

For the Japanese market, Honda will offer the Insight in three guises.

The cheap, rubbish one will be the G model.  Apart from the car’s probable dynamics it will be shit unless you  option a few bits and pieces as the car will be an austere affair with most likely very little except an engine of  some description and a crap plastic steering wheel. 

Now, i know the benefits of a leather handle.  I have a cheap car but for some reason it came with a leather steering wheel.    the hided function was not something i specified and i fairly dismissed it when i picked up the car but little did i know the enormous sense of well being it would enamour me with.  It feels so nice under the fingertips and somehow makes driving a reasonable car more pleasant and what’s artistic about is that outside observers have no idea what a state of ecstacy i’m in everytime i drive to the supermarket.  Winter has arrived and its about this time that i like to don my leather jacket and shoes and go for a drive with my steering wheel.  It gives a me a little rush and i’m not ashamed to say that it can feel like someone has begun erecting a little campsite in my trouser pocket.  A primeaval sense of mans power over the beast prevails inside of me.  I like to imagine i’m hauling a whole prize calf from time to time.

That whole leather fetish paragraph was a joke people, before i get nasty feedback.

Anyway back to the car in question.  Apart from the G, the L and LS models will feature a farm derived steering wheel.  The LS model will also have a nifty paddle shifter for those moments when you want to disengage the auto and imagine yourself as a bit of a Takuma Sato.  Lets face it though, all that Formula One style gear changing trickery is likely to stay in your own trousers  as other drivers pass you by and wonder what the tit with the Honda Racing baseball cap is doing fiddling with the indicator stalks.

Well that’s a bit harsh but at somewhere around 90 ps + IMA (hybrid bit), the Insight is unlikely to set anyone’s pubes on fire.

I still want one.  The design looks cool, the dynamics seem very sound but most of all i want to save petrol money and not look like a twat doing it.  I think the Insight might be the answer to this not small dilemma.  A large part of the optimistic  buying logic of course is in my case that all money i save on petrol will well errrr…..maybe….perhaps……help….oh dear…..finance something used, powerful, manual, CHEAP and a bit exciting as a second car. 

Will have to check in with the war office on that one.

Less importantly.  Fuel consumption is still expected at around 30km/l and pricing from 1,950,000 JPY to 2,400,000 JPY.

 

Honda Insight Production Ready

Mitsuoka Himiko

Mitsuoka is certainly Japan’s most eccentric car builder.

A company founded some years ago to produce low volume cars that emulate British design of the fifties and sixties but using modern underpinnings and parts from Japan’s mainstream makers.

Last week heralded the arrival of the Toyama based coachbuilder’s latest model.

The Himiko is based on a Mazda roadster and uses the same 2.0 litre engine producing a fairly subdued 120 ps.

Pricing starts at 4,950,000 JPY and it will enter hand finished production next year.

Unsurprisingly due to the rather niche nature of the car Mitsuoka don’t  intend on producing many Himiko’s and state that only 35 a year will be built.

The wheelbase has been extended and a custom front and rear has been added complete with old fashioned fenders resulting in a car that looks very much like a Morgan.

Mitsuoka’s major market is without a doubt its home with only a sprinkling of overseas outlets spread across Asia and the Middle East.  It’s common to see one of their many creations on the roads of Japan although it will be interesting to see how they survive the current gloom and doom of the marketplace. 

The Himiko is probably one of the more universally appealing designs of the successful styling house and taken in isolation is an attractive product.  The front is particularly well resolved but well…..er….no…..i like it.

 

Mitsuoka Himiko

2009 New Toyota Prius Update

Toyota’s Prius is set for release next April and an awful lot of information has leaked including images of the forthcoming model.

What do we know so far?

Well, Toyota have ditched the old 1.5 litre engine in favour of a new 1.8 litre unit producing a more powerful 100ps over 77ps in the current generation.

Strangely with a power and capacity increase comes a fuel economy jump to a very impressive 40km/l although it’s not clear how this has been achieved.

On top of this, from the autumn Toyota plan on introducing a plug in system but at least initially it will only be leased to noted organizations and individuals.  A full production version is expected about 2 years later.

Solar panels will be offered as an option and are expected to assist fuel economy still further and should have the ability to entirely power such fuel sapping mechanisms as the air conditioning ( i think).  The panels are thought to have been subtly incorporated into a panorama roof which will be an integral part of the solar option.

Toyota arrived at the optimum aerodynamic shape for this type of car with the previous generation Prius and so as a result the new car doesn’t look significantly contrary although it does appear at the least freshened from the photos available on the net. 

 Honda have further endorsed the basic Prius outline with its upcoming Insight.

Honda’s challenger is of course going to present the biggest challenge to the Prius domestically.  Although Toyota’s new hybrid is going to be significantly more fuel efficient and technologically supreme it may lose out on price and perhaps stylistically.

The Prius is likely to retail from 2.4 million JPY but expect to add a lot more to that with options.  It is thought that Honda’s Insight will go on sale at below 2 million yen.

Let battle commence.

Picture below is of the current generation car.

 

Current Generation Prius

New Nissan Fairlady 370 Z

 

Yesterday marked the day that Nissan’s all new Fairlady Z hits the market.  From now, Japan’s credit crunched public will have their chance to acquire the latest evolution of Nissans 39 year Z car heritage.

In today’s financially fearful climate sales are unlikely to reach epic proportions at least initially but the Z is competitively priced from 3.6 million JPY.

The old  Z was a fine looking machine that sold well globally.  A lot of the reason it prospered is because unusually for a Japanese design it didn’t polarise buyers with either eccentricity or a perceived immaturity which can bedevil Japanese sports cars outside of Asia.  It was a grown up sort of vehicle that was seemingly bought in equal numbers by Japanese car aficionados as well as migratory buyers from prestigious marques.

The 350Z was an old school GT sports car with its naturally aspirated large capacity engine, 2 seats, classic layout and conservative Europeanesque lines.  All this came at a very reasonable price, especially when you stood the car next to a Porsche Cayman for example. 

Of course many are disappointed that the new car has not much departed from the formers aesthetic design but to say that the new Z is not significantly altered both cosmetically and mechanically would be mistaken.

Naturally the new designation of 370 Z is indicative of the new power plant that finds itself in the front engined RWD platform.  with capacity increased to 3700 cc comes an average power increase to 336 PS.  Nissan have developed a unique synchronized rev control that regulates the engine speed to the drivers manual gear changes negating the need for double de-clutching (some operators may find that intrusive to driving pleasure).  A newly developed 7 speed automatic transmission is also available.  The car has also been lightened through the extensive use of aluminium and carbon fibre.

All very exciting but best of all the car is even more beautiful than its predecessor. 

The new rendering comes in with a shorter wheelbase that along with the flared arches really accentuates the rear wheels.  Sculpted lines flow through the athletic body giving off a flame surfaced look that succeeds in appearing complicated but functional and exceedingly attractive.  Massive attention has been focused on the front and rear lights with an aggressive stance that sinks into the bodywork wonderfully.  Showing indication of the cars intent is a prominent front air intake and twin tail pipes adding to the general muscular, energetic but elegant pose of the Z.

It is a very, very pretty car that is easy to get emotional about and as you can see i have, it’s just a crying shame that i recently purchased a new vacumn cleaner and subsequently can’t afford to buy the Nissan now.

Whether the car will offer enough difference to persuade current Z owners to trade in is a question that will be answered in time or maybe Nissan hope for new buyers to emigrate from some of the German marques as they have successfully achieved with the GTR.

At some point comparison must be made with Nissans supercar.

Who would buy a 370 Z over a GTR ?

It’s doubtful it’s a question Nissan are asking themselves or indeed anybody else but it’s an interesting one none the less.

  I find myself in the unenviable position of not being able to afford either so i feel i’m qualified to give thought to this dilemma.

The 370 Z is the car i want.

Why?

The GTR try as you like is not beautiful except from the rear.  Owning one also means that Porsche drivers will hate you and may try to chase you off a cliff, so as you can see it’s a dangerous proposition considering the number of 911’s on the worlds roads.

The 370 Z on the other hand is beautiful (achingly so), powerful (admittedly Not GTR powerful) and it will also come in pale blue if you like.

In my opinion this car is the vegetable bits hanging off the underside of a large Japanese Tosa dog.

Honda Insight Update

Honda continues to make ready the Insight for its production debut.

A lot is now known about the upcoming hybrid, especially after its Paris Motor Show airing.

Some questions remain over its fuel consumption figure though and recent information seems to suggest that the car will be capable of returning about 32 KM/L in the 10.15 mode.  I have no idea what the 10.15 mode is but i probably should.  It could either indicate driving in a heavy tailwind whilst slipstreaming a large truck or more likely a 10 to 15 year old driving and the car benefitting from the obvious weight reductions.

Of course these figures won’t be as fuel sippingly good as the next generation Toyota Prius which reputedly will be able to achieve 40KM/L. 

In the Insight’s favour will be the selling price however. Honda have been busy and rather worryingly pulling everything expensive out of the car to enable an entry level price of below 2 million yen, so expect a large options catalogue.

The Prius is expected to be priced at 20 to 30 percent more but will be packing more technology.

Insight power will be derived from a 1.3 litre engine producing 95PS plus 20PS from the motor assist system (hybrid part).  Weight is a reported to be a not very heavy 1150kg.

Honda’s stylish new hybrid is now expected to reach the Japanese public in February , a little earlier than originally thought.

I want one, in white please, with the blue headlights.     

 

2009 Honda Insight

The Blandest Car in Japan

To satisfy those who insist that Japanese cars are bland and bereft of expression, i think i have found the car that represents the pinnacle of dullness.

In wanting to be fair the Japan only Toyota Raum is marketed to elderly people, however just because you’re an old git doesn’t mean you should purchase this car.

The Raum comes equipped with a 1.5 litre engine producing 109 ps and seating for five with rear passenger sliding doors for ease of access.

Prices start at a reasonable 1,596,000 JPY

It’s difficult to talk about the style of the car other than to say none exists.  Toyota’s Raum is the sort of car that even after owning one for a number of years, it might be easy to forget what the thing looked like.  So next time you see an old fellow looking a little lost in the car park it’s not because he truly is but rather that he can’t for the life of him remember what his bloody Raum looks like (most likely he’ll be standing right next to it).

On a cold overcast day the car just blends into the sky, especially in silver (that inexplicably favoured colour among those of advanced years). 

This of course bodes terribly for Japan.  The insecurity and second guessing that plagues all owners of this car is adding to this country’s geriatric care epidemic, forcing taxes up and productivity down.

As one of Japan’s pre-eminent industrial group’s, Toyota is really shooting itself in the foot with this automobile.

The least they could do is offer some flashing roof lights or pearl harbor graphics to help owners identify their vehicles.

Elderly Japanese have already been through an atrocious war including defeat and two atomic bombs.  To survive that, be parcel of the following economic revolution and then to finale in a Toyota Raum is frankly an insult.

It is now up to Mitsubishi to resurrect the automotive equivalent of its famous Zero fighter to put the spring back into the geriatric step of Japan.  

Toyota Raum

New Nissan Cube

Car manufacturers are increasingly talented at designing maximised space in vehicles that are essentially built on small platforms.

A direct result of this is the cubist design revolution that has especially found a foothold here in Japan.  Think Toyota bB, Daihatsu Coo, Subaru Dex and especially Nissan Cube, the second generation of which was unveiled in Tokyo yesterday.

Reputedly based on the same underlying platform as the upcoming March/Micra model, the Cube comes equipped with a 1.5l petrol engine producing an adequate 109 PS and returning a sort of frugal 19.2 km/l. 

It would be easy to say that Nissan has become a little passive with its designs of late, as evidenced by the latest generations of X Trail and Fairlady Z (370Z) appearing to be distincly similar aesthetically to their predecessors although it would be easy to contradict that statement by observing the GT-R.

Cube 2 follows the design theme of its foregoer closely and it’s clear that Nissan believes the basic composition of the Cube still has some way to go before exasperating.  If the previous generation had only been released now it would still garner praise for being contemporary (actually this is now the third generation Cube but the 1998 mark 1 looked more like a turd than a car so it doesn’t warrant mention, apologies to any owners).

The new model does look changed somewhat with the most striking exterior difference at the front where a particularly well resolved headlight and bumper arrangement take precedence.  Attention has also been focused on the rear lights although i can’t work out if they look better or not.  A unique feature of the old car that’s been carried over is the rear wraparound glass on the opposing side to the driver which should be helpful if you’re a crap parker etc.  The perhaps polarising consequence of this is that the single rear D pillar can give the impression of the Nissan looking a bit like Jane from Tarzan.  Front passenger windows are well thought out resulting in a very designed look that emphasise the thick pillars on the car.  A real feature for the observer.

The architecture succeeds in looking squat (not to be confused with sporty) and funky.

Inside is where Nissan really got their crayons and paper out and it looks frankly fabulous. 

A steering mounted CVT transmission enables bench seating and liberates lots of space.  The sofa like seats appear very soft and springy and suit the character of the Cube exceptionally, creating a proper lounge atmosphere.  Attractive interior fittings abound, particularly the metal door handles but most of all the wave effect dashboard and console.

The Cube will be looking for the younger market again for sales but it is a fairly universal car with a much softer stance than some of its domestic competitors.

Prices start at 1,449,000 JPY.

Nissan Cube

Subaru Dex

Late last week Subaru introduced a new model to their domestic range.

The Subaru Dex is based on the same platform as both the Toyota bB and the Daihatsu Coo with Subaru clearly benefitting from Toyota’s 25% stake in them.

All three versions of the car look about 10% different from each other with only the front grille and other smaller aesthetic changes apparent but these alterations do succeed in changing the character of each model some what.

Mechanically they are identical although interestingly Subaru has decided to offer only the smaller 92ps 1300cc engine while  Toyota and Daihatsu both offer two engine choices including a slightly more powerful 1500cc unit.

Frankly the Toyota bB is very urban cool and fits the intended young 20 something driver bill perfectly with its mean face, prevalent sound system and blue lit interior.  Problems start to become evident if you’re over 40 and male you might look like a sex predator driving one, trying to ensnare a few young lovely lovelys in your pimp mobile, young at heart transport. 

Daihatsu’s Coo with its inexplicable gaping mouth front grille is the softer version of the above designed for girls, gay blokes and people who are scared of the bB’s demeanour.  Still an interesting choice though.

Subaru’s contribution is the most conservative and least confident design of the three and can be bought by anyone including the over 40’s man.  The pitfalls are that if you’re young and take this over the Toyota or Daihatsu, others will think you boring and crap but at least you’re honest and that will serve you well later when you’re over 40 (when you should have bought the car) and you meet a divorcee who will appreciate being with a dull but stable man.   For the older buyer the consequences are less severe but know that no-one will ever understand why you didn’t get the bB to avoid looking like a sex pest although if you had bought the Toyota that is exactly what they would have thought.

Pricing for the subaru Dex starts at 1,438,500 JPY. 

Toyota bB

 

Daihatsu Coo

 

Subaru Dex

Nissan GTR LM Race and Road Car

Japanese media speculation suggests That Nissan may be planning a bit of an international racing assault and have their sights on Le Mans.

Unsurprisingly the Japanese firm will base their efforts on the R35 GTR to compete in the GT1 class at the historic French circuit.

If the rumours are true then we might see a few GTR’s pounding the Mulsanne against  some of the world’s finest racing hardware next year or in 2010.

In the GT1 class, Nissan will find itself amongst a ferocious pack of European and American sports cars including, Corvette, Aston Martin and Saleen.

To Compete against such distinguished rivals the GTR will require some heavy modification for the track and an increase in power to at least 600ps which is about what the competition weigh in at.  Nissan will have to rely on some of the R35’s natural talents if they are to spill blood at the legendary race.

It is likely that Nissan will use the services of its well known tuning arm Nismo to handle the design and preparation of the cars.

As would be sensible in these lean times, Nismo will try to make the project self financing by producing a handful of race ready R35’s and selling them onto professional race teams as well as preparing their own full or semi works entry.  Presently Nismo already produce a racing version of its current generation Fairlady Z that produces 400ps, costs 30 million yen and is most certainly not road legal.  This car is available to purchase as a race ready contender for a number of championships but is ostensibly raced in the Japanese Super Taikyu series.

Now, rather excitingly due to homologation rules Nissan will be obliged to make a small number of road cars based on the Le Mans Platform.  It is thought that this car will be known as the GTR LM and that Nissan plan to produce 300 examples.  The LM series will be the most expensive R35 road car and by all accounts should be faster than the upcoming V Spec edition.

The R35 already has experience racing and winning in the very competitive Japanese Super GT Championship this season but because of that race series notoriously loose rules regarding tuning, changing parts etc it is expected that the heavily aerodynamically modified GTR’s seen charging the circuits of Japan will not be eligible for the Le Mans GT1 class.  So it’s back to the drawing board.

It would be hard to think of a good reason for Nissan not to undertake a Le Mans assault.  Of course it won’t be cheap and anything as frivolous as motorsport is unlikely to be viewed too positively in todays cash strapped car making world but if Nismo can make a business case for it then it may happen.

Owners and fans would be thrilled and it would go some way in cementing the GTR brand in Europe where it still suffers from a very skeptical and high capability Japanese sports car wary public, most of whom are largely unaware of the many previous generation GTR’s long motorsport heritage.  Amusingly it would also serve as a further affront and up yours to some of the legacy sports car makers on the continent.  Especially if Nissan win and they might.

New Honda Life

Honda’s new Life arrived in showrooms across the country today as the fifth generation of the popular Kei car went on sale.

The life comes in three guises each trying to represent a different personality.  Starting with the the sort of cheap looking G-type, the slightly more feminine looking Pastel and the supposedly sportier looking Diva.

Differences between the three models are only aesthetic.

Being a Kei car, engines are limited to 660cc but as is normal a turbo edition is also offered increasing power to 64PS over the standard naturally aspirated 52PS.  Performance is likely to be less than startling but shouldn’t be an issue in the market this car competes in.

Safety conscious will be pleased to know that Honda have fitted their new driver side SRS airbag system with continuously staged inflation.  This alone could be a critical factor in parents releasing their hard earned into their daughters first buggy.

Good news too if you’re a bit of a crap parker as the Life features a back-up camera as well as automatic steering assistance to help with those tricky manoeuvres.

Lets face it, if you really need both of those on a car this size and glassy then it might be worth thinking about a bicycle.

The previous generation life was bought almost  overwhelmingly by female buyers and with the new models definite sense of feminimity it’s clear that statistic should continue.  Some but not necessarily all men might be uneasy driving the car, especially the Diva named edition (which interestingly is the most unisex looking of the three).

I love the Kei segment of cars in Japan, there are son many of them and some of them look great and it’s difficult not to admire the engineering that goes into such small cars to make them practical but i find myself dissappointed at Honda’s latest effort.

It’s just such a predictable design, so much so that i feel i could have envisaged this car myself and could have foretold the design a long time ago.  Of course it would be silly for Honda to be too revolutionary with the new car as it is expected to again be the biggest seller amongst the company’s domestic portfolio.  The new inoffensive design at least shouldn’t alienate potential buyers but it certainly doesn’t move Japanese automotive art on and is instead a very commercially minded creation.  Honda can’t be blamed for that. 

Honda like every other manufacturer is being squeezed by the global crisis and sales in Japan have been depressed for many years.  The new life starts from 947,500 JPY and the standard engine returns a competitive 21KM/L so if anything is going to fly off the shelf then this could be the ticket.  

pastel

 

Diva

 

G-type

Nissan GTR V-Spec

A few weeks back Nismo shocked the car enthusiast world with word that it had created an upgrade package for its newly released GTR.  It turned out that people weren’t unbalanced by the option of making a very fast car faster but instead were feeling a little queasy at the horrendous cost.

5,460,000 JPY.

For that princely sum you get some new lightweight wheels, Bilstein suspension, carbon seats, titanium exhaust system and a carbon rear diffuser.

All rather delicious sounding but surely not worth the price of 5.4 Nissan March/Micra’s.  The price is so large that most people still think they must have read it wrong but you haven’t.

It doesn’t take a Sherlock or even a bloody Watson to deduce that these modifications are closely related to or even identically to the upcoming V-Spec edition of the GTR.

Nissan are going to release more official information regarding the car before the end of the year but it is becoming clearer that the V-Spec will carry all the previously mentioned upgrades as well as (we hope) an increase in power.

The V-Spec is going to be a spartan affair with no air con, sat nav or frilly bits and bobs in order to set it out as a very focused machine.  It will also be lightened, noisy and generally scary.  Target market types are likley to be lunatics and trackday regulars.

No doubt the new GTR will represent the quickest production car in Japanese automotive history and will likely take its place amongst the fastest in the world.

A word about pricing.  The current standard GTR sells for 7,770,000 JPY and mumblings indicate that the V-Spec should be under 1.3 million yen when it goes on sale in 2009/2010.

Nissan only plan to build about 400 V-Spec GTR’s a year to maintain exclusivity and also no doubt indicative that this very focused edition is unlikely to be everyones cup of tea but this time around the GTR is very much a world market car so demand should be strong.

Back to Nismo’s horribly priced upgrade package for the standard GTR.

Non V-Spec GTR owners who feel short changed at the difference in performance will be able to bring their cars performance closer to the V-Spec but without compromising the relative luxury and everyday livability of the standard R35, effectively creating a sort of soft V-Spec.

All will have to wait a little longer before fully knowing what kind of witchcraft is lurking inside the ultimate GTR. 

Alternatively just take your car to one of the many respected Japanese or American tuning houses and let them have a play.

Next Generation Mazda Wankel 13b Renesis Engine

More information is beginning to emerge regarding the next Renesis engine due to make an appearance in an all new RX7/8 in autumn 2010.   

Mazda has been burning the midnight oil of recent, preparing a hydrogen version of the car but it is thought that it won’t be ready in time for the new cars debut so the next powerplant will continue as petrol.

The current 13b engine displaces 1300cc by the use of twin 654cc rotors.  Rambunctious grapevine rumblings suggest that the new engine will use two 800cc rotors to produce (you’ll need to check this because i didn’t use a calculator) 1600cc and more power.  Over 300 ps has been mentioned.

Mazda’s Wankel engine has come in for some criticism over the years for its woeful (by modern standards) oil and petrol consumption so to address this concern Wankel engineers will try to resolve the new lump to be a little kinder on the purse. 

RX Mazda’s are great cars and the current RX8 is no exception and by all accounts is a bit of a hotcake but you have to wonder if Mazda themselves wouldn’t like to put some distance from the Wankel unit.  Clearly not.

It was in 1960 that Kenichi Yamamoto of the Hiroshima firm hopped off to Germany to meet with the chief Wankel (original designer) himself, Mr Felix Wankel and secure a licence to produce the engine in Japan.  

The Wankel has served Mazda continuously since then but is it only Mazda who see the benefit of the rotary engine?  Motoring publications usually agree that the RX8 is a supreme car but some respectable magazines criticise the engine as just being plain weird and some even say it’s a bit of a wanker.

What strikes me is that no other manufacturers of late have ever tried to emulate Mazda’s exploits with the engine and its not like its new technology.  I mean they could if they wanted to.

 Of course the RX series of cars have a long history and with that comes a bearded following.  Some of these geeks (those who call themselves the true wankers) consider it sacrilege to employ anything but a rotary engine in an RX car.  In fact they would rather shave off their beards and eat them.

Mazda, it’s up to you but a lot of people are thinking that it might be a good time to start wanking about a different future to the wankel or have you already gone blind?

All that said and done, RX’s are wonderful things and i wish Mazda every success with the upcoming model.

Mazda RX8

Japanese Design VS European Design

Hailing from Europe as i do, it goes with the territory that we assume that the best autmotive design is claimed by us.  Not for any other reason than the worlds most coveted cars are still largely European and we love them and like to think that the rest of the world wants to emulate us but i’m starting to see a few weaknesses in the facade.

 

Europe does produce some stunning pieces of vehicluar art but those little gems are mostly in the very expensive catergory and so slightly irrelevant for most of us. 

For the German, French, British, Albanian etc motoring masses it’s more a case of pootling around in something as inoffensive looking as possible.  This is what the continential makers do very well, they produce lots of pleasant looking cars and when they can’t think of something suitably generic they raid their heritage and produce a fatter version of the old Fiat 500.

Japanese maunfacturers are so heavily involved in the European market place that they even develop cars that are specifically targeted at the Spanish, Italians, Andorrans etc.

I was thinking today what Japanese car designs i could never find myself in.  Purposefully steering clear of some of the home grown shockers (that we should all avoid) available i tried to only consider those models that would be passable to my myself, family  and friends here and back home.

Alot passed through my mind including and in order the new Mc Rib by Mcdonalds, George Bush failing the next election, a Suzuki Swift, a new pair of socks, joining a cult, the most BEAUTIFUL pair of breasts, a Nissan Dualis, George Bush eating a cheese burger and Mishal Husain (BBC World anchor) driving the Nissan.

Now whats interesting about this is that i only thought about sex once or possibly twice and they say that the average male thinks about the damnable subject at least once every 10 seconds (i think).  This whole thought process took about 3 minutes so i can (and i will) mark myself out as a role model for other men. 

Anyway back to the cars,  Suzuki’s Swift and Nissan’s Dualis or Qashqai in Europe (i like to think it’s code for cash cow).  Both these models were specifically developed for the European punter and have by all accounts been well received.

Examine these two cars and you will notice that they are quite pleasant looking and but totally forgettable, rather like a BBC news reader (excluding Mishal Husain).

Europe prides itself on its clean and sober lines in a car and that is exactly what these two emulate.

Not to say that this is a bad thing but it can be a rather humdrum design philosophy and these days alot of the mainstream European manufacturers produce mostly lots of inoffensive and very generic looking cars.

Japan still arguably leads the world in putting some really rotting metal together but Eastern design is anything but predictable and so when awaiting a new domestic car to break cover you really never know what thing of beauty or appalling beast will make an entrance.

The point of this story and to sum it up is that Japan has the edge on Europe in design and that Japanese consumers are to put it midly more out there,less conservative and more mouldable as a car buying public.

I can’t think of any examples to back this up right now because frankly im tired and this is a blog so i don’t need to try very hard but i’m going to defend my precarious position and write more about this delightful pet subject again so watch this space.

At the time of writing even my computer won’ show the Nissan clearly in the photos below, clearly sharing in my sense of exasperation regarding the aesthetics of the car.  I’m loathe to say its anything to do with my IT skills.

Nissan Dualis/Qashqai

 

 

Suzuki Swift

GTR SUV Whispers

Unconfirmed reports suggest that in addition to the GTR 4 door, Nissan now have aspirations to further the GTR’s versatility and plan on releasing an SUV version of the legendary sports car. 

No doubt inspired by their new rival Porsche’s success with the Cayenne SUV.

If and this one is a big if, it will result in Nissan effectively having an equivalent model for every current Porsche. 

Meaning GTR vs 911, GTR 4 door vs Panamera, GTR SUV vs Cayenne and this will unsettle the Porsche fan boys, 350Z vs Boxster/Cayenne. 

Let’s see what materialises in the next few months.

Performance Suzuki SX4 Details

The Suzuki SX4 is a strange thing, to this day i still can’t really work out what it is.

People say it’s a crossover.  Meaning part 4×4, SUV and compact shopping car.  That’s all very well but i just can’t get sweaty about it, mostly down to its high foreheaded styling, general drabness and what it has to compete against and i would have thought that other car of Suzuki’s, the Swift would be one of them.  Of course i have never driven one. 

What has piqued my interest though is the long awaited performance version.  It`s been rumoured for a while and the perception was that it would receive a turbocharger like it’s rally counterpart.  However recent reports suggest that Suzuki will go down the normally aspirated route by using a tuned version of its J20A 2.0 lite engine presently available in the SX4.  The J20A produces 145ps but for the fast SX4 170ps is considered tuneable.

When the car makes an appearance next year in the spring it should look the part, suitably slammed with some add on bits to the body as well as upgraded tyres and perhaps a bit of a naughty sports exhaust.

Expected selling price in Japan will be from 2 million yen.  No idea where else it is going to sell but i imagine the Americans and Europeans could get into it.

When researching this, what suprised me was that the current sedate SX4 has the option of a 2.0 litre engine.  it strikes me as a little excessive for such a small car and for the class or classes i should  say (crossover and all) that it tries to compete in.  I just can’t imagine anyone ordering a 2000ccc SX4 with automatic transmission (M/T not available on this model in Japan).  Must be some eccentric people out there. 

The upcoming SX4 Evolution (might be called that) i can understand though.

Below pic is not of the Evolution model but of the current highest spec SX4.

current 2.0 SX4

Upcoming 4 Door Nissan GTR

The R35 GTR has been received well, with brisk sales and the world’s motoring press still picking their jaws up off the proverbial floor after being blown away by the sheer dynamics of the car.

Carlos Ghon’s monster is a hugely controversial car (although it’s not always clear why) but whether you like it or not (plenty don’t) the fast Nissan has set plenty of benchmarks after blasting away the stated Porsche 911 Turbo rival performancifically (that really should be a word) and dare i say it actually punches a lot higher.

Although sales have been encouraging ( i don’t know what they are), apparently Neesun (as the Americans say) has not shifted as many GTR’S in the USA as they had expected.  The feeling is that in order to flog a few more to the typical American punter they will need to increase the marketability of the car and that won’t mean adding more power (upcoming V SPEC) but rather attaching another 2 doors to make a 4 door GTR. 

It’s hoped that this new evolution should appeal more to the over 40`s with the extra practicality etc.

Those who are abreast of Nissan’s heritage will know that the very first GTR was the PGC10 released in 1969 and it initially only came with 4 doors.  After that all other performance Skyline’s came were 2 door coupes except a very limited edition of the late 90’s R33 that was modified to 4 doors by Autech.

This new development is unlikely to sit well with Porsche who are already very advanced in forming their own 4 door Panamera (lovely name) model to be released next year.  It looks as if Nissan are going to be a recurring nightmare for the men from Stuttgart.

The ojisan’s (middle aged man in Japanese) GTR is likely to make it into production at the end of 2010, giving Nissan abundant time to take delivery of a Panamera and spend a few weeks abusing it around the nurburgring etc.

The mechanicals of the longer GTR are expected to stay the same but naturally an increase in body dimensions will be required.

Possibly the new car will debut in North America before either Japan or Europe.

Whatever next?  What about a Porsche Cayenne rivaling SUV!!!!!!!!!!!   

Porsche Panamera

Hot New Nissan March/Micra

Nissan is an interesting company recently.  The GTR is now well and truly in production and new versions are set to appear over the coming months including a V Spec, a 4 door and even heaven forbid a possible GTR SUV.  Infiniti is also set to be introduced to Europe and a whole host of new models are due to debut globally in the fairly immediate future. 

WIth all this activity, frankly Nissan must be pretty busy but luckily for them the recent downturn in car sales has  forced the maker to cut production at some plants, freeing up staff to get their heads down and start developing all these new cars.

Global car buyers are increasingly moving to smaller, more efficient transport (thats what the papers say) in order to offset current high prices, co2 and instability.  Surely Nissan must be less than patiently hanging on for next years all new March( in Asia)/Micra (other markets).

Although it is one of their cheapest cars, it sells in huge numbers and is very much the bread and butter model. 

It seems like the current generation bubbly looking K12 March has been around for ages (actually only since 2003) so it’s about time it was kicked out of the factory.

The dimensions of the new car are likely to be similar to the outgoing but the design will be different if not completely detached from the K12 (talk about stating the obvious).  Engine choices will probably include various frugal 1.3, 1.5 and even a 1.0 litre.

If rumours serve true then it would appear that Nissan’s engineers have some sporting designs on a version of the 1.0 litre and may be planning or most likely have already force inducted it to produce a dramatic (1000cc) 140ps. 

Similar in concept to VW’s TSI engine, the hot Nissan will make use of both turbocharger and supecharger to ensure a very high compression, effectively creating a super-turbo (lets hope they call it that). 

No other details are available but expect the little rocket to be suitably lowered, stiffened etc.

A more sedate and normally aspirated 1.0 litre is also going into production to serve as the company’s credit cruncher.

Expect more details at the Tokyo Motor Show but more importantly lets just hope i’m not shown up.

Not Like This

AE86 Heir? Subaru/Toyota Coupe, More Details Emerge

As is widely Known Toyota and Subaru are working together on a new sports coupe potentially to be viewed as a successor to the legendary Toyota AE86 (hachi-roku) of the eighties. 

Dubbed the FR (hopefully a more inspiring name is on the cards) as a result of its front engined RWD layout, the coupe is set for a relase in the autumn of 2011.   

The car is mooted to be based on a legacy platform and will use either the 2.0l or 2.5l version of Subaru’s flat 4 boxer engine.  

Power is estimated to be a not disrespectful 200ps.  The specs sound very promising especially when you consider that some magazines expect the car to be on sale for as little as 2 million yen. 

Its been widely reported that the car will be sold in Japan as a Toyota and internationally as a Subaru.  Either that or it could be marketed through both companies and sold as two slightly different styles, something that is quite likely to happen for the home market. 

At least initially, both versions of the car will be built in Japan at Subaru’s new Oizumi factory.

Fuel economy might be a stumbling block with the engine choice but if they can make the car light enough it might be a worthy inheritor of the AE86 crown.

Unless of course Toyota have something else in the works for that purpose.   

 

Spy Shot of Potential Subaru/Toyota Coupe

Toyota IQ

With Much Fanfare earlier this week, Toyota launched their much awaited 1.4 million yen 2 door IQ city car in Japan to go on sale next month.

The IQ would seemingly have all the attributes to make it a big seller in its home market.  First of all its tiny with an equally small 1000cc engine, both features highly regarded by the Japanese consumer.  It also carries the revered name of the most domestically respected brand.  

All of these little strings add to the IQ’S petite bow and should ensure a steady stream of orders.

Japan may however present the biggest challenge to the rather dynamic IQ`s global sales onslaught and that challenge will be the omnipresent Kei car. 

Toyota doesn`t presently dabble in this market directly but it does very heavily with its Daihatsu brand.

For historical, social, enviromental and economic reasons, Japan has long had a class of automobile which must conform to engine capacity (660cc) and size (very small) restrictions.  The benefit in owning one of these dimunitive machines is a big reduction in insurance, road tax and naturally they can be very cheap to buy new.

Toyota`s IQ doesn’t fit this criteria except in size but one without the other is meaningless. 

The range of Kei cars is vast and covers a huge range of styles.  Mostly city cars but also vans, 2 seater sports and even mini 4×4’s.  Nearly all of them come with 4 doors as standard and are supremely spacious given their dimensions.

For less yen than Toyota`s smallest, a newly revised and very cool looking Suzuki Wagon R Stingray can be had with 4 doors, 64 ps against the IQ’s 68ps and able to achieve a rather gratifying 21.5km per litre compared to a slightly better 23km per litre for the IQ.

In my mind the Suzuki would represent a alot more car for the money especially as it starts nearly 200,000 yen cheaper at 1.25 million yen.

The great Japanse public will soon make their preferences clear.

Toyota IQ

Suzuki Stingray

Honda Beat Successor

Suzuki and Daihatsu firmly lead the way in Kei(660cc) car sales with the Suzuki Wagon R currently in front as Japan’s best selling car.

KEI cars are designed to be cheap to buy, cheap to run and insanely practical for their size.  They have never been about out and out performance. 

Japanese low displacement Regulations stipulate that two types of 660cc engine can be manufactured to keep in line with the authorities.  Either a 54PS normally aspitrated or an ever so slightly turbocharged 64ps version.

Of course a huge tuning scene exists around KEI cars but their is only so much that one can safely extract from such a tiny engine.

Currently the closest you can get to a semi sporting experience is through Daihatsu’s 2 seater Copen, although it is a little soft and in fairness doesn’t really try to be anything but.

The glory days of sporting KEI was in the 90`s was when we had the 2 seater Honda Beat, Suzuki ( ridiculously named) Cappuccino and the quirkiest by far, the Mazda ( although designed by Suzuki) Autozam AZ1 complete with gullwing doors.  

Sadly the Japanese recession killed all these cars off pretty quickly as although they were not expensive to buy they represented zero practicality and could only ever be a second or third car.

The Honda and Suzuki were both Front Mid Engined But the AZ1 was a real midship, like a true thoroughbred. 

Of recent Honda has increased it’s investment in KEI car development and hopes to catch up with Daihatsu and Suzuki in the selling game.

It looks as if Honda are planning a new range of KEI automobiles and the word on the street is that a Successor to the Beat might be one of them. 

Lets hope so.

If the rumour is true then expect the car to have a normally aspirated 3 cylinder block but able to produce the equivalent turbocharged 64PS using Honda`s engine technology.  Although they do offer a turbo in their current LIFE shopping wagon,Honda does have a general aversion to all things forced induction.  

Hopefully other makers will join in the fascinating very low displacement sports market, certainly current economics may dictate so.   

Previous Generation Beat

The Wonderfully exciting AZ1

New NSX To Be Badged Acura

Toyota suprisingly didn’t release their Lexus brand into the home market until 2005,  electing to badge the same cars as stuffy old Toyota`s up to that point. 

Following on from the SORT of success that Lexus has experienced in Japan it looks like Honda will follow suit by stamping its new NSX as an Acura (Honda`s upmarket American brand).

Sadly, to emphasise Acura as an exclusive badge, Honda will be following Lexus’s lead in pricing.  Current speculation persists that the V10 NSX will be over 20 million yen  when it is released in the autumn of 2010. 

It`s not clear if the NSX will be promoted as an Acura in every market.  Although certainly it will be in the US and brand sensitive Europe might benefit from a little differentiation.

NSX Replacement At The Ring

More Next Generation Honda S2000 Rumours

Alot of people will be very happy if Honda decide to put a V6 in the sometime expected new S2000.  

That is what the grapevine had suggested but the latest gossip implies that Honda will continue the S2000 with a modified and further tuned version of the existing 2.2 litre or a newly developed 2.5 litre 4 cylinder VTEC. 

The logic to assume must be Joe punters increasing awareness of CO2 emissions and the ever rising burden of cost at the gas pump.

Still its not all bad news as Honda has a reputation for glorious 4 cylinder engines, not least of all the F series engines found in the existing S2000.

To ungruntle any customers who may feel let down by their hopes of a 6 cylinder engine being dashed, it seems probable that Honda will be increasing the power of the new 4 cylinder engines to compensate 

Handling will also be carefully examined with Honda’s engineers endeavouring to create an even stiffer body.

Details are still superficial on the S2000 but it is rumoured to make production in the spring of 2011, at which point it probably will have evolved to a plug in hybrid (only joking, although you never know).

As pretty as the current S2000 is it’s been in production for a long time and although it still looks contemporary it’s nice to see Honda finally taking the time out to replace it, even if it doesn’t come out for bloody ages yet.

Still, at least it looks like they`re considering a new one because not long ago the rumour was the model would be shelved entirely.

 

Most Recent production S2000

Next Generation prius

One of the most anticipated new cars to come out of Japan in the coming months is undoubtedly the next generation Toyota Prius. 

Due for its domestic release in April of 2009 the new model has developed quite clearly.

However, First off, the exterior design is unlikely to change tremendously as the current models basic shape is about as aerodynamically efficient as Toyota can develop, evidenced by Honda’s endorsement of the Prius with their new insight model. 

Although Hopefully Toyota will be able to unfrumpise it a little  to increase its appeal with a larger audience.

It should come as no suprise that Toyota have managed to reduce fuel consumption over the old model.  The new figures are expected to be about 40 km/litre.

Engine capacity has also been increased from 1500cc to 1800cc so the promise of a little more power is on the cards. 

Solar panels on the roof will be available as an option and a full plug in version will be introduced by 2010.

The base model price is rumoured to start 2.3 million yen which as expected is more than the new Honda Insight will be. 

A controversial car the Prius is and it will surely up the ire of some of the anti green loonies.

 

Current Prius

New Lexus SC Rumours

A little unclear all this. 

Lexus have been trying for some time to flog their SC Model around the world with varying degrees of success. 

The SC does quite well in America with its US focused design but has struggled in Europe and most insultingly in its Home market. 

speculation suggessted that Lexus would most likely pull the model but the most recent word on the street angles towards Lexus releasing a completely rethought design to be released in 2011. 

Engine line up is rumoured to be the 4.6 litre V8 from the current LS range and to fit in nicely with Toyota’s near term outlook the option of a 3.5 litre hybrid.

The current SC sort of divides opinion with its ostentatious design and lack of sporting flair but upmarket image and exquisite quality. 

It will be interesting to see if lexus decide to add to or reduce the bling value of the next model.

    

Lexus SC Current Model

Copen 2

Daihatsu’s Copen must be one of the cutest cars ever created, with its big round eyes and tiny, tiny dimensions you almost feel like giving it a cheeky wink and an affectionate pat on the bonnet when you pass one in a car park. 

For some there lies the problem and compounded by its weedy 660cc engine or in export guise 1.3litre it doesnt really represent much sporting. 

We do see rather alot of them on the roads in Japan however so the car clearly tickles some peoples fancy. 

It seems that plans are afoot to replace the current car with a new model by the spring of 2010.  the new car will be based on the OFC 1 concept that debuted at last years Tokyo Motor Show.  That car really didn’t look significantly different from now but rumours suggest that the exterior design is undergoing further work.

The new undertaking will likely be based on the new Daihatsu Move platform and will incorporate a newly developed 3 cylinder turbo engine to produce the standard 64ps.  The same as for all turbocharged Kei(660cc) engines in order to meet national regulations.  

So it seems that if you were hoping that Daihatsu were going to go a bit wild with the horsepower next time then sadly its not going to happen.  However the current cars are eminently tuneable and with well regarded handling are able to handle a bit more grunt so hopefully no reason to believe that won’t be the same with the new one.

The price in Japan is specualted to be around 1.6 million yen.

The Copen is currently the only open topped kei(660cc) engined car in production since the Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappucino were axed a few years ago but Honda might be about to change that soon.

OFC-1 Concept

Mitsubishi i Future

When the Mitsubishi i was first introduced back in January 2006 it caused quite a stir with its rear midship engine, interior space, dimunitive exterior dimensions and very futuristic body. 

The i was intended for the Japanese domestic market initially and as a result incorporated a 660cc engine so that it fitted into Japan’s Kei car regulations and like others of its type benefits from reduced road tax over here. 

However,other countries importers soon took an interest in the car and it has now sold steadily in some international markets, including asia, New Zealand and interestingly Britian, where it’s marketed as a bit of a chic city car for londoners. 

The i was/is a pivotal car for Mitsubishi because it was introduced when the company was very much reeling from a number of scandals and a worrying lack of investment. 

Apparently though, the i is not an especially cheap car to produce with its unique set up and since it’s inception executives at Mitsubishi have been trying to find out ways that they can derivatise ( not sure thats a real word) the model.

In Japan (by far its largest market) the i starts selling at just over 1 million yen so its clear that Mitsubishi are not likely to be making a killing on the car, especially in Japan’s cramped Kei ( 660cc) car battleground. 

Current speculation suggests that they will plan on introducing a wider and perhaps longer version and make it more appealing to international markets by introducing 4 cylinder engines from the compact colt family.

If so, it would be difficult to believe that Mitsubishi would deviate much from the original very contemporary design of the current i and so the final product would just be a little bigger than the one we have now.

I reckon it might be a bit of a big seller.

Honda CRZ Update

Considered to be the spiritual successor to Honda`s legendary CRX of the eighties and nineties the hotly anticipated CRZ will have a lot to live up to when it finally makes it into production at the end of next year. 

The exterior design is predicted to be very similar to the concept released at last years Geneva Motor Show although some modifications will be made, largely to the front bumper section.  I hope that means they’re going to have another look at the nose as its looking a little too snoutish for me.

As is widely known the car is to be a hybrid and lightweight and this will pretty sharply represent Honda’s outlook for other models in the near future. 

it looks increasingly probable that the CRZ will receive the same 1.3 litre VTEC engine as the upcoming new Honda Insight.  This will be combined with Honda’s hybrid (IMA) system to produce a likely output of  94 + 20 PS.

Honda have made a big noise about this car being designed for the REAL drivers market and combined with making it super fuel efficient must be quite a challenge.  However with those rather low power figures it will be interesting to see how that can be balanced by the cars lightweight.  

Honda will be targeting about 35km/L for fuel consumption, which is pretty damn good.

The final version of the wonderful original CRX was able to put out 172 ps from its little 1.6 litre naturally aspirated VTEC so we can hope and expect that the CRZ will receive power hikes during the course of its production life.

Lexus LF-A Update

Testing still continues on the Lexus LF-A supercar due to receive its Japanese debut in the autumn of 2010. 

Lexus have been busy at the Nurburgring for a long time trying to whittle away seconds to compete with its domestic and foreign rivals and it looks as if they still have a way to go before hitting their target. 

Although it seems that Toyotas target is not to blow the GTR out of the water but rather offer around the same performance, as they have probably sensibly decided that gran turismo style time attack glory will not be the dominant influence on sales. 

On the other hand, Honda with their new NSX  will be trying for absolute ascendancy in the sports car market and can occasionally be found at the Nurburgring nailing their prototype around the road course until it at least equals the upcoming Nissan GTR V Spec performance. 

The LF-A is an undeniably beautiful car and with such a ravishing body will come a hefty fee of reputedly 25 million yen. 

That should by my calculation make it the most expensive Japanese car ever to be put on the market. 

Some people will say that is too much and it clearly is but then so is a Ferrari 430 or any Lamborghini and this is the kind of market that the Lexus will be competing in. 

Its clear that Japan’s premium manufacturer has now matured and is not shy about its pricing even with the perceived lack of heritage  that always dogs any special offering from Japan.  particularly in the prestigious European market where the LF-A will be looking to take advantage of the continents huge appetite for sports cars .   

 

Lexus IS F Racing

It has come to light that in a further challenge to BMW’s M3, Lexus will be producing a hotter version of its High performance IS F. Designated as the IS F/R ( the R presumably standing for racing), the new model will feature several new developments and should debut in its home market in the autumn of 2009

Rumour suggests that the car will be 100kg lighter than the standard IS F, achieved through an all carbon roof and the use of thinner exotic materials in the body.

Attention has also been focused on the 5 litre V8 to produce a 12ps increase in power.

Expected selling price in Japan should be in the region of 10 million yen.

I’m afraid the image below is of the standard IS F ( lovely as it is ) as i can`t get an image of the IS F/R but if you just try to imagine a black carbony roof and maybe a bit more carbon round the front wing then that should be about right.

2011 Diesel Mitsubishi GTO

Further details have emerged of the Mitsubishi GTO concept first unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year. 

The gullwing doors have been dropped but as thought an all new 2.2 litre 4 cylinder clean diesel engine is being developed for this model. 

Set up will be the same Super All Wheel Control System as features in the current generation EVO X.

New active steering and dampers are now in development.

The GTO will receive the same Twin Clutch SST as used in the EVO X.  

If you fancy one of these and you live in Japan then you may need to be patient because current rumours suggest that Mitsubishi don’t plan on introducing it until spring 2011. 

Diesel still suffers from something of an image problem in Japan and none of the european spec Japanese diesel engines appear in their home market, in fact not since 2003.

However of recent, several of the large manufacturers have announced their intention to introduce clean diesel technology into the home market.

First of these is Nissan which this month launch the diesel version of the X Trail SUV in Japan and most likely others will follow. 

Although Mitsubishi will probably need until 2011 to prepare the market to swallow the Idea of a diesel sports car. 

If it doesnt blow the Japanese away, it will definately be a big seller in Europe and a hopefully worthy alternative To the ubiquitous Audi TT.

Toyota FT HS Update

The FT HS hybrid concept was introduced last year at the Detroit Motor Show as a rumoured Supra replacement. 

Recent rumblings suggest that the car is being developed further for potential manufacture next year with not one but two production models making an appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show this November.

One a Hybrid and the other carrying a standard engine.

Configuration is likely to be a a 2+2 set up and most certainly front engined, rear wheel drive. 

Power will be derived from a choice of a hybrid 3.5 litre or 3.7 litre normally aspirated V6 producing between 330 and 370 PS.

Because of Toyota’s desire to offer two models it has delayed release of the vehicle.

It’s possible that the hybrid and standard will be differentiated by two different body styles.

The situation remains unclear if the car will carry the iconic Supra name but if it doesnt it is surely a spiritual successor.

Toyota’s new sports coupe will slot in way below the Lexus LFA with a likely selling price of between 3.5 to over 5 million yen when on sale and will be considered to be a direct competitor to Nissans Fairlady Z.

Details are still sketchy.

New Honda Odyssey

New Odyssey

A teaser image has been released of the all new Honda Odyssey to debut in Japan next month.  Few details have been released but it does appear that the new design is very much a natural evolution of the current model. 

Clear changes have been made to the rear haunches with some angled bodywork that adds some depth and what looks like a change to the front grill and headlights more reminiscent of the current Honda Stream.

The existing model released in 2003 is a polarising sort of design, some love it for its futuristic look and youthful image whilst others don’t for the same reasons.

An observation i can make is that you almost never see one driven slowly.

looking forward to see the finished product when it arrives.

Honda Multi-View

External camera technology has made another leap forward with Honda’s introduction of their highly advanced multiview camera system.

The system uses four cameras located on the front and rear of the vehicle and the right and left door mirrors.

Images are mixed together to create a broader picture for the driver when parking or during limited visibility. 

Take a look at the pics. 

Honda’s all new odyssey (due October) will be the first to benefit from the new system as an option and no doubt it will be employed across Hondas range in the near future. 

One would need to be a total moron to have a prang with this installed.

 

Toyota Traffic Safety

Being the rather huge auto maker that it is and all the responsibility that entails, Toyota has announced that it will be distributing flyers in Japan to support road safety in line with the nations traffic safety campaign this autumn. 

Frankly preposterously for such a risk adverse society that Japan is, a law requiring rear seat passengers to wear seatrbelts was only passed this year in June.  Apart from the obvious safety improvements for the populace the new law has enabled foreigners who hail from more draconian shores from looking like total cowards when they buckle up in the back.

The Toyota safety advice flyers will focus on rear seatbelts and not hitting cyclists.

Caring Honda

Honda claims to have improved on the drivers side airbag by releasing a new design that continuously stages the level of infalting gas. 

The new airbag should be able to deploy faster and has a unique spiral structure that allows a protective surface to be formed sooner than previously and also maintains a constant pressure from the moment of deployment and resulting in immediate occupant protection.

Airbag Impact on the driver is also claimed to have been reduced by minimising the protrusion of the airbag. 

Interestingly Honda has announced that the new system will first be offered on one of their lead in models, the very basic 660cc Life minicar which perhaps relatedly is very popular with young and first time buyers

Airbag Comparison

Meet POLAR III

As a sign of increasing compassion to the pedestrians of the world, car makers have been increasing their research into reducing injury to us when outside the car. 

Honda was the first to develop a pedestrian crash test dummy when in 1998 they introduced the POLAR I to study what parts of the vehicle body cause the most injury in the event of a crash with a focus on reducing head injuries.  Later POLAR II was introduced to further research into kinematics and used embedded instruments to measure effects of collision on eight body areas including head and neck.

POLAR III now moves the injured pedestrian game on and should provide Honda with information focusing on the lower back and upper leg areas. 

Honda has tried very hard to match the dummy body shape as closely as possible to ours and judging by the picture it seems they have decided that most of us have fat ankles.

 Honda has been applying this technology to its road cars in Japan since 1998, starting with the HR-V, so if you must get run over then try to make sure its a Honda built in the last ten years.  

Honda POLAR III

Paintshop Revolution

As part of Nissan’s efforts to reduce production costs and to reduce its ecological footprint a series of measeures to improve efficiency in paintshop operations has been announced. 

A more efficient spraygun design has allowed Nissan to reduce the number of painting lines from two to one and as a result Nissan will now operate the worlds most compact body panel paintshop operation, thus helping to reduce each plants energy consumption.

More efficient equipment will also help to reduce the wastage of solvents used in the painting process. 

Apparently the biggest problem in painting metal surfaces is maintaining colour consistency and so the new process employs special technology that calculates the speed for each panel and how the paint particles are distributed to make for a more consistent finish. 

This new method will be applied to all Nissan paint facilities worldwide in the near future.

Sadly it is unlikely that this more economic method will lead to a better deal for the punter as Nissan has already announced its intention to increase prices in Japan.

Mazda Welfare

Japan has one of the greyest populations in the world and with a current baby shortage it comes as no suprise that every Japanese manufacturer is trying its damndest to take advantage of the old gits.

Due to be exhibited at the upcoming Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition are three of the latest offerings desinged for ease of access for the elderly, infirm, drunk or just plain lazy.

First up is the dimunitive (Kei 660cc) AZ Wagon i which is based on the JDM best selling Suzuki Wagon R but rebadged as a Mazda.  The modified Wagon has a rear liftgate opening design that allows for occupied wheelchair access. 

Mazda’s excellent MPV (pictured) gets a peachy automatically elevating second row seat which rotates to ground level and back into position in the cabin.  handy for those that need it or if you just fancy descending your grandmother for a bit of a chat at the picnic and then swiftly removing her when things get a little raucous with the other guests.

Lastly is the less dramatic autostep function on Mazda’s new and still a little curious looking Biante Minivan.  It is what it is, namely a step that automatically extends and withdraws when the sliding door is opened or closed. 

Mazda MPV With Rotating Seat

Redesigned Otti

Nissan announced today the mid life update to the JDM only Otti minicar. 

The Otti was introduced to market in 2006 and is a an OEM ( original equipment manufacturer ) vehicle with the car actually being built by Mitsubishi as the EK Wagon and supplied to Nissan for resale under the Nissan brand after a few styling tweaks are attended to. 

Not a whole lot has been done in the redesign, although a newly fettled front bumper and grille gives the car a refreshed look.

Four new colours are now on offer including Denim Blue, Sunflower Yellow, Mint Green and a rather attractive sounding Silky Rose.

Nissan have also renovated the interior somewhat with the most interesting new feature  being the  rather dubious sounding Comfort Flasher ( whatever that may be). 

Most relevant today is that the engine has received an improved ECU to further reduce emissions and fuel efficiency on a car that was in the first place pretty clean and frugal.