For most car brands, celebrating an anniversary – be it ten years or 100 years – is one of those times that warrant a special commemorative car. It’s happened a ton of times and for as long as someone is blowing out candles, it’s bound to happen again.
This year, one of the car brands that is celebrating its centennial year is Audi and as you can expect, celebrations aren’t complete without a special edition version of the Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Coupe where it will be exclusively launched in Japan.
Among other things that makes this special edition car stand out from the rest of its peers is that Audi only made 100 of these cars; also, a number of special features were put in the car including a carbon fiber exterior trim, a set of 19-inch alloy wheels and four 255/35 R19 sport tires.
Based on the TT S-Line version, buyers can avail of this 100-off Audi TT TFSI Coupe in two unique colors: orange and blue.
The Japanese have the propensity to get overly excited over the simplest of things so when it comes to what they consider as ‘monumental achievements’, you can be sure that they’re exhilaration would go through the roof.
In a recent drift session in Japan, a Nissan RPS13 that was being driven by one M. Kawabata performed an eye-popping reverse-entry slide, drifting the car around a corner with the car’s rear end turning first while maintaining that position for the duration of the turn amidst all the smoking tires. Some people are calling the move ‘the best drift ever’ and justifiably so, it was as beautiful as any drift you’ll ever see with your own two eyes.
As far as the Japanese folks who were commentating on the event? Well, they’re reactions were just as priceless.
Nissan completely redesigned the Skyline model when they introduced the GT350 back in 2001. Gone was the classic boxy shape of the 1990s models which gave way to a 350Z inspired curvilinear Infiniti G35. The luxury car was well appointed and like all of Nissan’s VQ35 powered vehicles, the new Skyline had an exhaust note to die for. The next update for the R35 Skyline came in 2006 when Nissan’s engineers sharpened up the design and bumped displacement up to 3.7 Liters for the world renowned V6 engine. Although the current Infiniti G37 is still a very attractive sports car, the now classic two swoop shape is due for a major update in preparation for the 2012 model year.
When the Japanese automaker unveiled the Infiniti Essence concept car at the Geneva motor Show, they were laying out the floor plan for their future model lineup both aesthetically and mechanically. So with no better inspiration for the future Skyline in sight, it would appear that the new Nissan Skyline could be the first production model to speak the Essence concept’s design language. However it is not expected to adopt the working show car’s hybrid drive train. Instead the 2012 Skyline will feature a 3.7 literV6 to produce a total of around 450 HP. However we won’t find out any time soon because Nissan is rumored to be preparing a Skyline Coupe prototype for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show with a production version slated to go on sale in the 3rd quarter of 2012.
The fuel efficient Japanese automaker Toyota has just launch the Sai luxury hybrid sedan, a model based on the Lexus HS 250h, into its home market. The new four door Hybrid Synergy Drive sedan is both bigger and more luxurious than the automobile manufacturer’s current flagship hybrid, the Toyota Prius. With the Sai’s scheduled launch only a few days away at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota is taking a step forward to shake up the gas/electric car market.
Compared to the Lexus HS 250h, the new Toyota Sai features a distinct front end design with new head lamps, a unique hood, grill and bumper as we;; as a set of different taillights. On the inside, the new Sai gets its own instrument panel and center console design as well as a different steering wheel than the entry level Lexus hybrid.
However this where the differences end, under the hood the Sai features the same hybrid drive train as the Lexus HS 250h which includes a 2.4 Liter four cylinder engine running on an Atkinson cycle combined with an electric motor and a reduction gear to take over power train responsibilities when the gas burning engine isn’t required, when combined, the pair of conventional and electric motors can delver up to 190 HP. The Sai successfully bridges the gap between the entry level Prius hatchback and the more expensive Lexus HS 250h as far as the Japanese automaker Toyota’s lineup of hybrids is concerned.
The Japanese automaker Toyota has just launched an all new rear wheel drive luxury sedan for its home market called the Mark X. Built on the same platform as the Lexus GS, the new four door is powered by a choice of two engines, the first being a 2.5 Liter V6 that delivers a maximum output of 203 HP and is 15% more efficient than government regulations require as well as a powerful 3.5 Liter V6 that puts down a total of 318 HP. No matter which power plant you choose, both engines can be mated to Toyota’s gas sipping ECT six speed automatic transmission complete with sporty paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. The Mark X is good for a 0 to 60 MPH sprint of about 8.3 seconds and will return an average of 49.2 MPG.
For 2010, the Toyota Mark X features a widened front bumper opening, a sporty mesh grill, wraparound taillights and very thick C pillar giving the car a very muscular appearance. Keeping with the Mark X’s luxurious theme, the upscale sedan offers a spacious interior for up to five passengers and driver amenities like an ergonomic leather wrapped steering wheel and motorized lumbar support that combine quality and precision evoking a feeling of pure driving pleasure.
The Mark X is also loaded with high tech gadgets like an adaptive radar based cruise control system, equipped with a brake-control function that can maintain a fixed distance from the car in front, adaptive front lighting system, hill start assist control, HDD navigation system with map on demand and a digital T.V. tuner as well as the automaker’s intelligent parking assist system.
After what seemed like ages, Japanese car maker Mitsuoka is finally releasing its next-generation Viewt. Now, if you’re wondering who or what Mitsuoka is, they’re a local car brand from Japan that caters only to the Japanese market. What’s unique about Mitsuoka is the fact that they build modern cars that resemble those old-time British automobiles from the 50s and the 60s.
As you can plainly see with the new Viewt, Mitsuoka is continuing on that legacy. Underneath the vintage-looking exterior is actually a production-made Nissan Micra so you can be sure that while the look is vintage, the performance is not. Mitsuoka did alter a few of the design elements of the car like the integration of the front bumpers to the front end panels.
It’s been a while since we last saw Mitsuoka grace our presence with a car so the release of the new Viewt came at just the right time.
Those of us who can’t wait for the Tokyo Motor Show to open its doors in a week’s time, here’s a video that can satiate our appetites for the time being.
Now if you’re the type that can understand Japanese, then you’re in luck; you’ll be able to understand the video from beginning to end. But if you’re like a lot of us that don’t speak nor understand the language, then we can just admire the cars while not paying attention to the voice-over. Don’t worry, it can be done.
The Japanese automaker Mazda has commenced production on their compact hatchback the Mazda2 at their AutoAlliance factory in Thailand. Although the diminutive city car may not seem so impressive, you have to remember that it did win a few car of the year awards in its previous form and that the new car comes with an all new enticing feature, an even wider grin. The new Mazda2’s smiley face is not only more inviting than the generation that came before but it also gives the 2010 model year small city car a fun face that adds to the Japanese automaker’s Zoom-Zoom spirit of car building.
Just like the new MX-5, the Mazda2 has undergone a design refreshening and features a new front bumper that incorporates a set of larger larger vertical air intakes as well as the new happy face five point lower grill that is going into all of Mazda’s fun to drive vehicles. A new Mazda2 also gives hope that a new open air roadster inspired version could be in the works, especially after consumers have adjusted to the new car’s playful front end. As for now, these images are pretty much all we have to go on, but we promise to get back to you with more details as they become available.
In celebrating the 20th year anniversary of one of its most successful vehicles, the MX-5 Miata, Mazda staged what can only be described as a full-on MX-5 car-fest at the Miyoshi Proving Ground in Japan.
Over 2,500 owners of the best-selling roadster of all time showed up for the event, in addition to over 1,600 of the said Miatas.
1,600 MX-5s; Porsche and Ferrari can’t hold a candle to that.
While the car’s were the unquestioned stars of the show that day, the day was also filled with a number of exciting programs, quizzes, and the introduction and getting-to-know-you of all of the Miata auto clubs scattered all across Japan.
The participants also penned their John Hancock’s on a special edition 20th anniversary Miata, which, from what we’ve heard, will be auctioned off sometime in the future.
The true highlight of the event was the closing parade where all the Miatas lined up for an enormous parade that had to have at least over 1,600 Miatas.
Japan has been known as one of the world’s strongest manufacturers, thanks to brands like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan calling the Land of the Rising Sun as home. And while a lot of us the world over have been treated to a wide variety of high-quality vehicles from these brands, as far as manufacturers are concerned, Japan is more than just these three brands, for better or for worse.
One other Japanese-based car company that we’ve all had the privilege to come across is Mitsuoka. For those who don’t know, Mitsuoka produces some of the most aesthetically gawky cars you can ever find. Why they do so, we have no clue, but we assume it has something to do with the Japanese way of being aggressive and bombastic with their ideas.
In any case, Mitsuoka’s forte is to create retro-looking cars that are, in some way shape or form, stylistically copied from cars coming from the Western world. And while small in stature compared to the Toyotas and Hondas of the world, Mitsuoka is now primed to expand their operations out of Japan with their first stop being China.
The car brand is crossing over to China with the company’s new Orochi luxury brand heading the plight. From what we’ve gathered, Mitsuoka is planning to use the 2010 Beijing Motor Show – where it will formally introduce the Orochi to the Chinese market - as its stepping stone towards its planned Chinese invasion. > More
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