Friday the 13th isn’t typically considered a good day for those that are a tad superstitious, but the people behind the Tokyo Auto Salon aren’t in the least bit paraskevidekatriaphobic (plague with a fear of Friday the 13th) because that’s when they decided to open their doors. Lucky for us (pun intended), because Toyota has chosen this setting to reveal their TES-ERA EV - a concept car developed by the Toyota Engineering Society that proves that even electric vehicles can be extremely cool.
The work on this project began back in March 2011 with a team of 20 members doing their best to produce a spectacular electric concept. This concept features an innovative design with sweet gullwing doors, a rich Dark Blue Mica exterior paint finish with 18-inch aluminum wheels, and height adjustable double wishbone suspensions. The interior of the concept gets a built-in touch-shift steering wheel, a rear and side view camera monitor system, an instrument panel, door trims with decorative illumination, and 4-point seat belts.
Joining the ranks of the beautiful exterior is the power setup. The TES-ERA is powered by an electric 4JM motor that delivers a total of 164 HP and 247 lb-ft of torque. The motor takes its power from a lithium-ion battery and is mated to a rear-wheel-drive system and the F1 "KERS’ system. With a total weight of 2535 lbs, the TES-ERA EV can hit a top speed of 124 mph.
The 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon is just chock full of tuning packages for the Toyota GT 86, or any of its sibling iterations. Next to the GT86 by TRD featured earlier, Toyota has also brought the GT 86 Modellista version to Japan. While both versions mostly focused on adding some flare to the small sports car, they both proved that the GT86 is the perfect car to upgrade, in any way the customer dreams or desires.
The Toyota GT 86 Modellista has received a new front spoiler, a new rear spoiler, and chrome door moldings. Both headlights and rear lights have been modified, with the headlights receiving eye lids to simplify the car’s front and the taillights receiving covers to blend with the rest of the car. The final touch for the exterior is a new set of 18" wheels wrapped in high performance tires and a very cool white exterior paint. There aren’t any details on the interior modifications, but stay with us and we’ll keep you posted!
We all knew the secret was out of the bag as far as Subaru’s impending participation in the Japanese Super GT series. Now, the Japanese automaker has officially revealed their entry to the racing series: the Subaru BRZ GT300 Race Car.
The BRZ GT300 Race Car is being built to compete in the Super GT series, replacing the existing Subaru Legacy STI that’s currently plying its craft in race tracks all over Japan.
In terms of its design, the BRZ GT300 looks a lot different than the production BRZ, as well it should. The former was engineered specifically for racing reasons and as such, it’s had some in-house tuning done on it courtesy of STI. Among the modifications done on the BRZ GT300 include a larger carbon fiber splitter, a larger front air intake, new air scoops on the bonnet, a fixed rear spoiler, a new diffuser, Perspex windows, and a new set of 18" black alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohoma Advan tires. As you can expect, the interior of the BRZ GT300 was completely stripped down to its bare essentials to ensure that the car loses as much weight as it can. In place of everything that was taken down, Subaru added a full roll cage and a Recaro racing seat.
Under the hood of the race car, Subaru outfitted the BRZ GT300 with an STI-developed 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that has been tuned to produce 300 horsepower, right in line with the requirements for the GT300 class of the Super GT Series where the racer will be competing in.
UPDATE 01/13/12: The Subaru contingent at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon was in full force, including the BRZ GT300 Race Car. Check out the auto show photos of the racer in all its glory, courtesy of Subaru.
It’s understandable for us on this side of the world to be getting ready for the 2012 North American International Auto Show, but it’s important to not forget that another major motor show is set to open its doors next week. And it just so happens that it’s the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.
As the home to some of the biggest automakers in the world, the 2012 TAS is expected to feature some pretty interesting vehicles. For their part, Toyota is doing a pretty darn good job drumming up the interest with a teaser of the TRD-developed Toyota GT-86 sports car.
Just to be clear, TRD, or Toyota Racing Development, is the Japanese automaker’s racing division, and they’ve prepared the first high-performance, racing iteration of the recently unveiled GT-86. Not a lot of information has been revealed about the performance package TRD is putting into the GT-86, but we’d be the first to tell you that the mere thought of the affordable sports car receiving a top-flight performance upgrade is already making us drool in anticipation.
For now, we have to settle for this teaser photo, but here’s to hoping that the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon opens its doors sooner rather than later.
The 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon will begin right after the Detroit Auto Show in January and many automakers are releasing all kinds of information on their lineup for the show floor in Japan. For example, Mazda will be bringing plenty of specially customized MX-5 models, including the MX-5 NR-A Jinba Ittai and the MX-5 Black Tuned edition.
The Black Tuned Edition is based on the special edition MX-5 Sport Black model announced earlier this year, but going on sale in the spring of 2012. The model adopts black-based special features for both the interior and exterior, and offers a full range of exclusive specifications including BBS lightweight alloy wheels, Bilstein height adjustable dampers, a Brembo brake system (painted in gold for the front), and Recaro seats.
The list of standard equipment for the Mazda MX-5 Black Tuned Edition includes climate control air-conditioning, a premium Bose audio system, an integrated hands-free Bluetooth system, cruise control, and front fog lights.
Mazda is going full force at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, presenting a grand total of 10 vehicles at their home auto show. We’re not surprised that one of the vehicles they’re bringing to Tokyo is yet another special edition model of their iconic MX-5 Miata line.
Called the MX-5 NR-A ’Jinbai-Ittai’ - translate, Jinbai-Ittai means "horse and rider becoming one" - this special race-spec Miata is a lightweight, two-seater, open-top sports car that has been finished with unique exterior graphics to go with a grocery list of new equipment, including TAKAT four-point seat belts, new Bilstein dampers, Endless brake pads, and a new set of 16" alloy wheels from ENKEI that have been wrapped in Bridgestone tires.
Mazda has been tight-lipped on all the other modifications and enhancements given to the MX-5 NR-A ’Jimba Ittai’. Nevertheless, you can expect more details about this special edition, race-spec Miata to be released leading up to the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon before the event opens its doors this coming January.
Ever since the Honda S2000 was dropped in 2009, rumors surrounding a a hybrid successor for the roadster have been buzzing. Turns out, those rumors may be true now that Honda has announced the EV-STER Concept at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show. Could this be the beginning of the next small roadster? So far, signs point to yes. The Concept is being described as "a next-generation compact EV sports model, fun to drive while achieving excellent environmental performance." It is an all-electric vehicle that combines the pleasure of driving with zero CO2 emissions.
The new EV-STER Concept is made of carbon materials that help reduce the vehicle’s total weight. It is powered by an electric engine combined with a RWD system and a 10kWh lithium-ion battery that ensure a driving range of approximately 100 miles. The concept will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds and will be capable of a top speed of 100 mph.
The concept uses an easy-to-operate twin-lever steering that was adopted for the thorough pursuit of the joy of driving. Moreover, the new concept model enables the driver to make his/her own adjustments to some vehicle characteristics such as motor output and suspension settings, to embody the joy of maneuvering to the fullest extent.
UPDATE 12/15/11: Honda has officially announced that the EV-STER Concept has been green-lighted for production. The news comes courtesy of Auto Motor und Sport, who stated that Honda CEO Takanobu Ito has said that the roadster is headed to production and could be offered as early as next year in both standard gasoline and electric powertrains.
UPDATE 02/08/12: Honda has released a new promo video of the EV-STER Concept, which you can check out by clicking on the photo above. Enjoy!
At the beginning of 2011, Nissan unveiled the Leaf Nismo RC concept, offering up an "extreme" version for their electric car. Now, the company has taken it back a notch by presenting a new Nismo Concept at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show - right next to the Juke Nismo - that strips the racing qualities, but moves forward with the Nismo package.
The new Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept features an extreme body kit, including a front aero bumper, a rear under protector, rear diffuser, extended side sills, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The front bumper incorporates LED lighting which is arranged transversely to accentuate a sense of motion. Unfortunately, that’s where the modifications end, which isn’t unusual for an electric vehicle. The Nissan Leaf Nismo is still powered by front mounted electric drive motor that only outputs 80 of those kilowatts for a maximum output of 107 HP.
"Nissan LEAF has shown that zero emission mobility is no longer a dream but a reality. The Nismo Concept not only proves the hidden potential of Nissan LEAF but also adds even more excitement and energy to LEAF, delivering a guilt-free yet exhilarating driving experience that can be enjoyed by every car enthusiast," said Hideaki Watanabe, Corporate Vice President, Nissan Motor Company and head of the company’s electric vehicle business unit.
If anyone can tear their eyes away from the new BRZ sports car for just a second, they could see that Subaru has also presented the fourth generation Impreza at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show. The new Impreza will be offered in two versions: the five-door known as the Impreza Sport and the four-door known as the Impreza G4. In Japan, the new car will go on sale on December 20, 2011.
This fourth generation all-new Impreza was developed under the concept of "Redefining Value, Redefining Class." This means that next to a new look, the Impreza will also offer superior reliability, handling, and safety features of the Subaru Symmetrical "All-Wheel Drive"system with the Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine.
The new Impreza will be offered with a choice of 1.6 and 2.0 liter engines combined with a standard a paddle shifting 6-speed manual and new Auto Start Stop system. All of these new items have only one purpose: improving performance and reducing fuel consumption.
Hit the jump to read more about the fourth generation Impreza.
