Tokyo Motor Show
FORUM: Nissan's advanced mini-van design concept
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December 21, 2007 In a further exploration of the theme of automobile as communal space displayed by the Round Box Concept shown in Tokyo this year, Nissan will unveil its FORUM concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The FORUM integrates a number of design features and communications technologies aimed at creating a family-friendly environment including trackless sliding side doors, the elimination of traditional B-pillars, versatile second row "Turntable Seating", an advanced Bose® Media System, multi-camera external monitoring, a built-in microwave and a "Kids Cam" monitoring system which allows adults to keep an eye on back seat mayhem via 2nd and 3rd row cameras mounted in the headliner and connected to the main instrument panel LCD display. Read More
Mazda to premiere Furai Concept in Detroit
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December 13, 2007 The Mazda Furai concept vehicle will make its World debut alongside the new Mazda RX-8 sports car at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January. Details of the Furai ("Sound of the wind") are still thin on the ground ahead of the launch and just one teasing image has been released, but the car will continue to extend the Nagare (Japanese for “flow”) design language most recently showcased in the radical Mazda Taiki Concept which premiered at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show in October. Read More
Robotic concerto: Toyota expands vision for intelligent helper machines
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December 7, 2007 Toyota has unveiled two additions to its growing family of partner robots - a new mobility robot and a humanoid robot that's dexterous enough to play the violin. According to the company's release, the violin playing robot can perform a variety of delicate tasks with its arms and hands - each of which contain 17 joints - including being able to mimic the human ability to achieve vibrato on a violin. The new Mobility Robot - which shares its design platform with the I-Real personal transport concept recently tested by Gizmag at the Tokyo Motor Show - is capable of transporting its owner or following in their footsteps as a porter, autonomously avoiding obstacles at speeds of up to 4mph. Read More
Hitachi’s biometric steering wheel technology
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November 1, 2007 Another technological gem to surface at the Tokyo Motor Show is Hitachi’s finger vein authentification steering wheel system. The potential for this biometric system goes way beyond the enhancement of vehicle security – not only does it provide driver verification in a fraction of a second just by gripping the steering wheel, it also paves the way for authorization of automatic payment in drive-thrus or for music downloads to increasingly sophisticated networked car audio systems. Read More
BMW Concept 1 Series tii: the upcoming 1 Series roadster in race trim
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November 1, 2007 Shortly before the on-sale date of the new BMW 1 Series Coupé on 24 November, BMW designers have given an insight into what an out-and-out motorsport-focussed derivative might look like. The BMW Concept 1 Series tii uses lightweight materials, optimized aerodynamics and a race-inspired interior to deliver an uncompromising focus on motorsport. Read More
Variable tint “Smart Windows” on show in Tokyo
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October 29, 2007 Hino Motors, Ltd has unveiled a concept motorcoach incorporating SPD-Smart light-control windows – a technology that blocks more than 99% of UV radiation and allows vehicle occupants to instantly control the amount of sunlight, glare and heat passing through the windows and sunroofs. Read More
Climb aboard the next-generation of personal transport: we ride Toyota’s I-REAL
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Gizmag leapt at the opportunity to take Toyota’s I-REAL personal mobility concept for a spin at the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday. “The seating position was remarkably comfortable and the joystick controls fell to hand immediately. Handling was surprisingly intuitive – when compared to other personal mobility devices such as the Segway, which is itself by no means difficult to master, the I-REAL was a breeze to pilot”, said Gizmag’s Mike Hanlon of his first impressions of the I-REAL. "Simply, it’s quiet, it’s very easy to use - it can be used at strolling pace and you can travel alongside somebody who’s walking very slowly and hold a conversation with them very easily, but when given full throttle it can sprint away much faster than a human being can hope to hit full pace running". Check out the I-REAL in this video. Read More
No longer a Skyline: the 2008 Nissan GT-R a huge hit in Tokyo - UPDATED, NEW IMAGES
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October 25, 2007 Perhaps the biggest buzz we’ve seen yet at the Tokyo Auto Show has been around the official launch of the new Nissan GT-R performance car, which packs a 3.8 litre, 480-horsepower twin-turbo engine, electronically adjustable suspension, shift and stability control modes, and the world’s first independent twin-axle 4WD. Looking sharp, the GT-R is clearly aimed at the Porsche 911 Turbo, which it has apparently beaten around both the Nurburgring and Laguna Seca in racetrack testing. Read More
Audi’s hybrid metroproject quattro
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October 25, 2007 We’re running around like kids in a candy store at the Tokyo Motor Show, it’s a technophile’s delight – and Audi has just come out swinging. The German company has just unveiled its sexy metroproject quattro, a plug-in electric/petrol hybrid concept car with some amazing features, including a detachable remote control that acts as an integrated or standalone mobile phone, navigation unit, MP3 and video player and keyless ignition tag, while letting you turn the car’s heater on before you leave the house. Read More
Space Up!: Volkswagen expands on "New Small Family" vision - UPDATED: NEW IMAGES
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October 24, 2007 Volkswagen will use this week's Tokyo Motor Show as the platform to launch its new Space Up! Concept. Following on from the launch of the two-door urban Up! at the IAA in Frankfurt six weeks ago, the company is expanding its "New Small Family" with the Space Up! – a small van designed to provide the interior space of a larger vehicle despite its relatively small 3.68 x 1.63 meter dimensions. Between 220 and 1,005 liters of cargo space are made available (depending on how many of the removable seats are needed) through the use of rear mounted engine and powertrain reminiscent of the Beetle and the Kombi. Read More
Nissan’s Intima concept revealed in the lead-up to Tokyo Auto Show
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Perhaps the least outrageous of the Japanese concepts to be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show – and thus the most likely to directly influence a production model, Nissan’s Intima concept saloon lays out the company’s definition of modern luxury. Slick exterior looks sit well with a glass-roofed interior that’s designed to soothe its occupants in an aesthetic sense as much as physically. Wide-angle barn doors on the driver and passenger sides give exceptionally easy access, and they’ve even included an 80-degree swiveling motorised passenger seat to assist the elderly or disabled in a comfortable and dignified entry and exit. Read More
Toyota RiN Concept promotes driver well-being
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October 22, 2007 Toyota’s RIN Concept will take the stage at the Tokyo Motor Show later this week with a view not only to promote environmental sustainability, but also to encourage the healthy living and well-being of its occupants. Through features such as heated seats that help maintain good back posture, an oxygen-level conditioner and pinpoint humidifier, and the use of green glass to reduce ultraviolet and infrared light and increase cabin comfort, drivers are encouraged to turn their attention to maintaining a healthy mind and body. Read More
Nissan’s Round Box compact convertible
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October 18, 2007 Another preview from the Nissan stable ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show, the Nissan Round Box is takes open-air motoring in a different direction through its emphasis on the car as a social environment. The Round Box features turbocharged direct injection gasoline engine mated to Nissan’s advanced Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and a raft of enhanced safety features, but it is the design elements – both inside and out which set the vehicle apart. Passengers can share the sensation of speed with the driver through “road surface windows” positioned close to the ground on both sides and two large touchscreens, coupled with a unique seating design, encourage greater communication between those on board. Read More
The 1/X Concept: Toyota to focus on sustainability at 40th Tokyo Motor Show
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October 17, 2007 Toyota has revealed a raft of new concept vehicles based around cutting-edge sustainability technology that the company will showcase at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Among them is the 1/X (pronounced "one-Xth"), a light-weight (420kg) hybrid vehicle pitched as “redefining what it means to be environmentally considerate”. The 1/X matches the interior space of the Prius, but is only one-third the weight and aims to double its fuel efficiency. Gizmag will be on the ground to bring you the latest from the Show when it gets underway on October 26th. In the meantime visit our highlights page for more previews of what’s in store. Read More
Nissan’s ingenious NV200 Van Concept
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One of the challenges in writing stories for an emerging technology magazine is to avoid continuously using the word ingenious, but the NV200 to be shown by Nissan at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show is exactly that. The shell of a vehicle is by necessity an exoskeleton, which means that access to van-like vehicles is typically from the inside, but this new design takes a totally different approach. Combining a mobile office and van in one unique package, designers have incorporated a sliding removable pod that makes the NV200 one out of the box – literally – and although inspired by the very specific requirements of one customer, the basic concept has serious potential for all manner of different applications. Read More
Hybrid-electric Lexus SUV concept shows off new styling direction
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October 12, 2007 The Lexus LF-Xh hybrid concept will be unveiled at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Featuring a high-output electric motor supplementing a V6 petrol engine, it also drops some hints about the company’s new styling direction. Read More
Toyota’s i-REAL personal mobility concept nears commercialization
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October 11, 2007 One of the most exciting transportation developments in recent years has been the ongoing series of Personal Mobility devices we have seen from Toyota. It began with the PM (Personal Mobility) Concept, and was followed by the i-unit and i-swing concepts, and we have watched these developments with the parallel exploration of mobility, partner and guide robots, as the company has surged to become the world’s largest automotive manufacturer. Now the next installment in this exciting personal mobility series is here, with the promise of commercialization drawing tantalizingly close. And it looks like it "carves", meaning it tilts into a corner in the same way a motorcycle does! Read More
Honda's out-of-the-box PUYO concept
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October 10, 2007 Honda will be showing an array of interesting concept automobiles and new technologies at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show but none of them comes close to the fascinating PUYO. The PUYO is a fuel cell vehicle which designed with out-of-box thinking to provide fun for both the vehicle owner and people around them as well. The PUYO has a soft “gel body”, can turn 360 degrees while at standstill, and it’s all glass above the waistline. Read More
The Mazda Taiki concept car
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October 4, 2007 Mazda is set to continue its stunning array of concept cars over recent years with the first images appearing of the Mazda Taiki concept car which will be shown at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The company will also unveil the new Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, a series of future-oriented powertrains, and a variety of environmental and safety technologies at the show. Read More
Suzuki unveils radical mobility concepts
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Suzuki has announced several radical prototype vehicles to be shown at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show. Remarkably, there will be a second generation Kizashi show car based on the machine shown at Frankfurt just three weeks ago. In addition, there’s an interesting sustainable mobility concept called the Pixy which houses another more personal electric vehicle concept known as the SSC. On top of that there’s a motorcycle modelled after an aircraft (Biplane), a fuel cell motorcycle (crosscage), a four-seater minivan with two power sliding doors (Palette) . Read More
