Sports buzz: Toyota S-FR Sports car concepts are going to be big at this year's show.
Japan's biggest single automotive showcase may only come around just once every two years but no other international motor show promises the same combination of the outlandish and outright ingenious.
This year's Tokyo event, which opens its doors to the general public on Oct 30 (after press and preview days Oct 28 and 29), will play host to no fewer than 42 vehicular world debuts.
Among them will be the Suzuki Ignis, an ultra-compact, ultra-efficient crossover and the Honda FCV, the company's first hydrogen fuel cell car for the masses.
However, it's the sheer breadth of concept cars currently being teased by a host of Japanese brands that are generating the most excitement.
A sporting chance of production
Mazda is bringing a sports coupe concept to this year's show and there's a good chance the car could lead to a new RX8 production vehicle, complete with a rotary engine. All that Mazda will say is that the design references the company's great sports cars of the past while also looking to the future.
Toyota is being far less coy about its S-FR concept. A lightweight 2+2 coupe with rear-wheel drive and potentially excellent handling, it is expected to challenge the Mazda Miata MX5 in terms of price and performance.
Yamaha, a company famed for two-wheelers is also looking to get in on the lightweight sportscar action with the unveiling of a mid-engine concept designed by Gordon Murray. Next to nothing is known about the car, but if the man responsible for the McLaren F1 is involved, expect something impressive.
The lap of luxury
This year's show coincides with Lexus's 25th anniversary and the premium marque is marking the occasion with a show car that represents "progressive luxury". It will also give the clearest sign of what the next generation LS – the company's flagship executive sedan – will be offering in order to compete with the Mercedes S Class and BMW 7 Series.
Suzuki will be showing something called the Air Triser, which is an exercise in packaging as well as comfort, and brings an executive lounge feeling to the interior of a compact MPV.
Complete autonomy
One of the most intriguing cars at this year's show will be Nissan's Teatro for Dayz concept which attempts to understand what the next generation of road users will want from a car. A complete blank canvas, it jettisons all current design motifs so that the owner can instead project his or her own personality on it, inside and out.
The Mitsubishi eX Concept is much more conventional by comparison but will showcase the company's latest innovations in battery technology and will debut an augmented reality windshield that brings autonomous and connected car features to drivers without the associated distractions. — AFP Relaxnews
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