Autocar runs down the top five head-turning designs from the 2013 Tokyo motor show
Most outrageous concept designs often never see the light of day after they fade from the limelight. But it’s entirely possible that four out of our top five most attention-grabbing cars from the Tokyo motor show could buck that trend and make production.
Concepts are usually the headline acts at motor shows, and the Tokyo motor show has been no exception. Click below for the full stories behind our top five most eye-catching designs of the show.
Daihatsu’s FC-Deck concept is a fuel-cell powered ‘kei’ car shaped like a truck, that could signal a whole new level of efficiency, wrapped up in a 3,395mm-long body. The Japanese car maker suggests that this technology might someday be used in its low-cost vehicles.
The Yamaha Motiv lightweight two-seat city car is wrapped up in a tidy package, sitting around 50mm narrower and 60mm lower than a Smart, while also being 100kg lighter. The brainchild of a new partnership between Yamaha and legendary designer Gordon Murray, the Motiv has been specifically developed for Europe. All eyes are on Yamaha to see if the firm hits the production button.
We saw drawings of Ken Okuyama’s Kode9 concept sports car leading up to the Tokyo motor show. The Tokyo show photos confirmed the design’s retro Jaguar D-type racer and Alfa Romeo Disco Volante similarities, with some industry commentators even dubbing it a Japanese Lotus Elise.
The striking Nissan BladeGlider concept has been described as “an extreme version of how the car could look,” by Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura. Mooted to go into production within three years, the small electric sports car, based on the Deltawing racecar, will sit below the Nissan 370Z in Nissan's range - meaning a price tag of less than £30,000.
Mitsubishi had the Range Rover Evoque firmly in its crosshairs when it showcased its coupé-like Mitsubishi R-PHEV plug-in hybrid compact SUV. The XR-PHEV’s 134bhp 1.1-litre three-cylinder turbocharged hybrid electric unit is said to be capable of 68mpg. The XR-PHEV could possibly be incorporated into current models as hybrid options, instead of being a new model line itself.
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Aaron Smith