EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02

416s_Honda RA272

On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major rivals had to offer. 

Tokyo Motor ShowIMG_1328_Tokyo Motor Show

We’ve been to Odaiba many times before, but we never tire of the super sci-fi architecture that covers this man-made island in Tokyo Bay. The only disappointing discovery was that the motor show did not take place in the inverted ziggurat of the Tokyo Big Sight, but in more conventional (ha, but still cool) halls behind it.

432s_Honda S360

When the show as at the larger Makuhari Messe in Chiba, automakers were more willing to bring cars from their various collections do display. This time it was only Honda who was willing to occupy precious floor space.

431s_Honda S360412s_Honda S360

The beautifully done Honda S360 replica was recently completed for the S-Series’ 50th Anniversary. Half a century ago it was the first Honda passenger car to ever be displayed, at the very same event (though a different location).

426s_Honda S660Honda S660 rear

Its namesake has been passed on to the Honda S660, which is more of a reborn Beat. The kei cabrio is powered by a 64hp three cylinder turbo mounted midship. It’s expected to go on  sale in early 2015 in a form very close to what Honda showed, except the production version will have a retractable top that the concept lacks.

Honda NSX S660

More importantly, it’s rumored that the S660 will be part of a three-car mid-engined lineup. The S660 will be for Japan’s domestic market, as its kei dimensions will likely render it non-compliant with safety standards in other countries. A rumored global FR-S fighter will hold down the center, and a top-shelf flagship will revive the NSX name. Speaking of which, the NSX concept looks absolutely stunning in shiro.

Honda Fit RS

For compact fun, Honda showed off a the newly-launched third-generation Fit RS. The 120hp, 6-speed pocket rocket harkens back to the original “Road Sailing” Civic RS, complete with bright orange paint job. Sadly, it’s not slated for the States.

Honda RC142

If our observations on the streets are any indication, two-wheeled transport is just a important as four-wheeled transport in Japan. You wouldn’t find this at US auto shows, but a huge part of Honda’s display was its motorcycles. Here’s a 1959 Honda RC142 ridden by Naomi Taguchi that helped Old Man Soichiro clinch the manufacturer’s championships at the Isle of Man TT.

418s_Honda RA272411s_Honda RA272

Just a few short years later, Honda decided to challenge the world’s best automakers as well and entered Formula 1. The #20 Honda RA271, an early attempt at the 1964 Monaco Grand Prix, retired due to a half-shaft failure, but by the end of that season Honda had come from nowhere to win the the season-capping Mexican GP.

Honda Cub 02

However, if you want a real dose of Japanese nostalgia, look no further than the 1960 Honda Super Cub. The four-stroke bike put Japan on wheels, and we absolutely adored the period color combo on this example. We would have stolen it right off the stands if it could fit in our suitcases.

IMG_1779_BusRama

Elsewhere in the massive convention center Japanese magazines hawked there wares. Here are the publishers of BusRama, entirely devoted the buses, along with some great municipal transport diecasts if that’s your thing.

Ken Okuyama KO7 blackKen Okuyama KO7 red

Booths were devoted to cars you’ve likely never heard of. The Ken Okuyama KO7 is a stripped down Lotus Elise R powered by a Toyota 2ZZ-GE motor. It’s about 250 pounds lighter than the Elise.

Ken Okuyama

Ken Okuyama himself was the first non-Italian head of Pininfarina. and the man responsible for stylings of the 612 Scaglietti and Enzo Ferraris, as well as the Quattroport and Birdcage 75th Maseratis. He’s also responsible for that insane alien tractor thingy behind him.

Toyota 86 Open Top

Toyota is Japan’s automotive juggernaut and their booth was huge (and that’s not even counting their Lexus, Hino and Daihatsu subsidiaries). The car probably of most interest to JNC readers is the FT-86 open top concept. Though rumors have said it’s already been nixed, we think it’s because the 86-based sedan is coming first.

Toyota FCV concept Tokyo Motor Show

And just because it’s the Tokyo Motor Show, penguins!

Toyota Corolla Fielder Jeans 01

Toyota also showed off its Corolla Fielder Jeans. We love the idea of a Toyota Corolla wagon, but not so sure about the denim wrapping.

Toyota Corolla Fielder Jeans 02Toyota Crown Jeans 03

It seems a bit difficult to wash, and there’s nothing more annoying than a pair of wet jeans, right?

Toyota Crown S120 pink 01

The Toyota Crown is still the king daddy of Japanese RWD sedans. They’re everywhere in Japan, and still going strong on its fourteenth generation. Their stately presence is a constant in upscale districts, but why hot pink?

Toyota Crown S120 pink 2

The S120 Crown kicked off Toyota’s new Japanese slogan, “Fun to Drive, Again” in 2011. The campaign featured reincarnated shoguns cruising around Tokyo in an S40 Crown, symbolizing a rebirth of what made the company once great. And in Japan pink is the color of sakura, whose fleeting existence symbolizes spring and rebirth each year.

Daihatsu Deca-Deca 01 Daihatsu Deca Deca

Across the way at Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu, the automaker showed a pair of funkadelic boxy concepts. The Deca Deca is a suicide-doored, pillarless kei car concept for those on the go. Kei cars are deceptively small, looking tiny on the outside but with huge cabins on the inside, and with the seats folded down this thing is basically as sparse as the training mat in a dojo.

Daihatsu Kopen 01Daihatsu Kopen 02

Daihatsu also displayed a couple of concepts called the Kopen. These are meant to evoke the cute Copen that was began sales in 2002. A kei convertible with a folding metal roof as quite the sophisticated bit of kit back then, and they have a huge cult following in Japan. The Kopen R-mz is meant to evoke the original.

Daihatsu Kopen 03

The Kopen X-mz, on the other hand, is meant to be a bit more imposing, but not so much so that any fun is lost. The whimsical switching of body panels means you can change the color of your car depending on your mood, and we seem to have caught it mid-transformation.

Daihatsu FC Deck 02Daihatsu FC Deck 03

One of our favorite concepts of the entire show was the Daihatsu FC凸Deck, which takes the whole Japanese futuristic minimalism thing to new heights. The techno-funky look is made possible by a fuel cell that lies flat along the bottom of the platform.

Daihatsu FC Deck 01

Though it’s just a design study, we hope with all our hearts its design makes it into production.

Lexus RC300h Tokyo Motor ShowLexus RC300h

Toyota’s luxe division unveiled the Lexus RC300h, a coupe based on the GS platform. It’s the first Lexus design that can be called truly beautiful in several years now, and many think it predicts an IS coupe. We think it’d make a better successor to the Lexus SC though.

Tomica Tokyo Motor Show 01

Tomica always has a presence at the Tokyo Motor Show. We could watch the little trains and cars circle this display for hours. Man, we wish were 6 years old again.

Tomica Tokyo Motor Show 02Tomica Tokyo Motor Show 03

Luckily for adults, there’s the Tomica Limited Vintage line, ultra detailed cars in 1:64 scale. These are new releases, painted in the style of Japanese news broadcast vehicles. Glorias, FJ55 Land Cruisers, and 510 Bluebirds are just some of the models.

IMG_1327_Tokyo Motor Show

Finally it was time to bid farewell to Big Sight. One more parting shot of the incredible architecture.

318s_Nissan-IDx-NISMO-model

That night we were invited to a little shindig at Creative Box, a small Nissan’s design studio in the fashion-forward Harajuku section of Tokyo. In an interesting turn of events, we met the Nissan stylist largely responsible for the IDx, who has been commenting on JNC under the username DesignerD. We’ll have more from our conversation with him soon. Stay tuned.

In case you missed it, here’s Part 01 our Tokyo Motor  Show coverage, as well as the big reveal from Nissan.

 

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20 Responses to EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02

  1. Tony says:

    I’ll take the Lexus RC300h with ISF powertrain badged up as a SUPRA! Funny how well those kept their value… Toyota would be well served to to bring that car back and start a rivalry with the Nissan Z cars!

  2. voytko240 says:

    I hate to say it, but did Toyota really copy AMC’s Levi’s Gremlin. http://www.visualnews.com/2011/05/17/levis-gremlin-with-seats-of-the-pants/

  3. Nigel says:

    We very much need a Fit RS.
    (Very much).

  4. I Love the styling of the FC凸Deck truck thing 🙂 Looks more like a futuristic take on a 1980’s high-end audio device than a vehicle, but i absolutely love it 🙂

  5. acbpanda says:

    That color changing Kopen, i don’t know… would i stop at the side of the road to change the color? or what if the police were chasing me? Hide somewhere and change the color?

  6. Dave says:

    Really love that new Kopen.

  7. Domenick says:

    You somehow didn’t publish a photo of Okuyama-san’s Kode9.

    Allow me. http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ken-okuyama-design-tokyo-2013/

  8. pete240Z says:

    Honda…….Please?

  9. Jun says:

    I’m a big fan of Ken Okuyama’s designs. I really like his new kode9 in particular. It was a great pleasure to have him as our chair at ArtCenter as well, a true legend with passion for design.

  10. jivecom says:

    Ken Okuyama is the business
    also, I am lightly ashamed to admit that I love a good Copen (fun to drive but the styling is just too much on the novelty-cute side). That’s why I’m wildly excited for this new one, because it looks ruddy brilliant and should hopefully still be fun to drive.

    On another note, I recently convinced one of the grounds workers at my university to let me drive one of their little non-road legal grounds vans, which are little debadged kei vans for getting around large complexes such as my campus. It was amazing good fun, I knew that things like the Copen and Beat were fun but I never expected a van that looks like a toy super carry to be so exciting. If I wasn’t already so invested in restoring my ’84 amerihilux I would definitely consider saving up to import a 25+ kei car or van. I would probably cut an old lady at church to get a Beat, and I’d steal the whole church and sell it to the Russians or something for an AZ-1

  11. Randy says:

    Would absolutely LOVE to see Honda bring out a new “S360” as a Miata-fighter.

    Original styling, obviously upsized for the export markets, with upated mechanicals, etc. – only what’s required, but otherwise right down to the wire wheels, at least as some kind of option – painted/powder coated, with the chrome as the up-option. Keep the chrome trunk hinges and other chrome trim, as well! MAYBE the one change would be to put the rear license plate in the rear panel, or into the rear bumper, but that’s IT.

    The trunk doesn’t have to be cut down to the bumper, and aerodynamics aren’t that big a deal with this kind of car.

    Keep the “chrome” bumpers on – about like the bumpers that retrousa has for American cars, with the real bumpers being the modern type.

    Check http://www.retrousa.net/ for what I’m talking about. It ain’t that difficult.

    It’s not meant to compete against any of the other stuff that’s grabbed so much attention. It would be a sports car; plain and simple, with the emphasis on simple.

  12. Jesse Risk says:

    this is why i love the TMS. the Australian motorshows are all wank-fests. im pumped for pretty much everything here.
    im also thinking a RC-based Toyota supra would be an excellent idea.
    just don’t make it to big/powerful or the price will go through the roof, much like with the hi-po lexus’ of recent years!

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