Tag Archives: concepts
The 1983 Nissan NX-21 concept was dead wrong about 21st century cars
At the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show the star of Nissan’s booth was a prediction of what an 21st century sedan might look like. Its hopes were right there in the experimental saloon’s name, the Nissan NX-21. As we know now … Continue reading
1993 Nissan AP-X concept by Marcello Gandini was rumored to be a Z32 successor
At the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show Nissan debuted the AP-X, a sports car concept meant to blend driving pleasure and environmental responsibility. The futuristic coupe was penned by Marcello Gandini, he of Lamborghini Miura, Countach, and Lancia Stratos fame. There … Continue reading
Posted in concepts
Tagged concepts, fairlady z, Marcello Gandini, nissan, Nissan AP-X concept, nissan gallery yokohama, tokyo motor show, z32
8 Comments
Honda almost built a V8-powered NSX in the 1970s
Honda is unique among Japanese carmakers in that its first passenger vehicle was a sports car. The S500 roadster was released in October 1963, just months after the commercial T360, a small pickup that was their first four-wheeled offering. Sportiness … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged acura, concepts, fairlady z, honda, nissan, nsx, s2000, S500/S600/S800, z31
3 Comments
Daihatsu Vision Copen is gloriously retro and rear-wheel-drive
The original Daihatsu Copen was a decent enough kei car. By the time it was introduced in 2002, the Bubble Era craziness that spawned the Mazda AZ-1, Honda Beat, and Suzuki Cappuccino had faded. Those were legit kei sports cars … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Motor Show
Tagged concepts, copen, daihatsu, me:MO, Osanpo, Tokyo Motor Shoiw, Uniform
1 Comment
Will Nissan’s 80s retro-futuristic roadster be the first fun-to-drive EV?
The Nissan Max-Out concept doesn’t take any cues from previous Nissan models, but it’s aesthetic is decidedly retro. There’s a lot of 80s contour grid patterns and neon colors, and the entire presentation evokes an Out Run-type video game that … Continue reading
Two Nissan concepts have been crushed at a scrapyard
Once proudly displayed on auto show turntables with the eyes and cameras of global media trained on them, two Nissan concept cars have met their unceremonious ends in a Tennessee junkyard. Both were stars at Nissan’s booth at the North … Continue reading
The Toyota S-FR was almost certainly a Mazda Miata underneath
The Toyota S-FR concept debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2015 to much fanfare. The lightweight, rear-wheel-drive coupe had a manual transmission and was said to complete Toyota’s “three sports car brothers” trio below the 86 and Supra. Aichi … Continue reading
Mazda restores a 40-year-old concept that was the first MX car
It appears that Mazda is continuing its streak of restoring works from its 100-plus years of history. The latest car to be restored is the Mazda MX-81, a 40-year-old concept car that also happens to be the first Mazda to … Continue reading
DESIGN: A modern Honda roadster inspired by the Beat and RA272
Honda has come out with a new electric vehicle, a small, rear-wheel-drive electric hatchback called simply the Honda e. We have to admit the production version, while a good car, was a bit of a visual letdown after the fabulously … Continue reading
Posted in Design
Tagged beat, civic, concepts, David Beasley, honda, Honda e, IDx, nissan, ra272, Urban EV Concept
4 Comments
NEWS: Honda reveals production-ready RWD electric hatch
Honda will reveal a rear-wheel-drive electric hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Named the E Prototype, the car appears to be a very-close-to-production version of the first-generation Civic-inspired Urban EV Concept that was shown at the Frankfurt Motor … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged civic, Civic 1G, concepts, E Prototype, geneva motor show, honda, honda N, life
12 Comments
EARTH DAY: 1985 Nissan EV Guide Type II
The Nissan Leaf might be the best-selling electric car in the world, but Nissan has been experimenting with EVs since at least 1947. At the 1985 Tokyo Motor Show, they unveiled this Total Recall Johnny Cab-like contraption, called the EV Guide Type … Continue reading
EARTH DAY: The Mazda EX-005 was a rotary hybrid built in 1970
In celebratin of Earth Day, here’s a rotary-powered Japanese nostalgic hybrid. The Mazda EX-005 debuted at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show and was a bubble approximately the size of an office chair.
NEWS: Nissan 360, Part 02 – 80 Years of Cars
In December Nissan will turn 80 years old, and in light of that milestone this year’s multi-day Nissan 360 press event was all about heritage. Part 01 of our coverage spotlighted the company’s rich motorsports lineage, including some race cars never before seen on … Continue reading
Posted in News, nissan
Tagged 240z, 510, bluebird, concepts, csp311, datsun, Datsun Type 14, EXTREM, Fairlady 1200, fairlady z, Friend-ME, Hypermini, kei, moco, nissan, Nissan 360, Resonance, silvia, SPL213, tama
5 Comments
Cool JDM Concepts: 1970 Mazda RX-500
Back in the day (waaaay back in the day…) when concept cars weren’t about hokey technology to save the planet, motor show specials were a lot more fun. A case in point is the Mazda RX-500, which was unveiled at … Continue reading
