01 Dec 2011

Tokyo Motor Show: The weird and the wonderful

The Tokyo Motor Show is one of the most eagerly awaited in the calendar year, not least because it's the last major auto expo of the year.

More importantly, every major Asian manufacturer descends on the capital with a raft of madcap concepts, alongside the occasional European oddity.

This year's show is no different and some ridiculous concepts, design studies and curios have been revealed with the Japanese and Asian manufacturers leading the way.

European manufacturers have been distinctly boring in comparison with the biggest talking point being Volkswagen's Cross Coupe - the German manufacturer's take on the Range Rover Evoque.

That's why we're going to do away with the Europeans and focus on the offbeat offerings from the Orient.

Daihatsu

If you thought Daihatsu was dead then you were very much mistaken (though imports to the UK have ceased), the oldest Japanese manufacturer is alive and as mental as ever.

[caption id="attachment_5760" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Daihatsu ShoCase"][/caption]

The UK could hardly handle the boxy Materia, so who knows how discerning UK motorists would take to the latest concepts from the brand.

[caption id="attachment_5762" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Daihatsu Pico"][/caption]

As well as the ShoCase - a concept that, in side profile, looks as if a train carriage has been glued to the top of a car radio - Daihatsu has also revealed the Pico, which bears a remarkable likeness to the Citroen Lacoste concept from 2010; and the DX, a strange looking roadster that's been plastered in plastic.

[caption id="attachment_5764" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Daihatsu D-X"][/caption]

Honda

Honda has gone a little overboard at Tokyo, with no less than seven concepts and design studies on show.

At the serious end of the scale is the EV-STER, a two-seat electric roadster that's rumoured to hint at a future sports car from Honda.

It's stunning and mates a dynamic design with muscular scoops and inserts, to a brilliant white finish with oversized wheels.

[caption id="attachment_5766" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Honda EV-STER"][/caption]

The Japanese giant also showcased the AC-X plug-in hybrid which, as well as using a similar drivetrain to the Vauxhall Ampera, looks similar, too.

While the design is unlikely to stay the same, Honda has confirmed that it will release a plug-in hybrid across the globe towards the end of 2012, without confirming its arrival in Europe.

[caption id="attachment_5768" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Honda AC-X"][/caption]

Then Honda went and spoiled it all by making something stupid like the Motor Compo and the Townwalker.

There's a growing trend in the motor industry to build electric mobility concepts - Renault leads the way with its Twizy, on sale in Europe next year, while a number of manufacturers have also debuted similar models at recent motor shows.

At Tokyo, Honda has no less than four ridiculous mobility concepts, but the Compo - possibly influenced by the randy tramp from Last of the Summer Wine - is ridiculous and looks like an exercise bike.

[caption id="attachment_5769" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Honda Motor Compo"][/caption]

The Townwalker is also seemingly targeting the geriatrics and looks like a cross between a pram and a mobility scooter - if Honda threw a basket on the back and a couple of bags from Home Bargains, the look would be complete.

[caption id="attachment_5770" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Honda Townwalker"][/caption]

Suzuki

We mentioned the growing trend in electric mobility concepts and Suzuki has got in on the act with the Q.

It's an orange two seat electric city car with a tandem seating arrangement - a lot like the Twizy.

[caption id="attachment_5771" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Suzuki Q"][/caption]

Then there's the Regina - a bizarre, cartoonish car with a bizarre name, not that Eastern manufacturers are strangers to ridiculous car names.

It's full of mod cons and touchscreens but you can't really get away from its silky smooth exterior and headlights with built-in eyelashes.

[caption id="attachment_5772" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Suzuki Regina"][/caption]

Toyota

Nothing comes close to the Toyota Fun-Vii for madness. Standing for Vehicle Interactive and Internet, the Fun-Vii is the chameleon of the car world.

It's a wedge of an electric car that is supposed to blur the lines between a smartphone and a car, utilising touchscreen panels that frame the car.

These screens can be used to display whatever the driver wants via the internet and smartphone compatibility and the same goes for the inside, where messages and images can also be displayed.

Toyota has confirmed that the technology won't make it onto the production line any time soon, instead it was used as a way of highlighting what the manufacturer is capable of.

[caption id="attachment_5774" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Toyota Fun-Vii"][/caption]