Motor Authority - blog Tag: Tokyo

For over 20 years Subaru's motorsports division STI (Subaru Tecnica International) has been churning out championship-winning rally cars and incredible road-going versions that have impressed scores of motor journalists and customers alike. Now, to commemorate its work with Subaru models, the STI division will be getting its own special museum in Tokyo with a number of exclusive STI models on show to keep fans salivating whenever they visit.

Named rather simply as the STI Gallery, the new museum will give visitors an insight into the history of Subaru's STI division, along with actual STI production models and racing vehicles that have... For over 20 years Subaru's motorsports division STI (Subaru Tecnica International) has been churning out championship-winning rally cars and incredible road-going versions that have impressed scores of motor journalists and customers alike. Now, to commemorate its work with Subaru models, the STI division will be getting its own special museum in Tokyo with a number of exclusive STI models on show to keep fans salivating whenever they visit. Named rather simply as the STI Gallery, the new museum will give visitors an insight into the history of Subaru's STI division, along with actual STI production models and racing vehicles that have appeared throughout the past 20 years. One of the highlights is the late Colin McRae's Subaru Legacy RS model that he drove to take out victory in the 8th round of the World Rally Championships in 1993. The actual museum is split up into three different areas, including the 'Car Exhibition' area where a number of STI production models and past racing models are held to show the division’s continuing work with Subaru. There is also an 'STI Concept' area, where enthusiasts will be able to view a number of exhibits including bits and pieces from STI racing cars and other related motorsport objects. There will also be an 'STI History' area where visitors can track the division’s progress throughout the years, from its inception to the present day. The new STI Gallery is located in the Mitaka district of Tokyo, at the same location where Subaru's parent company Fuji Heavy Industries runs its local office. Read More

Japanese tuning house Wald International has a wide range of styling and performance kits for nearly every major luxury car brand on the market, but this time the company has focused its attention on a humble Nissan, albeit one of the fastest Nissans ever produced. The car is the Nissan GT-R, a vehicle whose lines and shape were dictated almost exclusively by the drive for optimal aerodynamics. New photos reveal the car in more detail than ever before, highlighting Wald's precision work.

Improving on the original design would be a tough task for any tuner, and not surprisingly most of the aftermarket kits we’ve seen thus far, such as... Japanese tuning house Wald International has a wide range of styling and performance kits for nearly every major luxury car brand on the market, but this time the company has focused its attention on a humble Nissan, albeit one of the fastest Nissans ever produced. The car is the Nissan GT-R, a vehicle whose lines and shape were dictated almost exclusively by the drive for optimal aerodynamics. New photos reveal the car in more detail than ever before, highlighting Wald's precision work. Improving on the original design would be a tough task for any tuner, and not surprisingly most of the aftermarket kits we’ve seen thus far, such as the Zele and Arios, appear almost completely stock. Wald’s new Black Bison kit sets out to change all this by including a full bodykit, new wheels, and plenty of carbon-fiber accessories. Wald has given the GT-R a new look through a custom carbon-fiber front lip spoiler, a custom nose cover, a carbon-fiber engine cover, a new rear wing, and some low-drag duct covers also made out of lightweight composite. All of the accessories can be had in a choice of either wet or dry carbon fiber - wet being the glossy-look material most people are accustomed to, and dry carbon fiber being the dull grey material that wins races and goes into space. The price differential between the two is accordingly as huge as the appearance differential: including taxes, the full wet carbon kit is priced at ￥1,039,500 ($11,620), while the dry kit runs ￥2,362,500 ($26,410). Surprisingly, no power-adding modifications were revealed, though with the reported difficulty in tuning the GT-R's engine and the obvious benefits of an extensive carbon-fiber-replacement program, the Wald take on GT-R modification may be one of the most successful.Wald Nissan GT-R Read More

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) has decided not to cancel this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, despite most of the world’s automakers pulling out of the event. Skipping the show this year will be the Detroit 3, as well as automakers from Germany, France, Sweden, and China – basically any major automaker outside of Japan.

The situation has become so bad that it’s estimated this year’s show will only see half the number of exhibitors as the last event back in 2007. This year's show also will be four days shorter and have about half the floor space, JAMA has confirmed.

"Companies are reacting to... The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) has decided not to cancel this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, despite most of the world’s automakers pulling out of the event. Skipping the show this year will be the Detroit 3, as well as automakers from Germany, France, Sweden, and China – basically any major automaker outside of Japan. The situation has become so bad that it’s estimated this year’s show will only see half the number of exhibitors as the last event back in 2007. This year's show also will be four days shorter and have about half the floor space, JAMA has confirmed. "Companies are reacting to the current economic environment," JAMA Chairman Satoshi Aoki told a news conference today. "This is a once-in-a-hundred-years crisis." Joining the Detroit 3 in the exodus are Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Renault, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. Staying on will be Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, Maserati and Hyundai, reports Automotive News. It can cost millions of dollars to exhibit, and even some Japanese companies have requested that the show be canceled. Just today, reports have emerged claiming Japan’s new car sales are reaching 32 year lows. Despite its importance, January’s Detroit Auto Show also saw a number of major carmakers pull out, including the likes of Nissan, Suzuki, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Mitsubishi, and Land Rover, and it appears that the same has happened to the Tokyo event. Furthermore, with last week’s announcement that the 2010 British Motor Show has been canceled, the outlook for some of the smaller international motor shows isn’t looking very bright. Read More

With the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon now good and over, we now have all the details about the latest modifications prepared for Nissan’s popular GT-R like this latest kit from Shadow Sports Design. Decked out in red, the custom GT-R features a number of aerodynamic modifications designed to improve downforce and handling.

At the front, the car features a new carbon-fiber front spoiler with integrated ducts to help cool the brakes. There is also a large carbon-fiber rear wing for added downforce on the rear axle, although the Nissan GT-R's already impressive aerodynamic ability will be hard to better.

Additionally, Shadow Sports Design has... With the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon now good and over, we now have all the details about the latest modifications prepared for Nissan’s popular GT-R like this latest kit from Shadow Sports Design. Decked out in red, the custom GT-R features a number of aerodynamic modifications designed to improve downforce and handling. At the front, the car features a new carbon-fiber front spoiler with integrated ducts to help cool the brakes. There is also a large carbon-fiber rear wing for added downforce on the rear axle, although the Nissan GT-R's already impressive aerodynamic ability will be hard to better. Additionally, Shadow Sports Design has developed a set of custom forged magnesium GT-R wheels in collaboration with renowned aftermarket wheels company Enkei. The front wheels weigh just 9.85kg, while the larger rear wheels come in at an ultra light 10.6kg - a total weight saving of around 3.65kg compared to the standard GT-R. This latest tuned GT-R joins other Japanese-tuned variants of the GT-R, such as those from Zele and Branew. While those cars featured both aerodynamic and performance modifications, for now it seems that Shadow Sports' GT-R will not be getting performance modifications except for custom the titanium exhaust kit.Zele carbon kit for the Nissan GT-RBranew GT-R appearance kitShadow Sports Design custom Nissan GT-R Read More

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) is still deciding whether or not to cancel this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, currently scheduled for October, but with a string of carmakers confirming their non-attendance the show’s current status is looking grim. America’s Detroit 3 carmakers have already announced plans to forgo the event and now Volvo has done the same.

"We have evaluated our participation at motor shows for 2009 to see how we can make the most out of our resources, and this year we decided not to participate at Tokyo," Volvo spokeswoman Maria Bohlin told Automotive News.

The final decision on... The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) is still deciding whether or not to cancel this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, currently scheduled for October, but with a string of carmakers confirming their non-attendance the show’s current status is looking grim. America’s Detroit 3 carmakers have already announced plans to forgo the event and now Volvo has done the same. "We have evaluated our participation at motor shows for 2009 to see how we can make the most out of our resources, and this year we decided not to participate at Tokyo," Volvo spokeswoman Maria Bohlin told Automotive News. The final decision on whether or not to postpone the show will be made early next month, JAMA's executive director and secretary general, Toshihiro Iwatake, confirmed. He also revealed that if the show was canceled, it wouldn’t run again until 2011 due to scheduling agreements with other major auto shows. So far all of the major German carmakers and all of the Japanese members of JAMA have registered for the show. Read More