Concept Cars
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Honda’s Urban EV concept was one of the stars of September’s 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Honda has now followed up the concept with a similar sports car variant unveiled on Wednesday at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Called the Honda Sports EV, the sports car concept wears a striking silhouette and minimalist theme not unlike the Urban EV. The car also sports the same friendly face as its commuter cousin. Inspiration clearly comes from the Honda S600 of the 1960s. Unfortunately, Honda is short on additional details. Part of the reason is that Honda's electric car development is...
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Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept debuts in Tokyo, ushers in new strategy
Mitsubishi pulled the plug on the Lancer Evolution last year, but the automaker won't lay the iconic nameplate to rest permanently. On Wednesday, at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi gave us a look at a potential new direction for the Evo with the unveiling of an electric SUV concept called the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Subaru hints at next-gen WRX with Viziv Performance concept
Subaru in recent years has been hinting at spinning off the WRX into a standalone car, as opposed to it being a high-performance variant of the Impreza as is the case at present. Well, if the new WRX looks anything like the Viziv Performance concept unveiled on Wednesday at the 2017 Tokyo Motor...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan IMx is a self-driving electric SUV concept
Nissan is developing its next generation of cars around the three core tenets of connectivity, electrification and self-driving capability, which the automaker groups under the heading of Nissan Intelligent Mobility. These attributes, Nissan says, help strengthen the link between the car and its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mazda embraces minimalism with Vision Coupe concept
Mazda used this week’s 2017 Tokyo Motor Show to unveil two concepts previewing its upcoming technologies and design themes, though sadly neither of them is a rotary-powered sports cars as had been rumored at one point. One of the concepts is a striking sedan that Mazda is calling the Vision...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Next-gen Mazda 3 previewed with Kai technology concept
Mazda on Wednesday at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show unveiled a pair of concepts that preview upcoming technologies and design themes. One of these is in the form of a compact hatch and is essentially an early look at the next-generation Mazda 3. We’ve already driven a prototype for the next-gen...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota’s first volume fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai, is an econo sedan priced like a luxury one. Understandably, the car hasn’t proven a hit, with Toyota moving just 708 examples in the first half of 2017 in the United States. (Of course, it also doesn’t help that hydrogen fueling stations are non-existent in most parts.) Perhaps, though, Toyota could have had more success if it followed Tesla’s strategy of introducing new technology in high-end products brimming with coolness. Well, that could still happen if Toyota’s latest concept is any indication of the...
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Toyota tackles future mobility with Concept-i trio
Toyota at next week’s 2017 Tokyo Motor Show will preview a potential future for mobility with a trio of concepts. The automaker’s vision for the future is one where cars and people work together to make getting around as easy and efficient as possible. The medium that will allow this to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Daihatsu reveals cutesy DN Compagno concept car
North Americans may not even remember Daihatsu, but the brand is alive elsewhere in the world, despite a fairly extensive global retreat throughout the 2000s. Now a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota, Daihatsu has done what it does best: compact cars. The latest exercise in its core competency is...
Sean Szymkowski -
Peugeot reveals L750 R Hybrid racecar for "Gran Turismo Sport"
The "Gran Turismo" series transcended the digital world after creator Kazunori Yamauchi debuted the Vision Gran Turismo program. The initiative, originally announced in 2013 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the popular racing sim, challenged automakers to create their vision of the ultimate...
Sean Szymkowski -
2 premieres for Mazda at 2017 Tokyo Motor Show but no rotary sports car
Mazda will unveil two new concept cars at this month’s 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, but unfortunately neither of them will be a sports car. One of the concepts will preview Mazda’s next-generation design themes while the other will preview the automaker’s next-generation technologies...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo earns starring role in "Justice League" film
The Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept is ready for the big screen after the brand confirmed it will be featured in the upcoming film, "Justice League." The stunning concept car will star alongside Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash, and it will be joined by a handful of...
Sean Szymkowski -
Toyota tipped its hand ahead of the 2017 Tokyo motor show and revealed not one, but two concept vehicles it will debut in Japan. The first is the GR HV Sports Concept, which takes design inspiration from the automaker's TS050 LMP1 race car. The second is the TJ Cruiser Concept, which molds SUV styling and van functionality into one "lifestyle" vehicle. We'll start with the GR HV Sports Concept ("GR" stands for Toyota's Gazoo Racing banner) and its...interesting design direction. Toyota clearly worked to channel its LMP1 race car's design, though as they say, beauty rests in the eye of the...
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Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept heading to 2017 Tokyo Motor Show
When Nissan unveiled the redesigned 2018 Nissan Leaf in September, the automaker confirmed a sportier version to be dubbed the Leaf Nismo would be happening but gave no definite timetable as to when we'd see such a car. Nissan only said it would come “eventually.” Now we know Nissan...
Sean Szymkowski -
Passenger Drone the latest to unveil autonomous manned flying vehicle
America’s Passenger Drone is the latest startup to announce plans for an autonomous flying vehicle for personal use. Passenger Drone’s design is still in the prototype stage but the company has already demonstrated the vehicle’s flying abilities, made possible by 16 electric...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Great Wall launches luxury SUV brand Wey
Great Wall is China’s largest producer of SUVs and pickup trucks but the company has ambitions to be much more than that. Great Wall has openly admitted its desire to acquire Jeep in its attempts to become the world’s biggest producer of SUVs but at the same time the company wants to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
A Mitsubishi Evo concept is coming, and it's an electric SUV
After multiple generations, Mitsubishi put its rally-bred Lancer Evolution out to pasture last year. Execs at the Japanese firm have been hinting for several years about a radical successor that would utilize electrification, come in new body style, and finally shed all vestiges with the humble...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Could Nissan IMX trademark hint at IDx-like electric car?
Nissan has recently been discovered to have filed a trademark filing for the “IMX” name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The filing, discovered by Autoguide, was made on September 8 and specifies its use for vehicles, including electric vehicles. The similarity with...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Following a debut in mid-August during Monterey Car Week, BMW took the wraps off its Z4 concept this week at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car is hinting at the next generation of BMW's two-seater sports car. Specifically, it previews the new Z4 that BMW says is coming in the next 12 months. Crucially, the next-generation Z4 will share its platform with a reborn Toyota Supra. The Z4's look is all sports car. At first blush, a distinct wedge shape is apparent, with the classic proportions of a long hood, short rear deck, and short overhangs. The hood is shorter than the outgoing Z4 and...
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Independent designers reimagine the Porsche 908 for today
Porsche is a brand that translates into any language across all corners of the globe. Many people have grown up worshipping the German automaker for all that it's done in the twin worlds of sports cars and motorsport. One of the iconic racers from the past is the Porsche 908, though it it isn't as...
Jeff Glucker -
Volkswagen readying flagship electric sedan concept for 2018 Geneva Motor Show
The Volkswagen Phaeton never quite reached the potential VW likely felt it had, but the German automaker is preparing a flagship sedan comeback—and it's going to be completely electric. Volkswagen confirmed it will show an all-electric flagship sedan concept vehicle at the 2018 Geneva motor...
Sean Szymkowski -
Toyota interested in building performance-oriented hybrids
Toyota wants to redefine how a hybrid can be perceived—well, maybe how its hybrids can be perceived. The Japanese automaker announced it will introduce a performance-oriented line of hybrid vehicles in the near future, an area it's been a bit late in the game. The announcement coincided with...
Sean Szymkowski -
Renault Symbioz concept shows how home and car become one
Renault has used the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show to reveal what it believes transportation in the year 2030 might look like. Spoiler alert: the car isn't just a means of transportation, but an extension of the home. It's called the Renault Symbioz, and it's chock full of futuristic concepts and...
Sean Szymkowski -
Stunning Kia fastback concept previews next-gen Pro_cee’d compact
Kia on Tuesday revealed a stunning fastback called the Proceed concept. On show this week at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, we’re sad to report the concept doesn’t preview a new model line. Rather, it signals a new body style for one of the Korean brand’s existing models...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran