2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Part V

TCC's Auto Show Index by TCC Team (10/3/2005)
Our coverage of the world's major auto shows, year to year.

2005 Tokyo Motor Show Index by TCC Team (10/18/2005)

 

Audi S8

 

It’s the Audi with the Lamborghini engine — and if that sounds tantalizing, it is. The big S8 supersedan made its appearance in Tokyoas Audi celebrated strong sales in the island nation — numbers are up 17 percent this year, and the company expects it will break its record sales of more than 800,000 units worldwide this year. Coming next year to Europe and likely to the U.S. later in the year, the S8 sports a 450-hp version of the Gallardo’s V-10, here displacing 5.2 liters and outfitted with direct injection and mated to a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Audi estimates the S8 four-door will rocket to 60 mph in about 5.0 seconds and hit a governed top speed of 155 mph. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard, and ceramic brakes are available. On the standard list: 20-inch wheels, air suspension, steering-controlled adaptive lighting, and a choice of carbon-fiber or wood interior trim, as well as a DVD navigation system. A Bang & Olufsen audio system is optional on the S8, which will be priced in Europe from $115,000.

 

 

Audi Shooting Brake Concept

The unconventional Shooting Brake concept bowed on the Audi stand wearing winter-white paint and aspirations of becoming one of six new Audi models due in the next two years. An indication of the styling of the next TT, the Shooting Brake is a three-door hatchback with the deep new Audi grille and a smart interior design trimmed in aluminum. Under its hood, the Shooting Brake gets power from a 250-hp, 3.2-liter direct-injected V-6. Teamed up to a six-speed DSG gearbox and quattro all-wheel drive, the Shooting Brake could accelerate to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, Audi says. Ceramic brakes have the speed-scrubbing duty, hiding behind pretty 19-inch wheels. The Shooting Brake wears aluminum trim on the center stack, gauges, and dash. Its DVD navigation system has an innovative interface that allows drivers to write their destination on the screen with a stylus; the system recognizes the handwriting and uses it to program the route.

 

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VW EcoRacer

The surprise hit of this year’s Tokyo show undoubtedly was the VW EcoRacer, a petite sports coupe/convertible with removable roof panels, a speedster-style windshield and a two-seat cockpit. The EcoRacer sports a carbon-fiber body and a midship engine that allows it to acceleration to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and to a top speed of about 138 mph. The 1870-pound vehicle is powered by a 1.5-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder mated to a DSG gearbox. The EcoRacer’s body has T-top panels that tilt up when the doors are opened for easy access; the panels and the T-bar roof can be completely removed and the windshield can be swapped out for the speedster-style screen for the ultimate wind-and-bugs sensation of speed. The EcoRacer’s rear hatch can be removed as well — leaving the EcoRacer capable of convertible from coupe to roadster to speedster with a minimum of effort. Dramatic touches include 17-inch alloy wheels and LED lighting.