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

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Hyundai Neos-3

2005 Hyundai Neos-3 concept
The edgy Neos-3 could provide
a glimpse of what’s to come from
South Korea
’s Hyundai Motor Co. The stylish crossover
vehicle, sculpted to minimize wind resistance, features an array of high-tech
features, including radar-guided pre-crash sensors, an infrared viewing system
and adaptive headlights. The road-ready prototype is powered by a 4.6-liter,
32-valve V-8, mated to a six-speed automatic. Inside, the Neos boasts a variety
of infotainment systems, as well, including an 11-inch video monitor. Various
electronic systems are controlled through a series of buttons and a
computer-style trackball. According to Hyundai, each of the crossover’s three
rows has a different, tech-driven purpose. Up front, there’s a so-called
“excitement zone,” with a “comfort zone” in the middle. The fold-away third row
is the appropriately named “comfort zone,” though perhaps it could have been an
additional excitement zone.
Ford
Equator

2005 Ford Equator Concept
Struggling to connect with
consumers in
Japan and other
Asian markets, Ford brought a stylized version of its Escape sport-utility
vehicle to
Tokyo
. With its “large premium surfaces,”
oversized tires and massive grille, the Equator was influenced by regional
tastes and styled by Ford’s Japanese design studio, noted Paul Gibson, design
director for the Asia/Pacific region. Ford’s sales in the import-wary Japanese
market have risen about 10 percent over the last year, boasted Mark Schulz, the
automaker’s executive vice president of international operations. But that still
means sales of barely 500 vehicles a month, he acknowledged.
Mazda Senku

2005 Mazda Senku concept
Mazda has never been one to
shy away from unusual designs, as the four-seat RX-8 sports car attests to. But
it takes the rotary-powered sports car theme a great deal further into the space
age with its Senku concept vehicle. The show car, with a name that means
“pioneer” in Japanese, also features four seats, though getting into the rear
seat is even easier than with the RX-8, thanks to power sliding rear doors. The
rotary engine is mated to a hybrid system that serves as an electric
supercharger, as well as a way to boost mileage. Don’t be surprised to see a
toned-down version of this design serve as the model for a future production
vehicle, according to sources.
Bugatti Veyron

2005 Bugatti Veyron
After one of the longest
roll-outs anyone can recall, Volkswagen’s supercar brand had some good news to
tell at the Tokyo Motor Show. The 1001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron is actually in
production. The plan is to produce about one a week, or 50 a year, according to
Bugatti boss Georges Keller, though the factory “could get to 70 by adding a
second shift.” All told, the reborn brand promises to produce no more than 300
over the life of the 254-mph Veyron. At an even 1 million Euros per copy, it’s
anyone’s guess how many potential customers would actually be willing and able
to ante up.
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