2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Part II

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Hyundai Neos-3

 

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

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

 

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

 

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.