Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
2007 Nissan Round Box Concept
- Four-seat convertible roadster
- "Environmentally friendly" direct-injected turbo four-cylinder
- Uses Nissan's Xtronic CVT technology
- Rounded, boxlike shape (go figure)
- Three-section, removable roof panel that stores in trunk
- Small glass windows near rocker panels that provide a view of whizzing-by ground
Nissan says: "The car was inspired by the lively atmosphere of a sports bar. In a sports bar, everyone is focused on the game...and free of the tension felt by the players. A sports bar affords an affordable, stress-free space where friends can experience a sense of togetherness. Simultaneously, they can enjoy thrilling excitement like being on a roller coaster, yet without any risk involved. That is the sort of emotive world the Round Box is intended to provide."
We say: It may look like a Smart car sitting on a skateboard, but the Round Box represents an attempt to provide ecologically conscious, efficient, and safe transportation that actually has an element of fun about it. The idea of doing more with less - less weight, less power, less overall interior volume - in a unique and oddball fashion has long been a Tokyo show hallmark, and the Round Box is no different.
What separates it from the usual Tokyo field of never-gonna-build-it rolling gel balls and funky wheelomat funtime machines? Realism. The Round Box actually looks like something that might roll off a production line one day, and its fundamental ethos - that the sensation of speed and a shared experience is vital to behind-the-wheel enjoyment - is a valid one. We wouldn't be surprised if further iterations of the Round Box's basic idea populate future auto shows.
On the other hand, based on Nissan's statement, the Japanese company wants driving to be a safe, risk-free, perpetually insulated experience, one you may as well be watching on TV. Sounds like fun. Really. We mean it.
By Sam Smith
2007 Nissan NV200 Concept
- Cargo-van-meets-rolling-office
- Extendable rear pod enlarges rear work area at will
- Not a new concept; similar setups have been seen before on a number of recent concepts
- Unique execution: Pod can be removed from van to sit on extendable legs when parked
- With pod withdrawn, area left behind can be transformed into mobile office and IT dock
- Environmentally friendly clean-diesel engine
- Designed with help from (and specifically for) world-renowned marine biologist and underwater photographer Dr. Alex Mustard (Just don't call him "Mister.")
Nissan says: "A commercial vehicle has a specific job to perform, but that's no reason to design a purely rational vehicle with no warmth. In NV200, function becomes the aesthetic. NV200 is a highly efficient tool but one with a human touch. Nissan prides itself on designing its cars to fulfill the needs and requirements of its customers. For NV200, we have taken that guiding principle quite literally and created a vehicle for one specific customer."
We say: The NV200's press release is filled with comments from Dr. Mustard on how the vehicle would suit his needs, but if you're not a marine biologist-slash-underwater photographer, don't despair. The NV2000 actually has a fair number of innovative features and tiny touches (the removable pod is just the tip of the iceberg), things like hidden tent storage, movable stow boxes, and a matching docked laptop. Solar panels on the roof and a generator power the computer, a shower, a refrigerator, and other attached electrical knicknacks. In other words, regular people can actually make some use of it. Like the Round Box, the NV2000 isn't a unique concept -- from Airstream to Ford, almost everyone has done the lab-on-wheels idea before -- but it's well executed, and could work in a large variety of situations and environments.
By Sam Smith
2007 Nissan Intima Concept
- V-6 diesel engine
- Suicide doors that open almost 180 degrees, no B-pillar
- Windshield and glass roof formed from a single glass panel
- Floating, curved-wood console
Nissan says: "The inspiration came from imagining a situation where a person who has accumulated many life experiences and successes now wants to spend his or her own time, or time together as a couple, in an elegant environment."
We say: This sleek, four-seat sedan emphasizes interior design, but given that its exterior dimensions are within spitting distance of the current Maxima's (less than 2 inches longer overall and riding on the same, 111-inch, wheelbase), we wonder if the Intima also provides an early look at the styling of the next-generation Maxima. If so, we would advise Nissan not to drop the Maxima name; Intima sounds like a brand of condoms.
writer: Joe Lorio
2007 Mitsubishi i MiEV SPORT Concept
- Variant of the previous i Miev electric-car concept
- 2+2 seater
- Claimed 124-mile driving range
- In-wheel electric motors for the front wheels, one motor for the two rear wheels
- Batteries supplemented by a photovoltaic generator on the roof, regenerative brakes, and a power-generating fan inside the grille
Mitsubishi says: "The car brings a new closeness between people and cars; allowing them to become more a part of daily life."
We say: Tiny electric cars are a fixture of the Tokyo show. The i MiEV SPORT at least innovates with is supplemental power generators. We also like its slope-backed shape more than that of its plain-looking four-door predecessor.
writer: Joe Lorio
2007 Honda Puyo Concept
- Rounded shape is supposed to be pedestrian-friendly
- Body is made of a soft gel rather than sheetmetal
- Scissor doors, all-glass canopy
- Lights glow through the gel panels
- Joystick replaces steering wheel
- Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell
- Minuscule size, yet seats four
Honda says: "Puyo is a Japanese word that embodies the tactile traits of this unique car. Puyo is meant to convey all that is warm and friendly, and put a smile on the face of users and pedestrians."
We say: The tiny cube shape has been the all the rage at this show for a while (and more so this year than ever), but the Puyo still contains plenty of bizarre yet intriguing totally out-there thinking, which is exactly what we love about the Tokyo show.
writer: Joe Lorio
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
