Market Cars

Toyota Prius Custom Plus Concepts - 2010 Tokyo

If you couldn't find a modified Prius to your likings at the grounds of this year's edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan, chances are that you never will. We lost count of how many customized Prius' made their way to the Makuhari Messe exhibition center, but Toyota alone displayed three different concept versions of its popular hybrid model.

Making its debut alongside the Prius G Sports and TOM's Prius studies was the Prius Custom Plus Concept (CCP) prepared by Toyota's in-house customizing and accessories division.

The prototype model looks thoroughly worked over thanks to the wide body kit that further accentuates the Prius hybrid's wedgy shape.

Together with the new nose job that boasts massive Lamborghini-styled air-vents, the Prius CPC gets custom-made fenders, beefy side skirts, new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and side spoilers, and a large rear wing made out of carbon fiber.

Carbon fiber is also the material of choice for the new hood, roof, the cameras on the doors that replace the exterior mirrors and the rear panel on the trunk door.

The uniquely styled 18-inch alloy wheels that are shod on 215/40 R18 Goodyear tires sum up the exterior modifications.

The Fast and Furious / Racing theme is continued inside with the addition of gauges on top of the dashboard and just above the new steering wheel that's wrapped in Alcantara.

The same material is also used to trim the new Recaro bucket seats and most parts of the cabin.

Despite the go-fast looks, the only performance mods on the Prius CCP concerns the high-performance brake system and the sports suspension that lowers the car's ride height by 10mm up front and 15mm at the rear.

Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

Toyota MR2 Sports Hybrid concept packing 400-hp 3.3-liter V6

Back in November, the rumormill was set ablaze when reports began to surface that Toyota was working on a new MR2 packing hybrid power. Today, those rumors have been laid to rest... kinda.

In addition to the G Sport Series FT-86 and Prius, Toyota trotted out a concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon based on the third generation MR-S (ZZW30). Although the MR2 was nixed in the U.S. in 2005 (and in Japan in 2007), Toyota and its partners at Gazoo saw fit to resurrect its midship drop-top by fitting a 3.3-liter V6 where the old 1.8-liter four-cylinder used to reside and an electric motor mated to a THSII hybrid system up front. That's right, the MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept is all-wheel drive, and between the two mills, it's churning out over 400 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

But despite its boosted output, the 2,800-pound concept is a bit on the porky side compared to its 2,200-pound predecessor. Toyota claims it can run to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds – still better than the stock ZZW30, but at what a cost to the MR2's supreme chuckability? While there's no chance of Toyota putting the MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept into production, this could point the way for things to come – for better or worse. Make the jump for a promo video.

[Source: Gazzo via Carscoop]

Posted on Saturday, January 16, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

Toyota Prius G Sports Concept Ups the Aero Ante

Being one of the favorites at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon that opened Friday in Japan, Toyota couldn't but present a concept model of its latest generation Prius hybrid. Like the FT-86 G Sports Concept that also made its world premiere today at Japan's largest tuning show, the Prius G Sports Concept previews a new series of performance models based on series production cars called "G Sports" that will be sold through Toyota's dealers in Japan.

The G Sports package includes all kinds of cosmetic and performance goodies, but curiously enough, none that concern the gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain...

What it does get is a full body aero kit that adds a completely new nose, a different rear bumper that houses the twin tail pipes of the sport exhaust system, rear wheel covers (sic...), side skirts, carbon fiber mirrors and a rear wing.

The LED daytime running lights and the larger alloys shod in beefier wheels complete the exterior mods.

Inside, the Prius G Sports Concept gets a pair of body-hugging Recaro seats, a leather steering wheel accented by red stitching, aluminum pedals, new dashboard trim as well as 'G-Sports' branded gear lever and start button.

The performance upgrades include a new sport suspension that lowers the hybrid car's ride height by 30mm, underbody aero parts, a sport braking system and what Google translates as "reinforced body".

Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

2010 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Coupe Production Model Leaked Online

The official Japanese domestic market brochure for the 2010 Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe has surfaced online revealing the hybrid coupe in full production glory. The scanned photos show that in terms of exterior and interior design, little, if anything, has changed from the prototype version of the CR-Z which made its world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show in September.

Furthermore, we get the chance to see the hybrid-coupe fitted with several dealer options such as an aluminum trim exterior package, but most importantly, the leaflet provides us with engine specs, and preliminary performance and fuel economy figures.

The brochure confirms that the CR-Z's hybrid drivetrain will comprise of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol unit and an electric motor, with power being delivers to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

From what we gather (more accurate translations are welcome), the petrol engine delivers an output of 114ps (84kW or 113 HP) at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 145Nm (107 lb-ft) at 4,800 rpm, while the electric motor, 14ps (10kW or 13.4 HP) at 1,500 rpm and 78Nm (58 lb-ft) at 1,000 rpm.

The result is a not so sporty 0-100 km/h (62mph) sprint time of 9.7 seconds. The leaflet also makes word of a 25.0 km/lt (58.8mpg US or 4.0 lt/100km) and 22.5 km/lt (52.9 mpg US or 4.5 lt/100km) fuel consumption, but we don't know what the numbers refer to.

In comparison, the Honda Insight hybrid is equipped with 1.3-liter petrol engine and a 10HP electric motor producing a combined output of 98HP and 123 lb-ft, for a sprint time of 12.5 seconds and an combined fuel economy of 41mpg US (40mpg city, 43mpg highway).

The new CR-Z hybrid will go on sale in Japan in February of 2010, with Europe and North America following shortly after.

[Source: Minkara]

Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept: 356HP Diesel-Electric Hybrid

This is BMW's vision of the sports car of the future; a lightweight 2+2 coupe with plug-in hybrid drive technology that promises to offer 'M' car-level performance and driving dynamics with Toyota Prius-like fuel economy and emissions figures. Set to take center stage at the Bavarian automaker's stand at the 2009 Frankfurt Show in September, the Vision EfficientDynamcis showcases an array of technologies many of which are said to be planned for use on upcoming BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce models.

At the heart of the concept is a high-performance diesel-electric hybrid system that combines a small diesel engine with two electric motors and a newly-developed version of BMW's double-clutch transmission (DCT) with six speeds.

Mounted in front of the rear axle (behind the back seats), the 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo diesel engine that drives the rear wheels delivers an output of 163HP and 214 lb-ft of torque. The compact-sized electric motor that is positioned between the diesel engine and the DCT produces 33HP and 214 lb-ft but can supply momentarily up to 51HP.

The second electric motor is situated on the front axle offering continuous output of 80HP and peak torque of 162 lb-ft but it can produce 112HP for a period of up to 30 seconds, and, for a 10-second "burst," 139HP.

The overall system output is 356 horsepower and 800Nm or 590 lb-ft of peak torque. The arrangement of the two motors and diesel engine allows all-wheel drive when driving in all-electric mode.

BMW says that the Vision EfficientDynamics concept can accelerate to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.8 seconds and has an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h or 155mph. The Bavarian automaker claims that average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle is a mere 3.76 lt/100 km which is equal to 62.6 mpg US, and the CO2 emission rating are just 99 grams per kilometer - however, let's not forget that we're talking about a concept car...

The electric motors are powered by a lithium-polymer battery pack that collects energy either from regenerative braking or by plugging the car into the mains. When connected to a standard EU power outlet (220 V, 16 Amps), the system requires a maximum of 2 and-a-half hours to fully charge and 44 minutes if there's a source with higher voltage and amperage (380 V, 32 Amps).

The concept can run completely under electric power, with the turbodiesel engine alone, or a combination of both power sources. The diesel engine offers a range of around 650 km or 430 miles while in all-electric mode, the range is 50 km or 31 miles. The overall range is close to 700 km or 431 miles.

As a technological showcase, the Vision EfficientDynamics concept car features an array of innovations including a thermo-electric generator in the exhaust system that converts thermal energy contained in the exhaust emissions into electrical energy which is then used to power features such as the steering and air conditioning.

The chassis and suspension of the 2+2 coupe are made out of aluminum while the roof and the outer skin on the Gullwing-style doors are made almost completely of a special polycarbonate glass that automatically darkens as a function of the light shining on the car.

The overall weight of the coupe that measures 4.60m (181.1-in.) in length, 1.90m (74.8-in.) in width and 1.24m (48.8-in.) in height, is 1,395kg or 3,076 pounds. BMW says that the car can carry a maximum load of 445kg or 981 pounds and has a luggage capacity of 150 liters or 5.3 cu ft.

Created under BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk, the concept's shape was largely dictated by aerodynamics with the company claiming a drag coefficient of just 0.22. As for the interior, BMW says that the focus was likewise on both the "fascinating driving experience" and, in particular, "on transparent, hands-on technology and maximum reduction of weight."

Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

Honda Skydeck MPV with scissor doors

Honda’s new SKYDECK concept can seat 6 people in a three-row passenger configuration . Honda’s last 6-seater was the Honda Edix which has now been phased out, but that MPV had its 6 seats in a two row configuration, similiar to what Fiat did for their Multipla.

The styling cues are quite obviously inspired by the CR-Z, which leads me to believe this kind of look might become quite commonplace on future Hondas. The front doors have a scissor hinge like a Lamborghini while the rear door is of the rearward-sliding variety. The powertrain is of course a hybrid but no further details have been revealed.

More will probably be disclosed at the Tokyo show next month, so stay tuned, but for now you can look after the jump for hi-res images.