Top 5 Reveals From the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show

  Get the Flash Player to see this player. Press days at the biennial Tokyo Motor Show have just wrapped up. Per usual, there were plenty of significant reveals and here are our top five. 5. Daihatsu DN Compagno And we start at the Daihatsu booth, where this historically important Japanese brand unveiled several eye-catching concepts, but far and away the most interesting one is this cheerful little four-door coupe, the DN Compagno. A modern spin on a classic nameplate, its design is both elegant and arresting. Seating up to four people, it’s powered by either a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine or a larger 1,200-cc unit. 4. Mazda Kai Concept Flexing its design muscle, Mazda took the wrapper off two dream cars here in Tokyo. This one is its Kai concept. And talk about elegant! It’s a stunner from every angle. If you were curious what a future version of the Mazda3 hatchback might look like, take a good, long gander at this bright-red beauty. Power is provided by a Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engine that promises major efficiency improvements. SEE ALSO: 2017 Tokyo Motor Show Coverage 3. Honda Sports EV An encore to its dynamite reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month, Honda trotted out another retro-inspired concept here in Japan’s capital city. And I mean, c’mon, how could we NOT include this, the Sports EV? Built on a dedicated electric-vehicle architecture, this car’s minimalistic style is oh-so-sophisticated. It was love at first sight! 2. Mazda Vision Coupe Concept Not to be outdone by some small hatchback, the second design study unveiled by Mazda is even more dramatic and beautiful. The brand’s Vision Coupe concept is a stunning four-door with perfect proportions. I mean, just look at that sculptural body, which almost seems like it was carved by flowing water. The various surfaces are designed to create visual drama through the interplay of light and shadow. 1. Toyota Century Finally, we come to our favorite car revealed at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. It’s the retro-styled, third-generation Toyota Century! Wait, you don’t like this selection? WELL TOO BAD, IT’S OUR LIST AND I’LL DO WHAT WE WANT! This stately four-door is kind of like a Japanese Rolls-Royce, with imposing dimensions, a cushy interior and plenty of heritage behind its name. Even the nation’s emperor gets shuttled around in a version of this car. Power is provided by a 5.0-liter gasoline V8 engine that’s augmented by some hybrid components for enhanced fuel efficiency. But perhaps most importantly, it even comes with curtains! The Tokyo Motor Show isn’t your typical auto show. Car companies often reveal unusual mobility products here, but as you can seen, there are also plenty of more conventional vehicles on display, both concepts and production models. The post Top 5 Reveals From the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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2019 Geneva Motor Show: Pagani Zonda C12 Chassis no.001

This year, Pagani is celebrating 20 years of the Zonda, the brand’s first supercar. To mark this occasion, the Italian marque has unveiled the Zonda C12 chassis no. 001 at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The Pagani Zonda debuted at Geneva in 1999. The car is known for its timeless design, something that’s revered even […] The post 2019 Geneva Motor Show: Pagani Zonda C12 Chassis no.001 appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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Gallery: Neat Cars from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show We Can’t Have

[See image gallery at www.autoguide.com] Car culture in Japan is really special and the market is so unique because they get all sorts of cool stuff we can’t buy in North America. Here are a bunch of cool cars we saw at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show that we can’t buy on our shores. From little kei cars to boxy minivans and even just special edition models of cars we can get here, there’s a lot to be jealous of. Which ones would you like to bring over? Let us know in the comments below. 2017 Tokyo Motor Show Full Coverage The post Gallery: Neat Cars from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show We Can’t Have appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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2019 Geneva Motor Show: Bugatti Atlantic Reaches Palexpo

Bugatti is all set to reveal a modern Type 57SC Atlantic at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The car arrived at the Palexpo convention center today and it didn’t go unsnapped by Instagram user Sellerie Cimes. The car was well protected with covers but a number of bits about the car’s design can still be […] The post 2019 Geneva Motor Show: Bugatti Atlantic Reaches Palexpo appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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Delays on Tesla’s Driverless Technologies Spark Controversy

In January, Tesla announced that all Model S and Model X vehicles would be sold with eight cameras, a radar system, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a high-power computer, allowing them to drive autonomously. That same month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was asked on Twitter how long it would be before the Full Self Driving feature enabled by the myriad of sensors and cameras would be noticeably improved upon over its partially self-driving Enhanced Autopilot. Musk replied, “3 months maybe, 6 months definitely.” It’s now been nine months, and those owners who paid for the Full Self Driving feature are still very much driving themselves. In April, a group of Model S and Model X owners filed a class action lawsuit against the automaker claiming its Enhanced Autopilot system was “essentially unusable and demonstrably dangerous.” Those owners also claim they were misled as Tesla promised over-the-air updates to Autopilot that would improve its capabilities. Updates came frequently in the beginning of the year, but it’s now been five months since there was an update to the system. Not only is Tesla’s Full Self Driving feature not yet active, its much less advanced Enhanced Autopilot doesn’t perform as well as the previous version of the system. SEE ALSO: Tesla Autopilot is Far From Perfect: The Skinny with Craig Cole Tesla’s split with Mobileye about a year ago is likely part of the reason for its self-driving woes. Mobileye was its partner on the original Autopilot system (the one the suit claims worked better than Enhanced Autopilot), but the two companies parted ways after Mobileye expressed “safety concerns regarding the use of Autopilot hands-free.” Mobileye felt Tesla was misleading customers as to Autopilot ‘s functionalities, which requires the driver keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. “Long term this is going to hurt the interests of the company and hurt the interests of an entire industry, if a company of our reputation will continue to be associated with this type of pushing the envelope in terms of safety,” Mobileye’s chairman, Amnon Shashua, said at the time. [Source: The Detroit News] The post Delays on Tesla’s Driverless Technologies Spark Controversy appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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2019 Geneva Motor Show: Koenigsegg Ragnarok Arrives

When the press days of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show kick off tomorrow, we’ll get to see a number of new hypercars for the first time. Meanwhile, the Koenigsegg Ragnarok has arrived at the Palexpo. As such we get to witness more sooner than we are supposed to. Koenigsegg’s next hypercar and Agera successor Ragnarok […] The post 2019 Geneva Motor Show: Koenigsegg Ragnarok Arrives appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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Majority of drivers believe motorway traffic is getting worse

Hugo Griffiths 2017-11-01 12:43 Survey finds 61 per cent consider UK’s motorway network is worse than it was last year; responses tally with official statistics Drivers believe Britain’s motorway network is more congested now than it was a year ago, according to a new survey. Over 1,700 people responded to the poll, and of these, 61 per cent felt motorway traffic is worse now than it was at the same stage in 2016. Those results are in line with official statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT), who reported that 323.7 billion miles were driven on UK roads last year, up 2.2 per cent on 2015 figures. • Traffic jams costing UK economy £9bn annually According to the poll, carried out by the RAC, drivers have a clear idea of what should be done in order to tackle motorway traffic. Almost half (48 per cent) want tougher rules introduced to tackle lorries overtaking each other, while 47 per cent said they felt roadworks were a major cause of congestion. 45 per cent cited drivers hogging the middle lane as another cause behind congestion. Away from the UK’s 2,300-mile motorway network, 58 per cent of respondents to the survey felt high-speed dual-carriageways and urban A roads had become more congested over the last 12 months. 55 per cent said traffic on urban B roads and other urban roads had also got worse. Blame for congestion in our towns and cities was laid at the feet of bus lanes by 29 per cent of those responding to the survey, with 16 per cent feeling cycle lanes made traffic worse. Of those who felt cycle lanes were to blame for poor urban traffic, the majority (54 per cent) said cyclists should be forced to use cycle lanes in areas where these were available. David Bizley, the RAC’s chief engineer, said Highways England should be doing more to speed up strategic road improvements, which have recently been hit by delays. "With unwelcome evidence of increased congestion, it is essential that the schemes to increase capacity of the strategic road network which form part of the first Road Investment Strategy are delivered to plan. "The recent news from Highways England that some projects have been delayed is therefore very unwelcome." A Highways England spokesperson responded by saying: "Rescheduling some of our work was a sensible and responsible way to deliver major national investment in road infrastructure [and] we will continue to deliver schemes that make a positive impact on people's lives, the economy and the country as a whole." A Department for Transport representative echoed Highways England’s position, highlighting: "This Government is investing a record £23 billion in our roads to improve journeys for motorists - the biggest investment in a generation. "We are also giving councils record amounts of capital funding - more than £7.1 billion up to 2021." Is congestion getting worse in your area? Tell us about it in the comments area below...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/101572/majority-of-drivers-believe-motorway-traffic-is-getting-worse

Mazda Rotary Sports Car Won’t Arrive Until Sometime After 2020

Mazda has said it won’t bring a rotary sports car like the RX Vision to market anytime soon, as it doesn’t have the proper resources to do so.  Mazda’s head of research and development, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, told media at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show this week that it cannot bring a production rotary sportscar to market in time for its centenary anniversary in 2020. The arrival of the RX-7 successor may hinge on the success of its new Skyactiv-X  compression-ignition gasoline engine. If the innovative four-cylinder mill can make Mazda some money, it will move onward to its rotary RX Vision project. “If we achieve success [with Skyactiv-X] probably we can have money enough to invest in the next challenge, then we can judge to go ahead,” Fujiwara told Motoring. “It’s going to be too late to make the RX-Vision for the centennial.” SEE ALSO: It’s Official – Mazda is Working on a New Rotary Engine The automaker is currently working on both a rotary engine that can be used a hybrid range extender, and one that can power a sportscar on its own. The automaker confirmed the EV with the rotary range-extender will arrive by 2019 or 2020, but didn’t provide an estimated arrival for the sports car. The good news is that Mazda is working on both a hybrid version and a version that would be rotary only. The hybrid vehicle would be tailored to cities and markets where combustion engines are banned, allowing it get around on electricity alone if needed. “Most of the rotary engine fans are still waiting for a sports car with the rotary engine, therefore we are still developing the rotary engine as a sports car. No range extender, no e-power,” Fujiwara said. “However some cities will ban combustion, therefore we need some additional portion of electrification because the driver can’t use this rotary sports car.” “We would have two versions — it will be easy.” [Source: Motoring] Discuss this story on our Mazda forum. The post Mazda Rotary Sports Car Won’t Arrive Until Sometime After 2020 appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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VIDEO: 700 km Road Trip through the Pyrenees

Christophe Girod has sent us this awesome video of him and his mates driving through the Pyrenees in four sports cars. The Pyrenees straddle the border between northern Spain and France. Nestled among these mountains are some of Europe’s finest driving roads and high mountain passes that offer breathtaking views of the surrounding areas. The […] The post VIDEO: 700 km Road Trip through the Pyrenees appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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Land Rover Discovery Sport and Evoque Get New Engines

The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque models benefit from two new engines. Serving as two of the British automaker’s best-selling vehicles, the Discovery Sport and Evoque both receive the all-new Jaguar Land Rover 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines. The new engines replace the previous GTDi gasoline engine and are available in two power grades. The entry-level engine features 237 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, while a 286-hp option is available with 295 lb-ft of torque, which is the most powerful engine ever offered on either model. On the Evoque five-door model, the 286-hp engine is available on the HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trim levels, starting from $58,295 including destination. Pricing for the standard Evoque starts at $42,795. Buyers who choose the higher-powered engine also receive the Dynamic exterior pack with enlarged front and rear bumpers, Gloss Black finishes for the grille, vents, and 20-inch five split-spoke alloy wheels. SEE ALSO: Land Rover’s Flagship SUV Gets a Refresh The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport lineup is a bit different, with the standard SE model priced from $38,790. That model comes with the 237-hp engine, but buyers don’t have to step up to a much higher trim to opt for the 286-hp engine, which is available on the HSE model. The HSE with the 237-hp engine starts from $43,390 while the more powerful engine will cost $7,000 additional. At the top of the range is the HSE Luxury model, priced from $46,795. The 286-hp engine option is $6,100 extra on the HSE Luxury. The British automaker has also announced fuel economy figures, with the 237-hp Discovery Sport returning 21 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway for a 22-mpg combined rating. The more powerful 286-hp Discovery Sport gets a 20-mpg city rating and 25-mpg highway rating for a 22-mpg combined figure. The Evoque returns 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway for a 25-mpg combined rating with the less powerful of the two engines. Opting for more performance returns 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with a 24-mpg combined rating. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible, which starts at $53,095 is only available with the 237-hp engine and returns 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. Discuss this story on our Range Rover Evoque Forum The post Land Rover Discovery Sport and Evoque Get New Engines appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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Aston Martin Valkyrie’s Powertrain Details & Engine Specs Out

With Valkyrie’s first prototypes beginning to take shape, Aston Martin has finally decided to release the specs of its F1 inspired hybrid powertrain. The Valkyrie boasts a maximum output of 1,176 hp and peak torque of 664 lb-ft. The heart of the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s powertrain is a Cosworth built naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12. According to […] The post Aston Martin Valkyrie’s Powertrain Details & Engine Specs Out appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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'Today’s buyers really like innovation and difference'

Steve Fowler 2017-11-01 11:15 Editor-in-chief Steve Fowler looks back at the exciting 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, and talks of the importance of concept cars The Tokyo Motor Show really is unlike any other – as our team out in Japan revealed. The home car makers really go to town with wild and wacky concepts that promise so much, but in the past have tended to deliver so little. However, I’m hopeful that could be about to change as there seems to be a new wind blowing through the Japanese car industry. At long last, they seem to have woken up to the fact that today’s buyers really like innovation and difference. • Best cars of Tokyo Motor Show Toyota is one step ahead on that, with cars like the innovative C-HR SUV on sale and providing a refreshing (and popular) point of difference in a crowded sector. There’s more to come from Toyota including sports cars under its Gazoo sub-brand. Honda followed up its brilliant all-electric Urban EV concept from Frankfurt with a similarly stunning Sports EV concept (above) in Tokyo – in our view, two cars that Honda simply has to build.  Similarly, we saw concepts from Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Lexus, Subaru and Suzuki that could all help to boost their maker’s fortunes if – and it’s often a very big if – they can get anywhere near production. One company that has a very clear idea of what its concepts can do for the bottom line is Jeep. It’s also probably the most prolific company when it comes to producing concept cars – giving clues to exciting new models or tempting owners to spend more cash modifying their cars. I was invited to Jeep HQ in the US to meet the team behind the latest concept cars – and to drive them! FCA group design boss Ralph Gilles has a clear view on the role of concepts to his business. He describes them as ‘endlessly valuable’ – we’d echo that. The concept car plays an important part in the car business and we love ’em. Which was your favourite car from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show? Let us know in the comments below...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/tokyo-motor-show/101571/today-s-buyers-really-like-innovation-and-difference

RTR Shows Off its Version of the 2018 Ford Mustang

[See image gallery at www.autoguide.com] Professional drifter and Ford Mustang enthusiast Vaughn Gittin Jr. will present the 2018 RTR Mustang at the 2017 SEMA Show. Although details on the 2018 RTR Ford Mustang won’t be announced until next week in Las Vegas, it will be available in three different stages like the current model. It is expected the Spec 3 model will have over 700 horsepower, an improvement over the current offering of 670 hp. What we can tell however from the photos is the 2018 RTR Ford Mustang will retain the illuminated nostrils up front that can also be seen on the last RTR Mustang. Each sports car will also come with graphics and aero package, along with a signed plaque on the dash. SEE ALSO: Roush has Begun Working its Magic on the 2018 Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang won’t be the only car getting the RTR treatment in time for this year’s SEMA Show. The company is also bringing the RTR Muscle Truck to Vegas, based on the Ford F-150. Discuss this story on our Ford Mustang Forum The post RTR Shows Off its Version of the 2018 Ford Mustang appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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Badass Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Promo Video Compares it to a Fighter Jet

The latest promo video from the Italians compares the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ to an F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. That doesn’t sound bonkers at all. The F-35 Lightning fighter jet is among the most modern fighter aircraft on the planet right now. The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, on the other hand, is the best hardcore Lambos […] The post Badass Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Promo Video Compares it to a Fighter Jet appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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New Trailer Has us Totally Stoked for Gymkhana 10, Bro

The tenth iteration in Ken Block’s long-running Gymkhana series has been previewed with a new trailer. If this trailer doesn’t get you excited for Gymkhana 10, then nothing will. It features Rob Dyrdek hyping up Block’s talents, quick jump cuts of fire shooting from the various Ford vehicle’s exhausts and lots and lots of tire smoke. The team behind the viral film claims its the most extreme and best Gymkhana video yet and after seeing this trailer, we’re inclined to believe them. SEE ALSO: Ken Block is Teasing an Off-Road Gymkhana-Style Video Gymkhana 10 will feature five vehicles and five different locations. We already know Ken Block’s 1,400 hp Hoonicorn V2 will be used, along with his most recent acquisition – a heavily modified Ford Escort Cosworth rally car, but the remaining three are a mystery. One of the filming locations is, rather excitingly, Detroit – but the remaining four have also yet to be revealed. Check out the trailer embedded above and get hyped for Gymkhana 10. Don’t get too hyped, though – it won’t debut until late 2018. Discuss this story on our Ford Mustang forum.  The post New Trailer Has us Totally Stoked for Gymkhana 10, Bro appeared first on AutoGuide.com News.

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Pininfarina Will Showcase Three Examples of the Battista at Geneva

Design firm turned automaker Pininfarina is set to unveil its first model – the Battista electric hypercar at the Geneva Motor Show next week. But, we won’t just be seeing a single example of the hypercar at the Palexpo but three different variations of it. Each variation is intended to bring out different aspects of […] The post Pininfarina Will Showcase Three Examples of the Battista at Geneva appeared first on The Supercar Blog.

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Auto Express Issue 1,497

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