Japan Mobility Show dominated by classic sports cars
It was back to the future at Japan’s biannual motor show, where some of the biggest brands showed off their wild sides.
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Japanese car makers have finally jumped on the electric vehicle bandwagon, showing off a range of plug-in concepts at the Japan Mobility Show.
But instead of the usual quirky hatchbacks or sensible SUVs, the show turned on an intoxicating display of red-hot sports car concepts.
Here are the stars of the show.
TOYOTA
Toyota kicked off the show with its striking FT-Se concept, a low slung sports car concept that moves its GR Sport brand into the electric era, ditching a high-performance turbo petrol engine for electric motors.
The sports car was joined on the stand by a more practical electric SUV concept dubbed the FT-3e and two modern takes on classic Toyota off-roaders.
The EPU electric dual-cab ute concept is a smaller, more bitumen friendly version of the top-selling HiLux. It ditches the rugged ladder frame that underpins the popular workhorse for car-like underpinnings.
The LandCruiser Se concept follows a similar path, but adds torque-heavy electric motors ideal for traversing tough terrain.
LEXUS
Toyota’s luxury offshoot joined the party with two electric concepts.
The first – dubbed LF-ZC – is a radical looking electric sports sedan that promises cutting edge aerodynamics and range twice that of current electric vehicles thanks to new batteries being developed by the auto giant.
The batteries – likely to use solid state technology – are lighter, smaller and more efficient and powerful than current examples.
Lexus has committed to bringing the car into production by 2026.
The second highlight was the ZF-ZL, a vision of the brand’s future flagship electric car that brings masses of interior space and futuristic features such as a yoke steering wheel.
MAZDA
Headlining Mazda’s stand was its stunning Iconic SP concept, a rotary-hybrid powered sports car that blends past and present, paying homage to the RX-7 and MX-5 sports cars.
It’s small and sleek, with curves in all the right places and a radiant red paint job that stands out from a crowd.
The Iconic SP uses rotary power as a generator to feed the electric motors that deliver 270kW of grunt to the rear wheels.
Mazda has kept the concept’s weight down to 1450kg and says it can run on carbon-neutral biofuels.
SUBARU
Not to be overshadowed, Subaru took the covers off its own electric sports coupe at the show.
The drearily named Subaru Sports Mobility Concept might sound like something you’d see cruising the grounds of a retirement home, but it looks fast and futuristic.
Bulging wheel arches are reminiscent of the rally-bred WRX, while a hexagonal wheel design and a long strip of LED lights across the bonnet give off a spaceship vibe. It could eventually morph into an electric version of the brand’s BRZ coupe.
NISSAN
Nissan has teased performance car fans with a look at its next-generation GT-R.
The “Hyper Force” concept ditches the twin-turbocharged V6 and dual-clutch automatic transmission of the now-departed “R35” generation GT-R and replaces them with electric motors fed by a solid-state battery linked. Nissan claims the set up will develop a staggering 1000kW.
It also appears to have a carbon fibre chassis and active aerodynamics.
The brand also showed off a quartet of kooky concepts including the edgy Hyper punk concept designed for influencers and content creators. It judges your mood and selects the right music to boost “the driver’s energy and creativity”.
HONDA
Honda is also getting in on the fun, bringing back the Prelude nameplate with its electric sports car concept.
There are no details on what lies beneath the eye-popping two-door coupe concept, but the brand promises it will deliver “enhanced driver engagement and performance”.
MITSUBISHI
The Mitsubishi D: X concept is the furthest thing from a sports car – a bonkers off-road plug-in hybrid people mover.
Mitsubishi says the concept combines the spaciousness of a people mover, the on-road comfort of an SUV, a plug-in hybrid drive experience and the ability to go anywhere.
It has no bonnet, which means the driver has excellent forward vision to spot tricky terrain off-road.
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