2009 Tokyo Motor Show Downsizes, Cuts Days -Only 14 Automakers Confirmed

Organizing a car show in these difficult economic times for automakers and consumers alike is proving to be a very difficult task. And whilst the 41st Tokyo Motor Show which is to be held this fall is proceeding as planned, the show's organizers have been forced to make a bevy of changes due to limited participation from automakers and general exhibitors. As of March 24, 2009, only a mere 14 carmakers have confirmed participation.

These include: Alpina, Daihatsu, Porsche, Ferrari, Subaru, Lotus, Honda, Hyundai, Maserati, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota.

Up until now, the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show has attracted the interest of only 122 companies from 8 countries whereas the previous show that was held in 2007 (the Tokyo motorshow in bi-annual) saw a total of 246 exhibitors from 11 countries.

Due to the weakened interest, the overall exhibition space will be about half the size of the previous show at 22,877 sqm (vs 44,587 sqm in 2007). The organizers also decided to shorten the show by four days and as such, the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show will be held for a period of 13 days (instead of 17) from October 23 to November 4, 2009 (public viewing begins on October 24).

Other measures include the cancelation of the large commercial vehicle exhibits and a change in the free admission policy that now includes junior high school children as well as elementary school children.

Subaru Exiga Concept Video

Unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Show a couple of weeks ago, the Exiga is a mid-size, station-wagon-like concept that’s powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer engine mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission (see images here). Hard to say whether the Exiga concept previews the future Legacy Station Wagon or the next-generation Forester.

Honda CR-Z Hybrid Concept From The Tokyo Show

In our opinion, the Honda CR-Z concept (click here) was one of the most important cars that made their debut at the 2007 Tokyo Show last month. The reason is that, not only is the CR-Z Coupe heading for production, but it will also be equipped with a hybrid powertrain. You may not completely agree with Honda’s styling choices, but to us, a mainstream compact coupe with a hybrid powertrain sounds like a recipe made for success.

Tokyo Show: Scion xB - Toyota Corolla Rumion Concept

Kanto Auto Works presented a drop-top version of the JDM Scion xB (sold as the Toyota Corolla Rumion in Japan) at the Tokyo Show. Dubbed as the “Rumion XO”, the rebadged Scion xB features among other things an electric powered sliding canvas top that covers the whole length of the roof including the rear window (like the Citroen C3 Pluriel but without the removable arches). The sliding canvas top is then stowed away completely behind the rear seat. -More images after the jump

2007 Tokyo Show: Ford Escape Adventure Concept

Finally, we managed to find the worldwide premiere that Ford promised us for the 2007 Tokyo Show. Back in September when we tried to shed some light on the Tokyo show premieres (click here) we believed that Ford would most probably unveil the Asian version of the Verve concept. Instead the American carmaker chose to show off a concept version of the Escape SUV (Maverick in Europe and other markets).

According to Ford, the Escape Adventure Concept features several 'teasing' changes to draw attention to future possibilities, hinting at styling opportunities that can be quickly introduced to market either as production changes or as accessories. These include a revised front incorporating a three-bar grille with silver-accented air intakes and larger headlights. In the rear-end, the Escape concept gets restyled horizontal (instead of vertical) LED tail lamps and a diffuser. The prototype is also equipped with 18x7-inch alloy wheels with 235/60R18 tires. -Continued after the jump

"Our goal from the start was to accentuate the Escape's on-road presence with styling changes that would enhance its appeal as a crossover SUV. To achieve this, we focused mainly on the grille and head light areas," said Paul Gibson, Chief Designer, Asia Pacific and Africa who was responsible for the exterior facelift for MY06 Escape.

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi – From Concept To Production

In the automotive industry, the design process is one of the most elaborate and expensive stages in a car’s development process as it requires several prototyping cycles -with each cycle calling for different design propositions. And just because the STi isn’t a new car -in the sense that it was based on the existing WRX Impreza, don’t think that it didn’t go through various design phases.

We’ve included a series of images showing the 2008 STi’s development stages from rough sketches to clay models and onto the final prototypes. Check them all out right after the jump and tell us your opinion. Who knows, maybe you’ll like one of the prototypes more than the actual production version which you can see by clicking here. -Continued

Primary sketch

Image Rendering FQ/SD

SI-DRIVE Early Idea / Console Sketch / Steering Image

Early Craymodel / Early Front Design

Midterm Sketch Ft / Midterm Sketch RQ

Interior Image Sketch / Interior Prototype 1 / Image Prototype 2

Steering / Center Panel / Meter & Seat Prototypes

Final Craymodels

Prototype Car Silver

Prototype Car Blue

BMW Concept 1-Series Tii Tokyo Show Presentation Video

Isn’t it a darn shame that BMW decided not to equip the Tokyo Show 1-Series Coupe Tii Concept with a powertrain? Car shows are all about pipe dreaming; tell a lie and say that it’s fitted with a prototype twin-turbocharged, 250Hp 4cylinder engine. What’s the good in just saying that it features lightweight materials, optimised aerodynamics and a race-inspired interior if you know that the car is an empty dummy? For details and high-res images of the 1-Series Coupe Tii click here.

Way Too Cool: Collectible Tokyo Show Coffee Cans

Now, see what we missed out on by not going at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show? Our Jalopnik pal Mike was quite delighted (and why shouldn’t he be) when he discovered that the press-room coffee-drink cans at the Tokyo show were in fact collectibles as each one featured a classic Japanese car. In all, there were six different coffee cans: 1969 Nissan Fairlady Z432 (Datsun 240Z), 1967 Toyota 2000GT, 1970 Suzuki Jimny, 1969 Mitsubishi Delica Coach-Deluxe, 1970 Subaru R-2SS and 1978 Mazda RX-7. Now if only the Detroit boyz could do the same thing with beer cans at the 2008 NAIAS...

Via: Jalopnik

Video: Honda At The 2007 Tokyo Show

Honda’s 2007 Tokyo Show offerings included the all-new 2008 Fit / Jazz, the FCX Concept, the weird looking Puyo Concept and of course, the CR-Z prototype, an exclusive video of which we will show you later on. But, for the time being, get a taste of Honda’s stand at the Japanese motor show by checking out the above video.

2007 Tokyo: Audi A1 Concept Presentation Video

We’re initiating our 2007 Tokyo Show videos with a film from the presentation of Audi’s A1 Metroproject Quattro Concept. The Tokyo Show prototype acts as a teaser for the A1 production model that Audi intends to put into showrooms by late 2009 – early 2010 aiming towards BMW Group’s MINI hatch. Check out the official A1 Concept image gallery here and the press release along with pics from the Tokyo Show by clicking here.

Nissan GT-R 2007 Tokyo Show Images

We all love checking out cars up close but unless you’re somewhere in Tokyo these days, you won’t have much of a chance seeing Nissan’s all-new 473 Hp GT-R in live form. Of course, we did show you a bunch of official press pics earlier today (click here) but evidently, that’s not the same. So, until science finds a way to offer us the ability to view 3-dimensional images from our computer we thought of the next best thing: live shots from the Tokyo Show presentation. Just click the link below to check out our image gallery that consists of 14 “live” pictures. -Continued