Suzuki to unveil Swift S-Concept at Geneva

Suzuki will unveil the Swift S-Concept at the Geneva Motor Show and as you can guess, it will be a preview of the upcoming Swift Sport (earlier post).

Nissan to unveil ESFLOW EV cocncept at Geneva

Nissan will unveil a 100% electric sports concept at the Geneva Motor Show, called ESFLOW. Below are its main characteristics.

• Rear-wheel drive two-seater 
• Two electric motors, each driving a rear wheel 
• Laminated lithium-ion batteries mounted low for best weight distribution 
• Dramatic styling with wraparound windscreen for unobstructed visibility
• 0-100 km/h in under 5 seconds  
• Over 240 km on one charge 

Some cool shots of Avensis BTCC development car during testing!!!

Those are some really nice photos taken today during testing of the Avensis BTCC development car (earlier post) at Brands Hatch.

[Source: Toyota UK via Twitter]

Rendering of future Honda Beat!

According to BC, Honda is also working on a Beat successor, which is likely going to share bits and pieces with the new N (earlier post).

Honda N coming next year

Honda presented back in 2009 the EV-N concept and it seems that this cute little car is heading for production next year. Initially, the petrol version will be launched in March next year, and then the EV version will follow 6 months later. According to this rendering by BC, the production model will look very similar to the concept. Now, I really want one of these...

Some more info about Honda's 2.0L NA CR-Z

As posted a few days ago (earlier post), Honda is working on a naturally aspired CR-Z and according to Best Car, Honda is speeding up the development of it due to high customer demand. BC claims that it is very likely to use the K20A engine of the Euro Civic Type R, which produces 201 PS at 7,800 rpm and 17.7 kgm of torque. The NA CR-Z is expected to have a better fuel efficiency, around 15.0 km/L under the 10.15 mode, compared to the 11.6 km/L of the Euro Type R. The NA CR-Z could wear the Type R badge.

In the past, Autocar reported that we will get a spicy CR-Z equipped with a turbocharged engine (earlier post). I guess we will have to be patient until we really find out what engine will be fitted, but at least we know that the CR-Z will not remain a hybrid only model.

Toyota Passo de Tea Time

This is a car, presented at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon, that I wasn't aware of until the latest BC issue arrived! It is called Passo de Tea Time and it was presented in order to showcase Toyota's original accessories. It is powered by a 1.0L engine and the large wheels, with the raised height, give it an adventurous look. Inside, leather and wood give it a British flair.

Mitsubishi to bring diesel sports sedan to market in 2013

According to a Japanese publication, Mitsubishi will be bring a green diesel sports sedan to the market in 2013. The car, which looks like a facelifted Lancer (aka Galant), will be powered by a 2.2L turbocharged diesel engine. Maximum power output is expected to be 200 PS, while it will produce 40.0 kgm of torque. As you can imagine, it will come with Mitsubishi's 4WD system (S-AWC) and a dual clutch gearbox (SST). Hmm, could that be a Lancer Evolution successor...?

[Source: IMP-X's blog]

Video: Blue LFA flyby in Japan!

Video: LFA blipping & take off

Video: Top Gear takes an LFA for a spin

Old but still a very nice video about the LFA!

Infiniti confirms reveal of concept previewing new compact model

It's now also official. A concept previewing the new baby Infiniti (earlier post) is indeed going to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show (March 01).

“Infiniti is currently examining concepts for a luxury performance car that will fit below the current G Line. Like every Infiniti, it will be completely different to anything currently offered by our rivals.” So said Andy Palmer, Senior Vice President for Infiniti, at the opening of the Infiniti Centre Piccadilly in London during September 2010.

Development of NSX successor officially back on track

Honda president Takashi Ito announced today that the company will resume the development of the NSX successor (earlier post). So, now it's official that there will be a new NSX! Can we have it without batteries please?

Toyota FT-86 II Concept breaks cover!!!

The FT-86 (earlier post) is perhaps the most highly anticipated Japanese model for 2011 and a second concept will be shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show (earlier post). The new BC issue, available on February 10, has on the front cover a photo of the new concept and as you can see, the only visible difference, at the first glance, is the shape of the headlights. As reported in the past, the overall shape won't change (detailed post).

Stay tuned for more information...

Prices of new Honda Fit Shuttle

Prices of the new Fit Shuttle, which will be launched in March (earlier post), will start from ¥ 1,650,000 for the petrol version, while the base price of the hybrid version will be ¥ 1,850,000. 15C and Hybrid C grades, which are business specification, are going to cost ¥ 40,000 cheaper than the standard ones. The 4WD model, available only with the petrol engine and 15X trim level, will cost ¥ 1,825,600.