Lean and green

Close to 1.4 million visitors trooped over two weeks to the sprawling Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo to check out the latest concept cars and models from over 270 manufacturers in the recently concluded Tokyo Motor Show.

The show this year featured fuel-efficient vehicles, small cars, hybrid autos, fuel-cell vehicles as well as cars designed to accommodate the disabled. Not surprisingly, the Japanese automakers ruled their home turf, with their corporate and product displays easily among the biggest in the show.

Honda, perhaps Japan’s most technically astute and racing-oriented car company, showcased a formidable array of concept cars, soon-to-be-launched models as well as its current lineup of production models. It also displayed no less than three racecars from the Formula 1 and CART series it participates in. Most notable, however, are some of their concept cars: the Dualnote, Bulldog, Unibox, Model X, SUU and Civic Hybrid, to name a few.

The Dualnote four-seat sedan was designed for sporty driving. Its V6 engine features the Honda-developed IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid system that employs a small internal combustion engine and an electric motor. This sedan is also equipped with an active torque transfer system for smoother cornering and a vehicle-stability function to prevent sideways veering.

The Bulldog is a concept sports car with a unique design twist. The car features the removable e-DAX electric motorcycle attached behind its rear seats.

The Unibox concept vehicle, which looks almost like an architectural design, is composed of modular panels and a truss frame. The design is intended to offer a spacious-feeling and relaxing interior for passengers to be in.

The layout of passenger seats can be changed in the Model-X concept car, while the SUU vehicle combines features of compact cars and minivans.

The Civic Hybrid is another vehicle equipped with the IMA system, which Honda touts as its environmentally friendly powertrain technology. The IMA systems displayed in the show are a step up from the first-generation IMA system first seen in the Insight hybrid car now sold in Japan and in the States.

On the production side, Honda also exhibited the all-new CR-V, a sporty Civic Type R and the revamped NSX-R aluminum-bodied mid-engine 2-seat sports car.