By Andre Palma
Inquirer

TOKYO, Japan–Since Kiichiro Toyoda got it into his head to shift from textile looms to manufacturing automobiles, the Toyota Motor Corp. has come a long way. In a short 70 years from the first Model AA rolling off the Koromo plant assembly line, the Japanese manufacturer now has its sights set on the No. 1 spot in the global automotive scheme of things. Great really if you are one to speculate on the worldwide stock markets but honestly the impact on the Filipino motorist is anything but a forgone conclusion.

One key phrase frames Toyota’s future strategy for world domination. “Sustainable mobility” seems like words plucked out of just any public relations handbook but the way these two words will color and flavor the way we will drive in the very near future is undeniable, scary even. By addressing environmental, safety and congestion issues, the way we drive and what we drive will change dramatically.

In a world obsessed with carbon footprints, protecting biodiversity and the search for renewable sources of energy, the automobile is often painted as public enemy No. 1. While the Battle for Mother Earth seems lost and the human race is doomed to a carbon-choked future care of the evil automobile, small inroads have been made that responsibly look toward tomorrow.

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By Tessa R. Salazar
Inquirer

TOKYO, Japan–If it moves, we’ll build a better one.

That, in a nutshell, seems to be what Honda is keen on doing in the near (and not-so-near) future. Takeo Fukui, president and CEO of Honda, in a 15-minute interview with members of the Philippine motoring media, revealed the carmaker’s plans on not limiting itself to two- and four-wheeled contraptions.

After coming out with such environmental vehicles such as the Civic 2.0GL, Stream, Partner 4WD, the CR-V, Elysion Prestige and Crossroad models in 2007, which Honda claims have all attained fuel-efficiency ratings mandated in its 2011 standards, Fukui says Honda is now developing a jet engine, and more Asimo-like household robots.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Inquirer

TOKYO, Japan–At a glittering international event like the 40th Tokyo Motor Show displaying 520 new vehicles of 30 carmakers at a venue spread over 440,000 square meters, it is difficult to hold the attention of the 1.5 million visitors expected, including thousands from overseas, during its 16-day run.

On Press Preview day, several manufacturers caught the eye by exhibiting outrageously styled concept cars. While the designs of the three concept cars presented by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. were not as edgily in-your-face futuristic as the Toyota HI-CT, Honda Puyo or Nissan Pivo2, they looked more user-friendly, more practical and more ready to leap from the drawing board into commercial production in the near future.

And for visitors already in the market for a new car, Mitsubishi unveiled the latest iteration of the Lancer Evolution, which is one of the fastest high-performance mass production cars in the world yet is affordably priced. The more sedate version of the Evo X, the 2008 Lancer sedan (named as the Galant Fortis in Japan) was also on view.

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By Agence France-Presse

CHIBA, Japan–Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. has unveiled a prototype motorbike with a zero-emission fuel cell that is cooled by air.

The “Crosscage” motorbike has a fuel cell set in a simple chassis and a hydrogen tank protected by an X-shaped metal frame cage. The fuel cell was developed by Intelligent Energy of Britain.

The motorbike, which is on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, is said to be free of noise and vibration, and has a lithium-ion battery below the tank for extra power.

“Fuel cell motorbikes tend to have podgy scooter-like bodies given the large size of the system. But this compact system enabled us to propose a sporty, slim design,” said Suzuki motorcycle marketing official Kenji Mori.

By Tessa R. Salazar
Inquirer

TOKYO, Japan–It’s ogling time again.

For 17 days, Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan will be home to motoring journalists and car enthusiasts from all over this third planet from the Sun for the 40th Tokyo Motor Show.

Among the thousands will be Inquirer Motoring, which will also get a closer look at the leading auto research campaign of Honda in Tochigi, where the innovative manufacturer keeps a full-scale wind tunnel, safety crash-test facility and the Tochigi proving ground. There would also be a meeting of motoring journalists at the Twin Ring Motegi.

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By Agence France-Presse

CHIBA, Japan–Japanese electronics giant Hitachi has developed a steering wheel that enables the driver to use his or her fingers as switches for the engine, car stereo and navigation system.

The steering wheel is equipped with a tiny device that reads the driver’s finger veins.

“If I place my index finger on this reader, it recognizes it’s me. If I put the finger again, it starts the engine,” Masahide Hayashi of Hitachi’s sensor design department explained at the Tokyo Motor Show near the capital.

“When the middle finger is on the device, it sends a command to play music I registered in accordance to my taste. The ring finger can start the navigation system,” he said.

“You can use your fingers just like switches,” without taking your eyes off the road, he said.

Hitachi said it was still uncertain when the system might be put in practical use although it hopes to launch it within three or four years.

By Agence France-Presse

CHIBA, Japan–Nissan and Renault hope to start selling a car for about $2,500 in India in around 2010 along with their local partner there, chief executive Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday.

“We have already practically decided all the attributes of the car,” Ghosn told reporters at the Tokyo Motor Show.

“We have the full intention to do it — if it’s feasible. Hopefully this is going to be 2010 in India,” he said.

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By Agence France-Presse

CHIBA, Japan–Japan’s Honda Motor Co. plans to release a more affordable hybrid car by 2009, hoping to boost sales among consumers who now find eco-friendly vehicles too expensive.

Japanese automakers pioneered hybrid-engine cars such as Honda’s Civic Hybrid, which save fuel costs and have proven to be major hits at a time of soaring oil prices.

Honda showed to the Tokyo Motor Show the CR-Z concept car, a lightweight sports model with a hybrid engine.

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By Daniel Rook
Agence France-Presse

CHIBA, Japan–Zany concept vehicles, fuel efficient hybrids and muscular supercars vied for attention as the Tokyo Motor Show opened Wednesday with Japanese automakers eager to revive moribund domestic sales.

From bubble-shaped vehicles of the future to sleek petrol-guzzling sports cars, makers showed off their latest efforts to push the boundaries of automotive technology.

Rivals showed off their green credentials with an array of environmentally friendly vehicles crammed into a convention centre near the capital, as record high oil prices prompt unprecedented interest in fuel-efficient motoring.

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