Tokyo show preview: Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki…and Chrysler
Newswheel staff :: 10 October 2005
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The best of the rest
Mazda Senku
No doubt Mazda will have a fleet of weird and wacky concepts when the Tokyo show kicks off on October 19th. But for now the second-tier Japanese manufacturer is keeping it simple with the Senku. It’s also keeping faith with the Wankel rotary engine design by pairing it up with an electric motor to produce the first Wankel-electric hybrid. What’s more, the concept sports solar panels in the roof to help recharge the batteries when the car is stationary. Superficially, that’s a bit of a no-brainer, but it’s still an idea that’s yet to make it into production.
Subaru B5-TPH
One of the more production-feasible concepts at the show will be this hybrid-powered three door coupe/hatchback. Power comes from a new take on Subaru’s much-loved flat four in 256bhp / 253 lb/ft trim, complemented by a 10bhp, electric motor bolted in between the engine and transmission and delivering an additional 110 lb/ft.
The new flat four utilises Miller-cycle technology, as seen recently in a number of Mazda cars but actually first patented in the 1940s. The general gist is an improvement in efficiency courtesy of reducing power losses during the compression stroke. By leaving the intake valve open during the first 20 – 30 per cent of the compression stroke and (in this case) using a turbo to compensate for the loss of compression, efficiency can be improved by around 15 per cent.
Of course, the downside to Miller-cycle engines is typically low-rev lethargy as you wait for the turbo or supercharger to spool up. But the handy addition of an electric secondary power unit in a hybrid drivetrain handily solves that problem. Subaru claims the concept’s off-the-line poke is greater than the current Impreza WRX.
The B5-TPH also boasts cutting edge battery tech in the form of manganese lithium-ion cells, capable of a 95 percent recharge in just five minutes (we could use one of those in our laptops…).
Overall, it looks very promising for car enthusiasts worried about kill-joy future emissions and fuel consumption legislation or just ticked off with the relentless rise of droning diesels in Europe.
Chrysler Akino
It’s a measure of Chysler’s product nous that it’s capable of putting together a concept car that looks like a plausible entry for the Tokyo motor show. Of the remaining pair from America’s big three auto makers, Ford could probably just about pull it off while GM would probably produce a Hummer with Hello Kitty stickers and then wonder what everyone was complaining about.
But we digress. Penned by a Japanese designer at Chrysler’s Carlsbad, California studio, the Akino is full of right-on ideas including bamboo flooring, sconce lighting, various recyclable materials and even throw pillows and rugs. And a micro temperate wetland environment complete with a family of endangered tree frogs in the glovebox. Possibly.
And finally…
Suzuki LC
So, very, very Japanese…
