Tokyo Motor Show: Tiny Daihatsu Pico EV Concept

 

The third Daihatsu concept model heading to this year's edition of the Tokyo Motor Show is the PICO, a futuristic proposal for a diminutive two-seater EV commuter positioned between small cars and motorcycles. At 2,400mm long, 1,000mm wide and 1,530mm tall with a wheelbase of 1,830mm, the Daihatsu concept is much smaller than the Smart Fortwo, yet it has space for two passengers sitting in tandem-style.
The driver and the passenger enter the vehicle simply by raising a protective bar than opens like a scissor-style door.
Other highlights include the LED panels incorporated on the protective bars as well as the front and rear ends of the car, and which display a variety of messages to warn pedestrian and other motorists on the road.
Daihatsu says that the PICO tips the scales at just 400kg (or about 880 pounds). .
The concept’s batteries can be charged in 2 hours and offer a driving range of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) at speeds of up to 50km/h (31 km/h).

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Toyota's Help on Hybrid Tech, will Develop its Own System

When Toyota acquired an 8.7% stake in Fuji Heavy Industries [FHI] from GM in 2005, everyone expected that FHI-owned Subaru would not only benefit from Toyota’s experience and economies of scale, but also utilize its new partner’s expertise on hybrid propulsion systems. This, however, does not seem to be the case as sources within Subaru have revealed that the company has decided to develop its own system and not adapt Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive to work with its boxer engines.
Subaru is said to develop a completely new “mild” hybrid system similar to the one found in the Honda Insight and CR-Z, and which does not allow the car to move on electric power alone but assists the gasoline engine in reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Back in 2009, Subaru had unveiled the Hybrid Tourer concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. The concept was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four and a twin electric motors, a solution that will likely find its way into production, but without the second electric motor that was used to power the rear wheels.
This new hybrid system will be fitted to a new model, which according to the same sources, will be launched in 2013. The most likely candidates to receive the system include a new version of the mid-size Legacy sedan, the Outback crossover version or the Forester SUV.

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2014 Toyota Supra Concept: An Artist's Take on the Japanese Firm's Sports Car

In the years that followed after the suspension of production of the last Toyota Supra, the MkIV in 2002, we were (and still are) blasted with numerous reports and rumors suggesting that the Japanese carmaker is planning a revival of its flagship sports car. More recently, Car Magazine cited unnamed official sources as saying that Toyota has already approved a successor to the Supra. Of course, until we hear it from Toyota, we're obliged to take everything we read about a future Supra with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, we always welcome design proposals for future cars from talented artists like Andreas Fougner who attempted to reinterpret the Toyota Supra for the 21st century.
Fougner's design builds on the basic lines of Toyota's upcoming FT-86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe creating a slightly more muscular and distinct shape. You can check out the rest of the images below and tell us what you think about it in the comments section.

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