In among the proliferation of zero emission vehicles and 'lifestyle' crossovers at the 43rd Tokyo motor show were a handful of genuinely intriguing sports car concepts. Environmentally sound hatchbacks and funky mini-SUVs have long been the toast of international motor shows, but in the likes of Nissan's IDx Nismo and Volvo's striking Concept Coupé there was plenty for the determined PHer to get worked up about. Here's a round-up of the most interesting cars on show.
And you thought the B3 was appealing...
In the pursuit of Far Eastern sales Alpina chose to launch its new B4 Bi-Turbo to the world at Tokyo. Sharing the same twin-turbocharged straight six as its four-door
B3 Bi-Turbo
stablemate, a car that we found much to like about, the B4 hits 62mph in 4.2 seconds and powers on to 190mph.
In a lovely deep blue shade with classic Alpina wheels and pin striping down the flanks it also looked very cool. Here's hoping it drives as well as it looks. We'll find out when it goes on sale next year for around £60,000.
BMW
Aside from the world premiere of the 4 Series Cabriolet, which already feels all too familiar rather than box fresh, BMW previewed the 1 Series GT with its Concept Active Tourer Outdoor. Convoluted name aside it looked great under the lights and appears to have a flexible cabin to swallow bikes (making use of a dedicated, collapsible carrier), people and whatever else outdoorsy, active types like to haul around.
The aggressive styling will certainly be toned down for the production model, but the fundamental shape worked well. In something of a departure for BMW the 1 Series GT will be front-wheel drive.
The Copen is reborn! As the, er, Kopen
Daihatsu delivered an unexpected delight in the shape of the open-top, two-seater Kopen. A successor to the equally curious Copen of 2002, this concept version's party piece is the interchange-ability of the body panels; within a matter of minutes the car can be changed entirely from one colour to another.
With a turbocharged 660cc engine and tiny proportions the Kopen conforms to Japan's Kei car regulations. The production version won't be any kind of a sports car, but if Daihatsu can navigate the obvious cost and security issues related to the changeable body panels it'll almost certainly find a band of enthusiastic buyers.
The FC Deck concept, meanwhile, looked desperately cool. It's a fuel cell-powered truck that tricks the eye; an average sized bloke stands taller than the door mirror.
FC Deck is fuel cell powered
The big news over at Honda was the
S660 Concept
. The small, mind-engined, open-top sports car remains true to the marque's recent design language and appears to be brimming with dynamic potential. It will go into production in 2015, but since it's conceived as a Kei car - 660cc engine, tiny proportions - it's unlikely to be sold outside of Japan.
Lexus
The LF-NX must be one of the more offensive concept cars to hit the stage in recent years. It's styling, particularly that gaping front grill, is so overtly aggressive that it's almost intimidating. We first saw this car at Frankfurt in September, but it's now fitted with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
RC
models were rather easier to swallow. In fact, they're genuinely attractive coupés with clean lines and sharp detailing - just as long as you can get along with the corporate grill. The RC 350 has a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, while the RC 300h is a petrol hybrid. We'll see further concept versions in the near future, but the production version should land a year or so from now.
Mini
The third generation Mini made its world motor show premiere in Tokyo having been launched to the press earlier in the week at home in Oxford. It's certainly an evolutionary advance on the previous model in terms of styling, but the big guppy mouth and swollen lights front and rear do add a more cartoonish, feminine aesthetic.
The cabin looks smart, though, and appears to be of improved quality compared to the previous model. Little doubt that it'll be a hoot to drive, too.
Standard IDx not for you? How about...
Nissan didn't hold back for its home motor show. As well as the striking BladeGlider concept, which broke cover earlier this month, Nissan unveiled the IDx Freeflow and IDx NISMO concepts. The latter projects involved liaising with 100 young people, or 'digital natives' in Nissan parlance, over social media to create a car that directly suited their wants and needs.
The three-box similarity to the Datsun 510 was driven by them rather than Nissan, we're told. Powered at the rear wheels by sub-2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines, the focus was on minimal weight to achieve strong performance and fuel efficiency. Nissan can't yet confirm a road-going production model, but there are advanced plans for it; as Executive Vice Presdient Andy Palmer says, "If we can make the business case work I have every intention of bringing this car to market." The styling takes time to appreciate, but the basic concept of an affordable, lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupé is an immediately appealing one.
Palmer also confirmed that the Z and GT-R model lines will continue indefinitely, regardless of what goes on elsewhere in Nissan's model range.
The GT-R NISMO and MY14 GT-R also made their debut appearances; we get behind the wheel of both tomorrow.
Subaru
Subaru's pair of concepts had the effect of dragging the brand's aesthetic into the modern age, and none too soon. The Viziv Evolution and Cross Sport Design both looked sharp and up-to-date while the latter has a near shooting brake quality to its roofline. Details are scarce, but we should be encouraged that Subaru is finally considering a modern design direction.
Subaru also showed off a mean-looking racing version of the BRZ, built for Japanese GT racing.
The 'will they, won't they?' saga continues
Toyota's slogan for the Tokyo show was 'Fun to Drive, Again', which seems to suggest the brand will be prioritising driving dynamics with its forthcoming models.
The FCV concept previews its forthcoming hydrogen fuel cell model, which is due to arrive in 2015. The frontal styling is super-aggressive with large intakes and pin sharp headlights.
Toyota also took the opportunity to show a revised version of the GT86 convertible. The basic shape suits a drop-top roof rather well, although one wonders at the fundamental concept given that the GT86 coupe is pitched as a pure driver's car.
If this is Volvo's future, we're interested!
The Swedish manufacturer unveiled the Concept Coupé to preview its forthcoming design language and new Scalable Product Architecture platform. It is, we're told, "the future of Volvo cars."
The three-box shape is similar in profile to that of Nissan's IDx concepts, while the detailing is sleek and minimalist. The 'floating grill' and headlight profile will make their way to production Volvos.
The Concept Coupé is strictly a design study for now. Volvo will first introduce its new platform on a production car when it launches the new XC90 next year, but it chose to display a coupé in Tokyo to highlight the flexibility of the new platform.