Japan brings back excitement machines
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday October 10, 2009
This month's Tokyo motor show will herald the revival of the once-popular sporty small car, write JEZ SPINKS and RICHARD BLACKBURN. AFFORDABLE Japanese sports cars are about to make a comeback.Japan's companies are shedding their conservative approach of recent years and looking to inject some excitement back into their brands with sporty two-doors, once dubbed €śhairdressers' cars€ť.At this month's Tokyo motor show, Toyota and Subaru will both display variations on a rear-wheel-drive coupe they've developed in partnership.Honda will also revive its sports car reputation with a near-production version of the CR-Z, the first hybrid sports car.The show will mark a change in direction for all three manufacturers, who have progressively killed off their low-cost sports cars in the past decade or so.Toyota discontinued its Supra sports car in 2002, then axed the popular Celica in 2005 and its MR2 coupe and convertible in 2007 as it chased bigger-volume markets with more mainstream vehicles.Honda, meanwhile, axed its Prelude two-door in 2001 and followed that by ditching its smaller Integra coupe in 2006. Subaru's involvement in sports cars ended in 1997 when it pulled the pin on the SVX two-door.The return of the small sports car at the Tokyo show appears to be well-timed, as the segment has shown more resilience than most during the global economic downturn. Last month in Australia, sports cars defied a general downturn in sales to record healthy growth of 17 per cent on the same month last year.Sports cars are the only segment in Australia to have recorded an increase in sales in the first nine months of this year, with the total market down by 13 per cent.Toyota's take on the car dubbed the "Toyobaru" was revealed for the first time this week.The FT-86 concept will go on sale in late 2011 with a Toyota badge, followed by the Subaru version that should get its own styling.Toyota has designed the FT-86 that is both short (4160mm) and low (1260mm). It borrows styling cues from the company's FT-HS concept. Blacked-out A-pillars create a sporty wrap-around windscreen.It's believed to be based on a shortened version of the Impreza small car platform also modified from all-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.Subaru's 2.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-four "boxer" engine will add to the coupe's low centre of gravity, favouring handling. It will be mated to a six-speed manual.Toyota says the FT-86 is a five-seater, unusual for a coupe.A strong hexagonal theme dominates the FT-86's dash, notably the air vents and rear-view mirror.The three-spoke steering wheel features a flat bottom for a sporty touch.Honda won't be sitting on its hands, though. The CR-Z, a remake of the 1980s-era hatch, the Honda CRX, will become the world's first hybrid sports car when it bows to the crowds at Tokyo.Pundits had expected Honda to show a full production model of the two-door CR-Z at the Tokyo motor show but instead the company has developed another concept version of the car, which will go on sale in Japan early next year.The petrol-electric CR-Z is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to Honda's "Integrated Motor Assist" electric motor system.It will also be the first hybrid to use a six-speed manual transmission.Elsewhere on its stand, Honda has a hybrid concept mini-van with dramatic scissor doors.The six-seater, called the Skydeck, has two scissor doors at the front and sliding rear doors, for easier access to the cabin.The hybrid system components are housed in the car's centre tunnel rather than behind the rear seats or under the floor.All three manufacturers have been stung into action by the success of Mazda, which has made much of its sporty focus through its €śzoom-zoom€ť advertising campaign.The brand has ridden on the back of exciting cars such as the MX-5 and RX-8, which have given it an X-factor to combine with the Japanese car industry's reputation for quality, durability and reliability.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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