At the Japan Mobility Show, aka, the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese brands re-discovered the sportscar, all domestic makes with some form of sporty number on the stand. Well, apart from Mitsubishi which went its own way with an off-road Delica concept. Nissan lead the way with its Hyper Force EV GT-R revival, while Mazda showed a SP concept with rotary power. Toyota had a MR-2 reboot, Honda had a new Prelude and Subaru showed a new age SVX of sorts, all EVs of course. Even Daihatsu got in the act with a Copen concept.
Off roaders seem popular too with a few SUVs and trucks on display with chunky rubber and a raised ride height. We liked the Lexus buggy sporting Tweels, while the new Toyota Prado always had a crowd around it. BYD was one of the few non-Japanese brands in attendance, it showing its big U8, while Toyota had two big EVs, a future pick up and a take on the Landcruiser.
There are always lots of weird and wonderful micro cars in Japan, Kei cars making up 40 per cent of the market. Nissan’s new Sakura is the country’s best selling EV at present.
There’s also lots of other weird stuff displayed, old and the new, and being a mobility show, there were a few contraptions about to help people get around.
