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Our favorite Fast & Furious cars, from the ultra-obscure to the iconic.
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A comparison of the 3 top electric cars.
Concepts take center stage at TokyoAutomakers were happy to show off their design chops in Tokyo.
Volkswagen Previews New SUVThe Cross Coupe Concept is the new look for the Tiguan.
Toyota Isn't Asleep at the WheelThe Japanese giant’s new small roadster may be just what it needs.
Nissan Reveals Juke Concept Pre-TokyoTiny crossover gets Nismo treatment, upgraded performance.
Toyota's 'Smartphone on Wheels'Fun-Vii, to be unveiled at Tokyo, heralds a future of interconnected cars.
VW to Debut Alltrack Passat at TokyoAWD wagon is designed for light-duty off-roading and towing.
Subaru to Show Off Sleek Wagon ConceptAthletic, modern sports wagon to debut at Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota Looks to Future at TokyoWill intro Scion FR-S, Prius C and EV and fuel-cell concepts.
Our favorite Fast & Furious cars, from the ultra-obscure to the iconic.
seriously these are some butt ugly cars
By Jacob Gordon of MSN Autos
The 42nd Tokyo Motor Show kicked off this week at the city's massive Big Sight Convention Center. With Japanese automakers still struggling after setbacks from the tsunami and other natural disasters in the region, we weren't quite sure what to expect. As it turned out, however, automakers made a strong showing in the Land of the Rising Sun, with electric cars and hybrids taking center stage. We saw our healthy share of world premieres, including the Subaru BRZ, Toyota GT 88 and Honda EV-Ster, an all-electric sports car concept. Here, we zero in on the most notable models, ranging from ethereal concept cars to those that will soon be landing right here on our own soil.
The production version of the rear-wheel-drive Subaru BRZ made its debut here in Tokyo. Engineered in partnership with Toyota, the BRZ is meant to deliver stellar handing and a sporty feel, if not massive power. The 2.0-liter 4-cylinder horizontally opposed boxer engine will get the benefits of Toyota's direct-injection technology. The Subaru BRZ, which is nearly the same car as the Toyota GT 86, will go into full production early next year.
While still decidedly a station wagon, the Alltrack's body has morphed the Passat physique into a more aggressive and off-road-focused form. Choose the gasoline version and you'll get an engine that turns out 207 horsepower through a direct-shift dual-clutch transmission. However, VW does not plan to bring the Alltrack to the U.S., where drivers are more enamored of SUVs and crossovers than station wagons, no matter how tough they look.
The Sportback adds two doors to the popular A1 compact hatchback, as well as a bit of height and shoulder room. But while Europeans will be invited to start ordering the Sportback before the end of the year, Audi has no plans to offer this handsome package to the American crowd.
As promised, Honda pulled back the sheets on its electric EV-Ster concept car at this year's show. On the surface, the rear-wheel-drive 2-seater is not bad to behold. At just under 12 feet long, it looks small, but carries a style that is both distinctly Honda and appropriately forward-thinking. However, it claims terrifically underwhelming performance: zero to 60 kilometers per hour (that's 37 mph) in five seconds. And even with such lackluster acceleration, Honda says its little roadster can cover just 100 miles on a charge.
One of the most eye-catching concepts to be revealed at this year's Tokyo show was the Mazda Takeri 4-door sport sedan. Mazda has outfitted this muscular design with its SkyActive-D clean diesel technology, and although it is not a hybrid, the Takeri does have regenerative breaking and a start/stop feature that would turn off the engine when the car isn't in motion. Though it's a concept car, we're probably looking at design themes that will emerge in new Mazdas soon.
We've known for some time that the Prius family is growing, but the Tokyo Motor Show gave us our first grille-to-grille encounter with the Prius C — or Aqua, as it will be called in Japan. The Prius C combines the Hybrid Synergy Drive of the familiar Prius with a 1.5-liter engine and a smaller body profile borrowed from the Yaris; the C is 18 inches shorter than the standard Prius. This new incarnation will mean a lower cost and even better fuel economy. The Prius C will hit Japanese streets before the end of the year and the rest of the world shortly thereafter.
While the Nismo division of Nissan has traditionally lent its racing cred only to pricey sports models, Nissan hinted that it may release a more performance-oriented version of the Juke. Nissan unveiled for the first time a Juke Nismo with a lower chassis, bigger wheels and some attractive additional body curves. There are no concrete plans yet, but Nissan says that enough popular support could land the Juke Nismo in showrooms.
With an elegantly aggressive body shape, Volkswagen's Cross Coupe plug-in hybrid concept gives the impression of being larger than it is; in reality it's shorter than a Tiguan. Under the skin, the Cross Coupe has a turbocharged gasoline engine paired with a plug-in hybrid drive that places one electric motor on each axle, effectively giving it all-wheel drive. VW says the Cross Coupe can travel up to 25 miles on pure electric power from its lithium-ion battery pack. Otherwise, details are scarce.
Read Blog: VW Previews Cross Coupe Concept
Jacob Gordon is a freelance writer, a blogger for TreeHugger.com and a producer of TreeHugger Radio. He can be reached at jacob@treehugger.com.