Not only that, but also due to having a turbo V6 - that doesn’t go well with economy.
And @MrChips - I see a new solid competitor in the luxury class, welcome 
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I like this design. The headlights are pretty damn cool. Nice going!
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Press-Days Round-Up
Welcome back to Tokyo, where the automotive world have been unveiling the latest in innovation, advancement and many other buzzwords. It’s been a jam-packed show thus far, and I’ve even got to drive a few of the many new releases!
Contendiente’s much improved Enemigo was unveiled just prior to the show, and boy has it grown up. Gone are the odd semi-retro looks, and in its place are some really well styled features. It’s clean yet fairly engaging too. It’s also now way faster, with its 2.0l 4-pot now rated up to 320 hp. Best of all? The low price is still there, starting at $23k. Base models go from as low as $17.3k however, meaning this is now a real contender against the entry-level sportscar market. One to watch, that’s for sure.
The company also unveiled the Estrato, a squat looking city car that seems to be running with shopping trolley casters instead of wheels. Still, it looks like the usual does of chic, economic European small car cheapness, and it weights less than a ton. Could it even be fun to drive then?
Zenshi made their appearance at this year’s show - they are based just down the road from here after all - with another Vision Gran Turismo car, named the GTX VGT. The menacing coupe looks pure Cyberpunk, with its sharp, almost digital looking details. 1000hp awaits under the bonnet, courtesy of a 4.0l twin-turbo V8, and Zenshi have emphasised that this is a track focused car. A hint perhaps at what possible future race cars might look like?
They also unveiled the 2019MY Tessitura, which seems to be taking on chunkier styling and edgier looks, as part of their new ‘Shinka-ken’ design sytle, an evolution of the previous Shinka style.
DiMarino gave us a very, very stat filled press conference where they unveiled a new “next generation grand tourer”. The DX8 seems to be a super comfortable, modestly powerful cruiser, using a 4.0l V8 for an engine and delivering said power via a wealth of driver aids. Prices look decent, though as for how the car looks, that’s a little harder to discern - we only saw the front end…
They then unveiled the DE30 Range, which would look great, were it 1996. The not-Mondeo healights don’t help it at all, though it seems to be quite the performance focused machine. V8 engines, LSD’s and carbon brakes can be found across the range. Shame it doesn’t have the looks to justify, well, any of that.
There was also the DU7 SUV. It’s hardly that memorable, but does come with either a V6 or V8, and a healthy dash of chrome.
Airborne unveiled a redesigned version of their S340 concept, now looking more long-nosed and much sharper. It’s a little messy, and the rear indicators are huge, but it sure has menace. Aimed at the 2+2 coupe marker, this seems to be made for the mid-market coupe buyer. We first saw the S340 at Detroit back in January, and at last, it will go into production, though a date hasn’t be specified.
Merciel revealed the Verona JR4 conept, a super sporty, super coupe-y version of the mid-size sedan. I’ve been for a spin…
Bonham followed up on their announcement of a GTE variant of the Fleming with…well, a GT3 variant of the Fleming. It’s bold, it’s a bit gold and it’s yet another straight-six race car. Yes automotive world! Please keep this trend going!
AL Autos did their usual automotive dump at this show, revealing an absolute mass of cars. I don’t even know where to begin, though there was one called the ‘Polentia’ which I accidentally called the Polenta, and only remember it because it looks 30 years old.
Bottom line: AL Autos make a lot of cars, and they all look sort of vaguely the same but also they don’t? Their lineup is as confusing as their presentations…
Sachiuri are doing a special event for the proper launch of the Sagitta. It’s been a long time coming, and I’ve even driven one of the pre-production models, but this is finally it. Be afraid, sports car makers. Be very afraid.
Cascadia gave us the rather small Bigfoot concept, that looks very, very concept car esque. And rather Japanese too, that’s for sure. The car may be a bit odd in its styling, but it’s technologically is intriguing: an all-electric 4x4 driving system, with a FWD bias. It’s an assuming car, but this could be the point that off roaders transition to electric. Shock! Literally!
Aurora gave us the Jetfire concept, which has a case of the retro-moderns going on with those front lights. V6 power, luxury focus and a low price make this an interesting and perplexing offer. A budget luxury cruiser where the only downside is the fuel economy? Perhaps. More versions are planned - production ones, I’m assuming - next year, making it another one to watch.
Scagliati have launched their new luxury coupe and limousine range, under the very Italian name of La Serenissima. “Venetian craftsmanship”, “cutting edge technology”, “a driving experience like no other” - Scagliati have hired a fantastic marketing executive. But what’s their new ride like to drive?
That does it for this first report. See you later on over the weekend for more!
- Gavin Anderson
Cheers to @Dorifto_Dorito and @MrChips for lending me the cars!
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Well, I went through the topic as a petrolhead, not as a reviewer, and my highlights of the show are
Kimura KRD Vision Gran Turismo
FOR REAL, such a sexy look , and very much in tune with the brand design cues. Outlandish enough to be Vision GT, Kimura enough to be… Kimura. Great work.
Hodan Rizun GT4
The amount of simple clean detail on that rear end, just YES. Pure clean design. I love it, and this shows how far Vri has progressed in her styling over the years, this is great!
Zenshi GTX Vision Gran Turismo
I will be honest, this thing just takes runs away with my attention in this years motor show. THere’s something about it’s rear end that just clicks, and the front is classically aggressive. Don’t know about Vision GT, but a GT3 it is for sure.
2018 Aurora Jetfire Concept
This is what a modern BMW should look like, not that crap they make these days. Brutal enough, classy enough, and discrete enough. Fine ballance there.
Honorable mention - Cascadia Bigfoot 2019 Concept
While it did not make me love it, it does look cool in that “tall mini urban fidget spinner crowd thing” Or whatever it’s called these days. It would sell well IMO, and the design is just right, if not a bit “modern retro”
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@DeusExMackia Thanks for the review!
As for the JR4, Merciel wanted the JR4 to cater to a wide audience. We certainly understand that the electronic steering may put off some more serious enthusiasts, however as you said, we want the drivers who have little experience in pushing the car to the limit be able to do so without plowing the car into a hedge.
As for the poor fuel economy, we’re still trying to improve it without reducing the power or the feel of the car.
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Not much new from IMP/Monolith, only a trim option for the N-Series pick-up truck (kind of ironic since this market segment is all but dead in Japan). The Pro-G 4x4 expands on the more restrained Terra package with an aggressive appearance package and several dedicated parts for further enhanced overlanding prowess. As this is Japan and Diesel is not very popular it has an LPG-capable 2.7L Inline four engine with 194hp. The Pro-G 4x4 becomes available in December of this year. 
Additional info can be found here.
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Montes M300
Today, Montes shows to the world, the successor from the M200: the M300.
The M300 follows the legacy of its predecessors: to offer a car, both suitable for driving on public roads, and to give free rein in its natural habitat: the circuit.
That all-new car, instead featuring carbon fiber panels fitted into a steel tubular chassis, it uses a carbon fiber monocoque, combined with carbon fiber panels, to make a very lightweight but with more torsional stiffness.
Design features:
The new design, features a new full matrix LED headlights, but with laser for high beam lights.
The front and rear spoiler it gives 608N of downforce at 200km/h, giving good stability and cornering at high speeds.
The aerodynamic door handles, it reduces the amount of turbulences that passes around, so that the flow is as clean as possible, maximizing aerodynamic efficiency and downforce.
The twin fuel caps allows quick and comfortable refueling in the circuits as well as in daily use.
Mechanical features::
The new heart, a 4.0 flatplane V8 race-spec MRP engine, called MZ408E, is a square engine, direct injection, with 4 valve/cylinder, with VVT and VVL, with a block built in magnesium, and AlSi head.
That compact but powerful unit, gives 496.7HP@ 8900RPM, and 435.3Nm@ 7100RPM. High-revving engine, but with good low-end torque (342Nm @ 2000RPM). It only weights 178.6kg.
The individual throttle bodies provides a great and quick response.
The differential, is a helicoidal Quaife mechanical LSD as standard. But a optional electronic-controlled differential is available.
The available gearboxes are two (both six-speed): a manual (as standard), and a sequential, as optional.
Data::
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Top speed: 288km/h.
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3.9s (electronic diff).
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80-120km/h: 1.6s.
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1/4 mile: 11.35s.
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100-0km/h: 27m.
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Fuel consumption: 10L/100km.
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Price: 69.030€.
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Saminda unveil their next-generation electric technology with the new SuperDynamic Concept, it’s more then just a electric car
Saminda has another electric car, and it’s exactly what we as enthusiasts hoped for. It’s the SportDynamic Concept
Saminda says that the car will be the lowest height electric sports car in the market (aerodynamic purposes), It has a long, sleek nose, and a rakish fastback.
Autonomous is the future
Saminda says that is also still using 10 ultra sensors, they can help to detect hard and soft objects at nearly twice the distance, it will also allow the car to match the speed of the traffic depending on it condition, change and merge lanes, self parking and even maneuver around foreign object on the roads.
Arriving very soon
According to Saminda, it confirmed that a production version of the SuperDynamic would go on sale in Europe in 2020, and it announced at the Tokyo show that the same car will arrive in Japan in 2021, whether if the car would be named as SuperDynamic is still unknown yet.
There is no specification for this car just yet, but we may know it soon!
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Thank you for your participation in Tokyo Motor Show. All cars which have been revealed today will be assumed to have been revealed yesterday. (Yes, you’re welcome.)
Thus, participation is closed. Thank you for your cooperation.
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so realistic it hurts
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So the next motor show is in Los Angeles, then?
Anyway, DiMarino Automotive has plans to show revised, fully representative versions of the DE30 (and possibly the DX8) in its range in LA - the changes will most likely be limited to visual tweaks though. Currently the DE30 is a concept-spec vehicle, but will be ready for production shortly.
@squidhead I now feel really bad, but @ramthecowy was the one who designed the Rizun for me. I knew I had forgotten to mention something when revealing the car.
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Kudos to Ramthecowy then! The design is great
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Some very nice looking cars in this show, well done everyone!
And a big thanks to @DeusExMackia for kindly reviewing my car as well!
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Welcome to the first round of voting for the Tokyo Motor Show 2017 awards. In this initial round, we will be voting for the best car in each category, with the winners going on to the second round of voting which will decide the ‘Best In Show’ winner.
In the event of a tie, the adjudicator (myself) will choose a winner to go though to the Best In Show round, though both cars will be awarded Best In Category.
This vote will only consist of brand new cars that have been revealed at the show.
One car per manufacturer per category, one vote per person per category, you can vote for your own cars, and that’s that. Best of luck to everyone!
Not every car has been included in here, either because there weren’t enough similar vehicles for it to fall into a category or because the company released a large number of vehicles and only a few were selected. Without further ado, let us begin!
Best Sports/GT/Super Car
Best Compact (A- to C-Segment) Car
Best Saloon (D-Segment and larger) Car
Best Concept Car
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Final Round-Up
With the public now viewing the show and all the latest the automotive world has to offer, it’s time for one last update. Make sure to vote in the polls too, I know I will be…
Monolith made room for the N270 Pro-G 4x4, which sounds more like a video card rather than a car. It’s a new trim for their N-series pickup and can’t seem to be able decide how many headlights it needs. Still though, it’s pretty good with the looks and Monolith are even selling it with an LPG-capable engine in Japan only.
Montes showed us how good their counting was revealing the successor to the M200 sports car, the M300! Zenshi might want to have a world with the Spanish marque about that front end styling, whilst the rear takes cues from their other new car, the RSX-6. Producing nearly 500 hp, it’s certainly very fast and comes in at a price of 70k Euros, certainly giving it a competitive price tag. You’ll have to wait for a roadtest to see if it offers any value for money, however…
Saminda have either a) forgotten the name of the car they were releasing at the show or b) had a very quick last minute title change. Whatever happened, the sports SuperDynamic Concept is aimed to be the worlds first electric enthusiasts car, with such incredible accolades as “the lowest height electric sports car in the market”. Mmmmm, that’s gonna sound good down the pub isn’t it.
But come on. Saminda, please. “Autonomous is the future”.
No, autonomous is the future for people who don’t care about driving, for people who only have a car because they have to have one for commuting or traveling, not because they car. And it seriously worries me when the main feature of a sports car is that it can drive it self. One logically questions what the point of it being a “sports” car is in that case. Still, at least the electric sports car is getting closer and closer - I for one am looking forward to that, but I’d just prefer to drive it myself.
Before we go though, there’s one more review to be done - the AL Tetra get’s a road test!
And that’s yer lot! Make sure to vote in the polls and look out for the next show I’ll be attending. Time to hit the Tokyo streets and see whether British pick up lines work over here in Japan.
- Gavin Anderson
Thanks to @11alualhati for the car!
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Yet another case of a car that promises so much on paper and underperforms in practice. Cut the costs, bin the active suspension (to replace it with a well-sorted passive system) and it could be a winner.
Guess who realized that they didn’t finalize the voting?
Best In Show
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