Suzuki has officially launched the all-new Suzuki Kizashi sedan in Japan. The car hit the showroom floor earlier in the week.

With a 2.4-liter, 180+ horsepower engine, the sedan gets enough power to provide enough quickness for a daily driver. The engine produces a maximum of 230 Nm of torque, meaning the sprint time will certainly be good enough for the morning commute. Intelligent all-wheel drive is also available for "smooth off-the-line acceleration and great cornering performance."

Suzuki also focused on keeping the cabin quiet. Dual-exhaust silencers and sound absorption material was used to make the ride more pleasant.

Those in Japan wanting to purchase a new Suzuki Kizashi can head to a dealership. Sales should begin in the United States within the next few weeks.

Following years of speculation, some extensive spy material and several leaks, Lexus has finally unveiled its very first supercar. A prototype of the two-seat LFA is now on display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

Official details reveal some stunning figures which give meat to recent videos. The sound heard on that video is partly because of equal-length exhaust manifolds mated to an equal-length dual exhaust system and routed through a multistage titanium main muffler. The LFA is indeed powered by a naturally aspirated V10 displacing 4.8 litre (4,805cc). Thanks to its aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy and titanium alloy construction it is actually lighter than a normal V8 engine.

Maximum power is an assuring 412kW (560hp) made at a screaming 8,700rpm while peak torque is 480Nm at 6,800rpm. Ninety percent of torque is available between 3,700rpm and 9,000rpm. It all goes to the rear wheels via a 6-speed ASG transmission featuring heavy-duty synchronizer rings and a newly developed gearshift actuator. A 0-100km/h time of 3.7 seconds is claimed while top speed is 325km/h (202mph).

The relatively low weight of 1480kg (3,263 lbs) was achieved through measures such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) cabin, said to be 100kg lighter than an equivalent aluminium one. Total vehicle length is 4.51m, width is 1.90m and height is a midget-sized 1.22m. It features a double wishbone front suspension and a multilink system at the rear. Brakes are carbon ceramic material to make stops as quickly as possible. The LFA gets 265/35ZR20 (95Y) front tyres and 305/30ZR20 (99Y) types at the back.

Aerodynamic elements include a flat underbody, a rear diffuser and a speed-controlled rear wing. The interior can be custom-tailored to suit buyers' needs while showing off a very high-tech instrumentation design.

Only 500 units will be sold worldwide between the start of production in December 2010 and when it ends in December 2012. A more race-focused model will be introduced in 2011. Suggested minimum prices are US$375,000 (€250,720). Prices in Japan will be ¥37.5 million a unit.

Via carworld

The Lexus LFA may be the ultimate sports coupe at this year's Tokyo Motor Show but unless you or your 'daddy' have a wealthy bank account and at the same feel comfortable in spending $375k on non-exotic brand name (not that we'd have a problem if the car's worth it, but just saying...), the one to watch out for is the Toyota FT-86 Concept coupe. Jointly developed with Subaru, the sleek looking FT-86 can seat up to four people and has a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.

Under the bonnet of the 4,160mm long sports coupe is a 2.0-liter boxer engine sourced from Subaru that is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox. Toyota has not released any performance figures yet but it is believed that the naturally aspirated four-pot may be tweaked to produce close to 200 horsepower.

Toyota and Subaru's parent company Fuji Heavy Ind. plan to release a production version of the FT-86 concept onto the market in late 2011. According to an earlier statement from Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, the production model's sticker price will be in the $20,000 range.

Unless you happen to live in Japan, chances are that like us, you've probably never heard of Suzusho Ltd before. After a bit of snooping around the firm's website, we found out that Suzusho is small company that builds a Lotus 7 replica named Suppase-C for the domestic market. At this month's Tokyo Motor Show, the company will launch a new model called Supasse-V which is a small mid-engined coupe that's schedule to go on sale in Japan sometime during 2010.

It's definitely not a pretty site, but looks aside, it does tip the scale at just 850 kg or 1,874 lbs thanks to its compact dimensions and the use of lightweight materials such as aluminum and fiberglass.

Power comes from a mid-mounted 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine sourced from the Mazda3 MPS / MazdaSpeed3 tweaked to deliver an extra 10 horsepower for a total output of 270HP. This gives the Supasse-V a power to weight ratio of 3.1kg/hp or 6.9lbs/hp.

More details including performance figures, prices and availability are to be announced at the Tokyo Show.

Via: Leblogauto

*Story Updated with 18 New Photos
Bypassing the Hybrid Tourer Concept's rear end that is remarkably similar in design to the Alfa Romeo Brera (...), Subaru's latest prototype model will be displayed to the public for the first time at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in late October. The gullwing-door model features Subaru's first hybrid drivetrain that combines a 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine and the firm's trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system with an electric motor at each axle and a high-performance lithium battery.

Power is primarily provided by the boxer engine that is linked to a new generation Lineatronic CVT (continuously variable transmission). According to Subaru, at start-up and extremely low speeds, the 20kW / 27HP rear electric motor can move the vehicle on its own while during acceleration, it kicks in to give an additional power boost to the gasoline engine.

As for the 10kW / 13HP electric motor located on the front axle, Subaru said that it is normally used as a power generator to recharge the lithium-ion battery while it also provides additional power for hill climbing.

Another special feature of the four-seater Hybrid Tourer Concept is the EyeSight + (yes, that stands for 'Plus'), a new driving assist system that utilizes "stereo camera technology" to detect any obstacles in the vehicle's path and advise the driver on appropriate driving maneuvers.

Specifications

Length x Width x Height: 4,630 x 1,890 x 1,420mm

Engine type: 2.0-liter Horizontally-Opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine

Max output of Motor: 10kW (Front) / 20kW (Rear)

Transmission type: Lineartronic

Drive train: Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with 2 motors assist

Battery type: Lithium-ion battery

Source Listcarworld

What we'll soon come to know as the 2011 Infiniti M sedan when it goes on sale here in the U.S. in Spring 2010, will be marketed in Japan as the new generation Nissan Fuga. Logos aside, the two vehicles are virtually identical inside and out. Making its first public outing at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, the Nissan's all-new flagship sedan will arrive in Japanese showrooms this autumn. It will be available with Nissan's VQ37VHR 3.7-liter V6 and the smaller displacement VQ25HR 2.5-liter V6.

In the U.S., the Infiniti M will be offered with two engines, a 3.7-liter V6 producing around 330 horsepower and a 5.6-liter V8 said to deliver more than 400 horsepower.

As with the 2011 Infiniti M, the JDM Fuga's lineup will also include a hybrid version that employs a 3.5-liter V6, high-power Li-ion batteries and a highly efficient one-motor-two-clutch parallel hybrid system developed by Nissan.

The Japanese automaker claims that the rear-wheel drive Fuga Hybrid will be as fuel efficient as a compact C-segment car. This model will be introduced into the Japanese market in autumn of 2010.

Source Carscoop

Making its world premiere at Daihatsu's Tokyo Motor Show stand alongside the Basket and e:S concept models is the Deca Deca. Measuring just 3,395mm (133.5-in.) in length, the odd-looking, boxy shaped mini MPV features a pair of pillar-less fold out doors on the passenger's side while the vehicle's simplistic interior is distinguished by the slim fold-away seats that can be arranged in numerous ways either to perform work inside the car or to increase the cargo area.

The Deca Deca is motivated by a three-cylinder turbocharged engine that drives the front wheels through a CVT.

Source Listcarworld

By far one of the quirkiest concept cars set to make their public debut at this month's 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, is Nissan's Land Glider concept. Part motorcycle, part car, all squeezed together in a package no wider than 1.1 meters or 43.3-in., the Land Glider can seat two passengers in tandem. It is powered by two electric motors at the rear but the most prominent feature of the pint-size concept is the computer controlled steering system that leans the car into the turns. You can see it in action in the video after the jump.
Via listcarworld

Fans of the long-gone Supra, MR2 and even the Celica may rejoice; as we tipped you off a few hours ago, Toyota has just released the first official photos of the FT-86, a near-production concept model of its Subaru co-developed rear-wheel drive coupe that will make its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The production version of the 2+2 seater sports coupe, whose conceptual name harks back to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011.

"The FT-86 Concept is neither an electric vehicle nor a hybrid vehicle, but is a sports model with a gasoline engine developed to convey the essential appeal of automobiles in a new era. It is a must-see concept car that expresses TMC's desire to once again create a Toyota sports car," the Japanese automaker said in a release published on its official site.

The compact-sized coupe is powered by a front-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine sourced from Subaru that drives the rear wheels. Official details are still scarce, but our sources tell us that Toyota opted to equip the concept model with a naturally-aspirated version of Subaru's 2.0-liter flat flour that produces 150HP in the Impreza.

However, it is most likely that the Japanese automaker has tweaked the engine to crank out a few more ponies boosting output closer to 200 horsepower.

It's worth noting that in Japan, Subaru also offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer with 250HP that powers the Impreza S-GT that we all know as the WRX in most markets.

It's still too early to know which powertrains will be available on the production version of the FT-86, but Subaru's 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engines (depending on the market) in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms would have to be the most serious candidates.

The coupe is quite compact in dimensions measuring 4,160mm (163.7-in.) in length, 1,760mm (69.3-in.) in width, and 1,260mm (49.6-in.) in height with a wheelbase of 2,570mm (101.2-in.).

The FT-86 Concept was penned at Toyota's European Design Development ED2 studio that's located in Nice, France. The exterior design, which obviously won't change much when it reaches production in 2011, is clearly inspired by Toyota's FT-HS hybrid concept that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007. And yes, we must admit that our first take is very positive.

Needless to say that the FT-86's interior styling is far too conceptual for production, but it does provide a hint or two (no more though...) at the design direction Toyota is taking with the production model.

As we've already said before, the FT-86 will also spawn a Subaru version that will share the same underpinnings and mechanical hardware but according to the two Japanese automakers, will feature its own distinct styling. Hopefully, Subaru's "design team" won't disappoint us this time...

Via listcarworld