Captain Fantastic And Other Comic Book Heroes

TOKYO, Oct. 24--As reporters enter Makuhari Messe, the convention center housing the 2003 (biennial) Tokyo Motor Show, they're greeted by the ear-splitting roar of 20 road-racing simulators. Along the side aisles, auto parts makers and aftermarket vendors pitch digital gadgetry for your car, as well as auto-related games for your car. The Japanese are electronics crazy, and that passion is often combined with their fascination for animation. We're not talking about Disney, either. Japanese "anime" tends to be raw, sexy, brutal stuff--blending sci-fi hardware with Dungeons And Dragons settings. Unlike American comics and cartoons, anime crosses into the Japanese mainstream, so much so that a sizable portion of the guys and young women on the show stands are dressed in costumes right out of the latest comic books. Of course, skimpy also sells in Japan, so "cheesecake" remains a must-have for the carmakers' displays.

And, oh yeah, there are some cars.

And Toyota's CS&S 2+2 roadster concept has its Synergy drive mounted amidship to give it sports car handling. This advanced version of the hybrid technology is mated to a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and rigged to provide all-wheel-drive. The CS&S's rear seats can be hidden away by a sliding canopy when not in use.

George Lucas, Are You Reading?

The Japanese love their vending machines, which sell just about everything from soft drinks to 35mm film. But the machine shown here requires a key, rather than a coin. Dubbed PM, it's not going to be featured in the next "Star Wars" installment, but it could. The name is short for "Personal Mobility," explains Toyota Chief Executive Officer Fujio Cho. (We thought it was short for Popular Mechanics.) Like most carmakers, Toyota is searching for ways to win over a new generation of buyers, and this is its cutting-edge idea of what might find a niche in tomorrow's crowded urban environment. Rather than drive a PM, the carmaker suggests you'd "wear" the electric vehicle, which has a variety of modes that result in the passenger pod moving up and down. When you get to your destination, the seat gently lowers you to the ground--without anyone having to insert a coin.

Big Lexus Hybrids

Even Lexus is getting into the green scene with the LF-S, short for Lexus Future Sedan. Don't be surprised to see this concept make it into production sometime soon, sources reveal. The sporty 4-door features a V8 gasoline engine mated to a high-output hybrid powerplant designed to enhance performance, as well as fuel mileage. The LF-S also boasts coupe-like styling, an indication of the direction Toyota hopes to take the styling of its upmarket brand. Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has been available only in a limited number of markets, with an emphasis on the United States. In Japan, its products are sold through an assortment of other Toyota divisions--one reason there has not been a consistent Lexus look. That should change, as LF-S suggests. The marque now has its own board of directors, design studios and research labs, and it is about to debut in Japan.

When it does, potential customers could see a version of the LF-X, the brand's second Tokyo show car. The Lexus Future Crossover has a more wagon-like body than the current RX 330. It's powered by a 4.3-liter V8 and features all-wheel drive.

The Smog Monster

Environmentally friendly technology dominated the last two auto shows in smoggy Tokyo--not surprising considering the number of cars on its roadways and the time they spend stuck in daily traffic. And green technology is still a hot topic this year, as Toyota's presentation demonstrated. But the issue isn't dominating as it has before. If anything, the need to make cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles has become a simple, accepted truth among Japanese manufacturers. "It is essential we share awareness of [such] problems," says Yoshihide Munekumi, the Chairman of Honda Motor Co. This awareness has resulted in some strange bedfellows. Take Toyota, which is involved in two eco-friendly joint ventures: one with General Motors, the other with Nissan. The latter marque will bring its first hybrid to market by 2007 using a version of Toyota's latest Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Small And Big

Daihatsu is one of the smallest of the Japanese carmakers, but it has some big ideas, which it demonstrates by rolling out a half-dozen concept vehicles during this year's Tokyo Motor Show. An affiliate of Toyota, Daihatsu focuses primarily on the market for micro and minicars, finding creative ways to package a surprising amount of interior space.

The Qi (pronounced chee), for example, is a city commuter concept vehicle that, according to company officials, is meant to "outwit today's problems." Barely 9 ft. nose to tail, this van-like vehicle is a full-fledged 4-seater, although the rear bench is best suited for kids or cargo. Qi features a low load floor and a sliding passenger door. It's powered by a range of engines, including a miniscule 660cc 3-cylinder gasoline engine, or a hybrid electric that gets nearly 90 mpg.

The D-bone is, well, a bare-bones design with a skeletal frame that becomes part of its design theme. With its bug-eye headlights, motorcycle-style fenders and 4-wheel-drive system, it's a pocket-size ute meant for city driving or sand dunes.

The ultra-fuel-efficient UFE-II claims to be the highest-mileage vehicle ever. The successor to a mileage miser shown two years ago, the windswept 2-seater uses an unusual Atkins 660cc 3-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a 2-motor hybrid drive. The body was wind tunnel-tested to a drag coefficient of 0.19. For the aerodynamically challenged, that means superslick. And it helps the research project deliver a record 141 mpg.

Subaru Turns Up The Juice

Subaru has dubbed its display at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show the Blue Cocoon, for its blue lighting and deep blue background. It's designed to show off three different concept vehicles--among them the B9 Scrambler, a sleek 2-seater that employs a sequential hybrid powertrain to achieve the equivalent of 48 mpg. The space left over is big enough to shoehorn in a conventional all-wheel-drive system. One of the keys to the system is a manganese lithium-ion battery that stores more energy longer than a nickel metal hydride battery.

Subaru also unveils a small electric vehicle dubbed the R1e, a 4-seat, 2-door commuter car that also draws its power from a manganese lithium-ion battery. It can be recharged fairly quickly, and produces zero emissions. The car is described as an environmentally friendly answer to the challenges of urban commuting.

The third concept vehicle presented by Subaru is the R2, a 4-door wagon-like vehicle that looks nearly ready for production and for sale in Asia where one-box designs are gaining popularity. The R2 features an electronically controlled throttle, a supercharged inline 4-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission for optimal fuel economy in a package that Subaru's designers believe is both sporty and functional.

Subaru is also showing a prototype for the Legacy Touring Wagon, which features a passenger seat that swivels to make it easier to get in and out of the vehicle.

Going Out On A Limb

You're not likely to find the Daihatsu UFE-II at your local dealer any time soon--even if you live in Japan. But a number of other Tokyo show cars will make the leap from concept to production in the not-too-distant future. As you'd expect, most will be bound for the U.S. market. The Subaru RS, for example, is expected to replace the aging Pleo minicar, but it's simply too small for American tastes. U.S. buyers will see the Mazda Ibuki show up as the next-generation Miata, though the edgy styling should be toned down a bit before then. Mitsubishi's Tarmac Spyder show car gives a hint of what's to come when Chrysler launches its next line of C-class passenger cars, which are being developed largely by Mitsu, a member of the DaimlerChrysler family. As their names suggest, we will see the Lexus Future Sedan, or LF-S, and Lexus Future Crossover, or LF-X, set the tone of models to come, while Nissan's stylish Fuga is being touted as the shape of things to come at the Infiniti brand. And don't be surprised to see Honda borrow many of the styling cues found in the curvaceous HSC sports car, perhaps to serve as a replacement for the Acura NSX.