Toyota FT-86 Sports Coupe: Video and Live Images from the Tokyo Motor Show

Toyota FT-86 Sports Coupe: Video and Live Images from the Tokyo Motor Show

http://supercars-nextgen.blogspot.com/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.

Senner Tuning Takes on the New Nissan 370Z with Visual and Mechanical Upgrades

There's no shortage of tuning proposals for the new Nissan 370Z these days, but it's always interesting to see what each company has to offer. Senna Tuning's first take on the Japanese coupe is rather mild comprising of a new sport exhaust system and sport air filter that boost the 3.7-liter V6's output from 331HP to 352HP, an adjustable coilover suspension from KW that lowers the front end of the sports car by up to 45mm and the rear up to 50mm and finally, two different set of 20-inch alloy rims wrapped in 245/35 R20 Vredestein rubber up front and 275/30 R20 at the back.

And yes, we're still trying to figure out if the front bumper of Senner Tuning's Nissan 370Z is painted in a "crème" color or if the different hue is caused by the car's pearl-white finish.

Senna Tuning said that it will unveil more upgrades for the 370Z before the end of the year including a carbon fiber bodykit with front and rear aprons, side skirts and a rear wing as well as a more powerful engine kit.

TVR Artemis: Design Graduate Revives British Brand with All-Electric Supercar Study

The current status of British sports car maker TVR may be murkier than the London docks, but that didn't deter Dutch designer, Niels van Roij, from creating a futuristic TVR proposal as his final year project at the Design Academy Eindhoven in The Netherlands. Named after the Hellenic goddess of hunt, childbirth, virginity and fertility, the TVR Artemis is a sleek looking sports car that has been designed to incorporate (in theory of course) four in-wheel electric motors powered by fuel-cells that turn hydrogen into electricity.

Even though we believe that, judging by these photos, Niels' 1:5 scale model needs some more work to show its full potential, we like his clean design approach that avoids any unnecessary or gaudy styling gimmicks yet at the same time is clearly recognizable as a TVR product.

Well, at least that's our opinion. As always, we welcome yours in the comment section below.

Here's how Niels van Roij's described the TVR Artemis project to Carscoop:

My graduation project consisted of both interior- and exterior design of an eco friendly TVR sports car, named Artemis.

The TVR history and brand identity inspired me, but it was mainly the absolutely unique design-DNA of their last models which triggered me to revitalise the TVR design language. This DNA is referred to as feminine curves. Unlike most sports car manufacturers which choose to style their cars rather muscular and aggressively, TVR was unique in their approach to automotive design in choosing for elegance and grace.

Despite the company's bankruptcy in 2006, I decided to base my project on this brand.

Feminine curves are found throughout the design of Artemis. For instance, the typical TVR slit at the door continues gracefully in the a-pillar. This three dimensional approach to shut lines can be found as well at the nose and rear end of the car. The slits hide the head- and taillights.

During the day you will see clean body work, at night unique LED signature lighting. The interior styling is executed likewise. The controls are hidden in openings in the dashboard, so the surfaces stay clean.

The power to weight ratio has always been important to TVR. The Artemis has been fitted with four electro in-hub motors, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This solution offers low weight, because of the lack of heavy engine and fluids, and a quick acceleration because electro motors deliver instant power.

In the engine bay a spoiler system can be found, providing downforce. The air coming in at the front of the car is being directed over this spoiler. It also feeds the fuel cells and the in-hub motors for cooling.

All Photos Niels van Roij