You can’t beat the Tokyo Motorshow for concept cars. Every two years the best Japanese car (and motorbike) manufacturers, plus a sprinkling of European and US brands, come up with new and thoughtful ideas for going faster (and slower, but more interestingly). Many of the designs are informed by a focus on small and well-packaged cars with eco powertrains suited to the city, and that look as good static as when moving. They are also underpinned by technologies often closer to production than the futuristic concepts that house them might indicate.
The 44th edition was one of the best of Tokyo Motorshows for years, perhaps reflecting a more optimistic economic outlook and better organisation and timing – moving to an earlier date in the calendar, rather than November – when it often overlapped directly with the LA Auto Show.
Concept highlights included a Honda stand-up commuter vehicle resembling a stormtrooper helmet, a Nissan boxcar with a virtually-virtual interior and a Toyota fuel cell vehicle that doubles up as a portable energy generator. Production cars were also unveiled at the show – Mini’s new convertible and a few BMW and Porsche go-faster variants – but Tokyo’s emphasis is firmly on the conceptual, thus our emphasis here.
See above for the Top Ten Tokyo 2015 Motorshow concepts, as curated by Wallpaper*...
... but Mercedes fitted right in with this smooth-surfaced Vision Tokyo – a 2030-style take on the MPV, perhaps
The car follows nicely in the stylistic tyre tracks of its F 015 autonomous driving concept shown at the January 2015 Consumer Electronics Show
No. 9 – Style-D Piana: Cute as can be, this front-hatched, single-door, two-seater city car with retro button-quilted seating was a genuine Tokyo Motorshow surprise
The Style-D company was only set up by ex-Toyota designer Yashuhiro Yamashita in March 2015, but his sub-2.5-metre long Piana electric vehicle concept seemed extremely well made and conceived, with a lithium-ion battery good for a 75-mile range and a 45mph top speed, plenty enough for its intended inner city locale
Although there could be some modern crash regulation issues to resolve before production around that short front end, and it clearly references the mid-50s Isetta (and its similar side-hinged front door), the Piana is nonetheless a fascinating start for an intriguing new firm – and one with surely the coolest catchphrase of the whole show: ’Design your dreams for spread smile and excitements all over the world.’ We’re down for that
No. 8 – Honda Wander Stand: You can usually rely on Honda to come up with unique ideas at the Tokyo Motorshow and this Wander Stand concept certainly fit the bill
Aesthetically channelling a stormtrooper helmet and a 1980s ski-boot, this covered four-wheeler ‘two-seater or -stander’ allows navigation of narrow streets in any direction...
... diagonally as well as forwards, backwards and sideways through Honda’s Omni-Traction Drive System, while keeping an elevated view of the road
No. 7 – Nissan Teatro for Dayz: Get past the daft name and this Nissan vehicle was one of the most conceptual of the show
The kei car regulation-inspired narrow and boxy exterior is typically Japanese (Nissan already has a production kei car called Dayz) but the interior represents a radical shift in approach
Dispensing with anything more than the basic seat, dashboard and steering wheel forms, its designers then envisioned those surfaces covered in smart materials that could enable increasingly connected 20-something youths to stay in touch with their friends, play video games and endlessly customise their mobile interior – from virtual button-back leather to knitted wool effect. Groovy!
No. 6 – Suzuki Air Triser: While VW procrastinates over producing a properly-new camper van fit for the 21st century, former partner Suzuki is still coming up with cooler and stealthier versions of its own
The Air Triser is the latest and arguably greatest, with an awesome diagonal two-tone exterior and multi-function interior accessed via two huge sliding doors on one side. Seating can transform from three-rows up to a lounge and sleeping area down
The unusually-situated ceiling and side wall-mounted screens add an original dimension too, able to display sat-nav maps, and connect to and display passengers’ smart phone content. Maybe Suzuki needs to be bold and get on and make it (before VW regains the confidence to do so)
No. 5 – Toyota FCV Plus: Toyota design is a bit schizophrenic at the moment, making cars as ugly as the new Prius and Mirai and then as cool and forward-thinking as this FCV Plus concept
The FCV bit stands for ’Fuel Cell Vehicle’ and the the ’Plus’ part indicates that it is not merely a means of transport but is also intended to generate electricity from its own on-board hydrogen fuel tank (and elsewhere) to, in effect, become a mobile power source for homes, workplaces and further afield
The FVC Plus has a great futuristic interior, too
No. 4 – Mazda RX-Vision: Design-wise, the Mazda RX-Vision was one of the most conventional concepts unveiled at Tokyo – but still truly elegant with it. The long-nosed, cabin-rearward, two-seater sportscar hits all the right notes from a proportion and styling point of view, with well-resolved surfaces and exquisitely subtle lighting details front and back. We just can’t help feeling that shape-wise, the car might suit a Mercedes or even an Aston Martin badge more
Either way, it’s a beautiful car, and tipped to herald the return of a bigger RX-badged production sportscar, with another iteration of its famed rotary engine inside – positioned in Mazda’s range above the current MX-5 roadster
No. 3 – Lexus LF-FC: Lexus design has gone bold in a big, but good, way in recent years – and the new 5.3-metre long, four-seater LF-FC concept is no exception
Its sweepingly curvaeous lines, luxury detailing and eco-focused fuel cell powertrain are all widely expected to translate pretty closely into the look and feel of the next-generation of its flagship LS luxury saloon. If so, it should once again make the largest Lexus limo a proper contender against rivals like the Mercedes S-Class and Jaguar XJ. Promising
No. 2 – Daihatsu Nori Ori: Aiming to aid mobility for all ages and abilities, the Daihatsu Nori Ori concept roughly translates as ’get in, get out’
It’s a multi-purpose vehicle with two extremely wide entry and exit points, and a retractable ramp for easy wheelchair, pushchair and bicycle access
Concept designer Koichi Mizuta put it into context simply: ’Japanese society is ageing and we want to help take care of them’
No. 1 – Yamaha Sports Ride Concept: The motorbike (and musical instrument) brand surprised almost everyone at the 2013 Tokyo show by unveiling its Smart-a-like two-seater city car MOTIV concept
For the 2015 show Yamaha was at it again, but this time with a two-seater sportscar based on the same lightweight, high strength, flexible platform and iStream manufacturing process designed by UK-based, ex-McLaren F1 supercar designer Gordon Murray. With its luxurious thick-leather clad interior and a promised driving experience closer to a motorcycle than a car, showgoers were keen to know more about its production chances. ‘Wait and see’ seems to be the official line (which is better than ‘Forget it’)
Meanwhile, to keep existing customers happy, Yamaha also showed some great-looking concept bikes including the PED2 and PES2 and an incredible spherical scaffolding structure to mount its latest drum kit within. Diverse
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Tokyo Motorshow’s website
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk SpaceFurniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
LVMH watch week 2025: everything we know so farOur guide to LVMH Watch Week 2025, taking place in New York and Paris, starting 21 January; keep an eye out for our updates
-
Tokyo Auto Salon 2025: custom cars and one-off creations from the Japanese home marketWhat began as a celebration of Japan's custom car culture is a now a major event for many of the country's biggest automakers. We round up the news from Tokyo Auto Salon 2025
-
The top 10 concept cars of 2024, as selected by Wallpaper’s Transport EditorWe round up our favourite forays into futuristic design with this collection of concepts and design studies showcasing the transport of tomorrow
-
Michael Mauer on two decades at the helm of Porsche’s designPorsche’s signature style has diversified in recent years, thanks to the design leadership of Michael Mauer. We caught up with him to reflect on his 20 years in the hot seat
-
Team Ikuzawa brings the art of Daniel Arsham to motorsportCreative director Mai Ikuzawa has overseen a new capsule clothing collection, a collaboration with artist Daniel Arsham that also honours her racing driver father Tetsu Ikuzawa
-
Quirky but quotidian, Toyota’s C-HR has brave looks but is a risk-free propositionToyota’s oddball C-HR might have concept car looks, but it’s still a rigorously engineered machine for those who like their cars to be solid, safe and reliable
-
New BMW i5 Touring is an all-electric tech powerhouse that brings the noiseBMW has thrown its considerable expertise into making the i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro Touring the ultimate zero-emission all-rounder. Jonathan Bell tries it out
-
BMW’s limited-edition Skytop roadster draws on the past. Could it also predict the future?Just 50 examples of the BMW Skytop are being built, and they’ve all been spoken for. We examine whether this classically styled machine is a harbinger of aesthetic change
-
The mibot is a tiny single-seater ‘mobility robot’ for traversing Japan’s crowded city centresJapan is the undisputed centre of compact car culture, and KG Motors' new mibot is one of a new wave of micro-EVs that look set to take the country’s cities by storm
