New Subaru Levorg S Concept Edges Closer to STI Model

We're suckers for quick station wagons here at Carscoops and Subaru's new Levorg S Concept that made its debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon today has our attention.

Subaru Warms Up Legacy B4 Blitzen Concept for Tokyo Auto Salon [w/Video]

The new Legacy is one of the blandest-looking cars in its segment, which probably explains why Subaru is experimenting with its styling at the Tokyo Auto Salon.

Ken Okuyama Designs Two Special Edition Alfa Romeo Giuliettas

Japanese designer Ken Okuyama has placed his name on a pair of Alfa Romeo Giulietta special editions made exclusively for Japan.

Nissan to Roadster for the Japanese Market

Nissan has announced it will stop production of the Fairlady Z Roadster (sold as the 370Z Roadster outside Japan) for the Japanese market on September 30, 2014. Introduced in October 2009 in the country, the open-top version of the 370Z coupe wasn’t really a hit among consumers, with local sales totaling 798 units as of April 2014.

Honda's Motorcycle Arm Goes Japanimation with Production-Intent NM4 [w/Videos]

Just because we focus on automobiles doesn't mean we don't care about the world of two wheels, and since Honda did tell us about its two new futuristic-looking concept bikes revealed today at the 30th Osaka Motorcycle Show 2014 in Japan, here we are… 

Japanese Team Drives Kei EV Van for 807 Miles on One Charge Setting World Record

While cramming many batteries into the back of a regular vehicle and turning it into a long-range electric vehicle seems like a straightforward enough thing to do, we have no doubt that many try it, but we only end up hearing about a small percentage of them – the ones who actually achieve noteworthy results.

With a 64 year-old Dakar rally winner on board, the first one in Japan's history, a local team has officially made itself worthy of media attention, after having covered 1,300 km (807 miles) aboard a Suzuki Every kei van, that was probably filled full of batteries in the back, and only charging it up once beforehand.

Apparently, Suzuki did sell an electric version of the Every, but its quoted range was nowhere near what was achieved today, hinting at extensive yet unspecified modifications done to it for the staged drive around the village of Ogata, in the Akita Prefecture.

Regardless, the attempt dwarfed the previous one by almost 300 km (186 miles) and landed the participants a chance at a Guinness world record. However, it probably won't last long, and we’re now looking forward to seeing the next, better vehicle, the one that will break the 2,000 km (1,242 mile) barrier.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: Japantimes via Green.Autoblog

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Honda Makes English Its Official Language for Global Meetings

Japanese companies are known to be very traditional in managing their operations, and automakers make no exception. Only a decade ago, foreign executives were very rare in Japanese companies, but the globalization process has made them more open to overseas talent.

Honda Motor Company has taken this approach one-step further, choosing English as the official language at its global meetings. The step seems logical, given that almost half of the company’s sales come from North America.

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito made the change early this year and informed global employees in April, said John Mendel, executive vice president of Honda’s U.S. sales unit, at the LA Auto Show. An American, Mendel was promoted to Honda’s North American management committee in 2012, as part of Ito’s strategy to localize business decisions.

“Imagine the shock sent through the operation. The CEO stands up and says, ‘All discussions about global operations will be conducted in English and oh, by the way, if you don’t understand it, get an interpreter,’” Mendel was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. He added that the adoption of English for global company meetings is a small, but not insignificant change. It’s part of a “series of things that are being put in place to kind of provide a different context for our business,” he said.

Honda isn’t the first Japanese automaker to switch to English for its global meetings. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan and Renault, implemented a similar policy at Nissan more than 10 years ago. 

By Dan Mihalascu

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Downsizing News from Japan: Toyota, Subaru and Honda Go Turbo

Toyota, which currently sells no turbocharged petrol engines in any of its vehicles, has used the 2013 Tokyo motor show as the venue of choice to reveal its plans for future use of downsized and turbocharged powerplants, with displacements ranging from 1.0- to 1.5-liter.

A larger 2.0-liter was revealed first, under the bonnet of the Lexus LF-NX, but according to Satoshi Ogiso, managing officer in charge of alternative vehicles, powertrains and chassis development, "in the near future we will use downsized turbochargers, also in the Toyota lineup."

While Toyota has not had a turbocharged engine in its range for years, Subaru is in more familiar territory here; however, it had not tried downsizing yet for its mainstream, non-sport models.

Now it has, with the 1.6-liter direct-injected unit that powers the newly-revealed (and awkwardly-named) Levrog wagon/estate. It promises better fuel efficiency than the 2.0-liter engine they use, yet provide as much oomph as the larger 2.5-liter, if we are to believe to Naoto Muto, executive vice president for global engineering.

Muto also told Autonews that they might follow GM’s example of replacing a (3.5-liter) V6 engine with a smaller 2.5-liter unit, explaining that they “are considering the same."

Honda also chose to announce its new range of downsized and turbocharged petrol engines early, ahead of the Tokyo show. The most powerful of these is the one that is to be used to power the new Civic Type-R hatch that could make close to 300 hp; there will be smaller units too, of course.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: Autonews

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Why Do I Find Myself Fancying Ken Okuyama's Yanmar Y-Concept YT01 Tractor?

Perhaps it’s the kid inside me or the harsh North Eastern weather stealthily waiting around the corner, but whatever it is, I was more impressed with the Yanmar Y-Concept YT01 Advanced Tractor than any of the other vehicles displayed at Ken Okuyama Design's Tokyo Motor Show booth, including the Kode9 coupe that we told you about earlier today.

While not new, as the Yanmar Y-Concept YT01 Advanced Tractor has been shown before, it's an impressive site to behold nonetheless. The all-road, all-weather tractor was designed in cooperation with Japanese diesel engine and tractor manufacturer Yanmar.

According to Ken Okuyama Design, "it incorporates an advanced GPS satnav system that will eventually enable it to work autonomously, thus improving yields".

Since were on the subject of Ken Okuyama Design, we'll add that the Japanese studio also presented the Kode7 Exclusive, which is a special edition version of the original Kode7 displayed at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It comes with a 230-horsepower turbocharged four, and a starting price of 25 million Yen (US$25,000 or €18,500).

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Ken Okuyama Design's Kode9 is Japan's Answer to the Elise

You may not recognize his name, but you will surely know many of the projects he supervised while working at Pininfarina, such as the Ferrari 599, Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Maserati Birdcage 75th, Ferrari P4/5 and the Enzo Ferrari. His name is Ken Okuyama and since 2006, he runs a design firm bearing his name.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Ken Okuyama Design presented a new lightweight sports coupe named the Kode9. Think of it as Japan's "speed racer" flavored answer to the Lotus Elise.

Okuyama says that the Kode9 is part race car, part sports car that employs "stunning but simple proportions and a driving experience to rival some of today’s greatest sports cars"

"This is my message to today’s car industry which seems stuck in a rut of overly complicated lines and styling based on the lowest-common-denominator,” says Okuyama.

The 4,140mm long street-legal sports coupe incorporates the central section of a hydro-aluminum chassis with unique front and rear sections developed in house, and tips the scales at just 890kg (1,962 pounds).

Power is provided from a 2.0-liter engine sourced from an unspecified Japanese carmaker, upgraded with an HKS Supercharger to produce 316hp (320PS). No word on pricing or availability yet.

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