Shower of sports concepts set for Tokyo show

JAPAN Mobility Show – formerly Tokyo Motor Show – is set to shift the focus from internal combustion icons to their electrified spiritual successors with manufacturers using the event to unveil the hottest new concepts from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Taking place at Tokyo Big Sight from October 26 to November 5, the rebranded show is focusing firmly on the future of mobility but also adjacent industries extending beyond the automotive industry.

While focused around emissions-free mobility, this year’s show will have no shortage of electrifying unveilings, from Nissan’s radical Hyper concept series to Toyota’s Supra-esque electric sports coupe and Mazda’s electric MX-5 replacement.

NSeXy silhouette 

Honda will unveil three models, among them the alluring Specialty Sports Concept with a silhouette that looks to us like a modern interpretation of the original NSX.

While the Japanese auto-maker has not confirmed whether the Specialty Sports Concept is a replacement for the second-generation hybrid NSX, visuals suggest it just might be. 

Honda’s take on the Specialty Sports Concept further suggests a clear performance focus, with the brand claiming the car will “enable the driver to experience the pure joy of driving and transcend the constraints of time, even in the era of electrification for carbon neutrality.”

MX-5 for the future

Serious hype is building around Mazda’s likely all-electric MX-5 replacement, complete with scissor doors and supercar styling – in concept form at least – which will be on display in Tokyo alongside an array of MX-5 model generations.

Mazda’s stand will be centred around “the future created by the ‘love of cars’,” highlighting a commitment to making vehicles for those who enjoy driving. 

The iconic MX-5 spawned a generation of car lovers, befitting of Mazda’s ‘love of cars’ focus, and it will form a focus of the manufacturer’s stand at this year’s show.

Is that a Supra?

A viral joke but also a suitable question, given Toyota’s soon-to-be unveiled FT-Se concept car’s similarities to the Supra.

Suspected to be Gazoo Racing’s first all-electric performance model, the FT-Se looks part MR2, part Supra, part GT racer.

Toyota describes the concept as a high-performance sports EV model incorporating experience gained from Gazoo Racing’s motorsport efforts. 

The FT-Se is said to feature a next-generation cockpit, with intuitive controls and a more immersive driving experience, which certainly sounds appealing.

In a hint at its potentially insane performance potential, Toyota says new ‘kneepads’ protect the body from G-forces.

Sports Suby 

Subaru’s Sport Mobility Concept will debut at Tokyo, an electric model the brand claims “evokes the evolution of the Subaru Sport values”.

Suggested to look somewhat like the early 1990’s SVX coupe, the futuristic model that was in many ways ahead of its time, the latest concept has only been teased with the release of a dimly lit render. 

The render suggests a low, flowing sportscar with slim LED headlights and suspected two-door coupe body type finished in Subaru’s iconic WR Blue paintwork.

Subaru has described the concept as “embodying the pleasure of going anywhere, anytime,” which suggests it may be capable of light off-road use. A Japanese alternative to the 911 Dakar from that other brand known for horizontally opposed engines?

See you there

Anticipation is building around what lurks beneath the surface of the various concepts that will be shown in the flesh at the Japan Mobility Show.

As manufacturers return to the lost tradition of unveiling their biggest developments at global motor shows, we hope it helps ignite an automotive passion in the next generation of drivers.

The theme at this year’s Japan Mobility Show, while overwhelmingly electric, appears to be ‘modern interpretations of bygone hero cars’ like the MX-5, NSX and SVX.