'08 Lancer Evolution X
Mo said it would happen, and it has. The new '08 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is hotter, faster and more stylish than the model it replaces. Also shown, but not for the first time at TMS, was what will be next year's AWD sports sedan. After all the fuss at other shows, the Evo X was casually on display in the corner of Mitsu's large TMS booth.
'08 Mitsuoka Orochi
In Japanese mythology, Orochi is a giant snake, usually with multiple heads. The Mitsuoka Orochi is a two-seater sports car designed by Aoki Nakanori and is based on the body and shape of snakes and the mythological beast. Mitsuoka first built a concept back in '01 and it was redesigned for every TMS following. Based on the Honda NSX, the Orochi is powered by a 3.3L 230hp Toyota engine (the 3MZ-FE). Good luck getting one; Mitsuoka is only producing about 400 of these, each running around $90K.
'08 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The STI is the Yin to the Evo X's Yang. Like the Evo X, the new Impreza and STI have gone the way of the four-door hatch, with a stronger focus on its WRC roots. In Japan the car will get a new 2-liter boxer engine (boosted to 14.7 psi by a twin-scroll Mitsubishi turbocharger). It'll make about 295 SAE horsepower and 299 lb-ft of torque. We'll have the full scoop on the USDM STI in next month's issue.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Demo Booth
Sony insists that the Gran Turismo is more than just a video game; it's a driving simulator. Whatever it is, the game is practically at every car show. Sony releases a free downloadable demo of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (itself a demo of Gran Turismo 5) on the PlayStation Store the weekend before TMS. The demo features seven playable cars (Nissan GT-R, Lexus IS-F, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Daihatsu OFC-1, BMW 1, Mazda Atenza) and one track (Suzuka). Here's the crazy part: the Nissan GT-R featured the famous Black Mask UNTIL the Nissan press conference at Tokyo Motor Show. At that time, all the demos downloaded around the world received the final version of the GT-R sans mask. We watched this happen at the Sony booth, to the amazement of show media. The second day of the show, Sony unveiled the Subaru WRX STi, also to coincide with Subaru's preceding conference and unveil. By the time you read this, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be available for purchase and download at the Japanese PlayStation Store or at online game importers. Although a Japanese game, it'll run fine on North American PlayStation 3 models. Go get it.
BMW TII Concept
Remember the BMW 2002? Of course you don't. Well, maybe you do, but if you don't, think of the 2002 as the German version of the Datsun 510 (Hey genius, it was the other way around -JW). For the Tokyo Motor Show BMW managed to pull a little bit of racer into its 1 Series coupe. What we end up with is a concept that's heavily inspired by the old 2002, with 2007 technology. If there ever was a M1, this would be it: carbon-fiber exterior, custom white paint, racing stripes and a hooked-up interior. We want it, bad.
Honda CR-Z
Anyone who bleeds Honda can instantly recognize this concept hatch as the future CR-X replacement and love child of the Insight and aformentioned car. Honda has confirmed that a production vehicle based on this design will be produced. Mostly concept, we'll see a lot of changes to the CR-Z before it makes it to showrooms in the next year and a half. Expect the large front snout to change and the overall dimensions to look much more Civic-like (the platform it'll be based on). Honda claims the concept and production car will have hybrid power, but we can't see why. And the K20, again, will be the engine of choice for this two-seater Civic Si hatch. Yeah, they'll call it the CR-X, probably. Chrome wheels gotta go, though. Straight up nasty.
Tokyo Motor Show Models
Where there are cars, there are beautiful women. Tokyo Motor Show does it up with class. Even if we spoke Japanese, we still wouldn't have a chance in hell at getting a Japanese babe. The thing about Motor Show is that the women are far too classy for our taste; we'll have to wait until Tokyo Auto Salon for some nice, skanky girls. C'mon, who really needs wholesome, right? Here's a selection of Henry's TMS girls; these are the girls that Henry would give his anal virginity to get to know.