The JDM Nissan Fuga is due for a comprehensive overhaul, and according to a report by Japan's Holiday Auto, we can expect to see the redesigned sedan at this fall's Tokyo Motor Show.

The sketches above were inspired by a recent batch of spy shots and as expected, the Fuga – which serves as the basis for the Infiniti M in the States – will undergo a thorough exterior makeover, taking cues from the Essence concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show. The headlamps will continue to be stretched further over the fenders, while the taillights and bumper will be more smoothly integrated into the bulbous rump. We're hoping the most interesting element of the Essence – the curved, creased and indented C-pillar – will make a successful transition from concept to production. Expect the Fuga to go on sale in Japan early next year, with the fully-redesigned Infiniti M to debut soon thereafter.



[Source: Holiday Auto via 7Tune]

Last year's reports about the demise of the Lexus LF-A may have been greatly exaggerated, and according to the fabulists at AutoExpress, Lexus' long-awaited supercar is due to be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show this October.

Toyota insiders told the Brit pub – in so many words – that the LF-A's delay was due to a series of engineering tweaks to boost the sleek supercar's top speed. Initially, the LF-A topped out at 199 mph, which ToMoCo execs decided was too slow considering the supercar's competition, so after some fettling with the engine and bodywork, the revised coupe is expected to hit 218 mph or beyond.

In addition to the revised top speed, the R&D team's exterior tweaks will be obvious when the wraps come off in Tokyo, with a new fascia, headlight design and reworked rear end. Underneath that long hood lies a revised version of Lexus' new V10, displacing 4.8-liters and sending all 550 hp through a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox.

Production of the LF-A will be limited to 500 examples, and that will supposedly include a higher performance version equipped with wider body panels, a track-oriented suspension and aerodynamic components pulled from the Nurburgring racer (pictured above).

Pricing is still rumored to be somewhere in the $200,000 range, and if the LF-A does debut in Tokyo – likely alongside the rear-wheel drive Toyobaru sports coupe – it could be on sale as early as 2010.



[Source: AutoExpress]

As of Thursday, Porsche and Maserati are the latest two brands to pull out of the biennial Tokyo Motor Show. That brings the tally to 22 foreign brands sitting out the Japanese showcase, leaving Hyundai, Ferrari, and Lotus to duel for import honors. Said a show spokesman, "It is unprecedented to see such a large number of carmakers not coming to the motor show. It's disappointing."

And even though Japan's 14 domestic makers are expected to show in force, the country's four largest truck makers have said they won't be coming. At least one report has said there will be half as many cars this year as there were two years ago. As with the other brands that have decided to pass on this year's show, Porsche and Maserati cited the cost of attendance.

[Source: Taiwan News]

Progress to create a hotter, lighter Lexus IS F is ongoing, and according to recent reports from Japan, the IS F Evolution is slated to arrive in the summer of 2010.

Details on the Evolution are still unconfirmed, but as reported previously, Lexus is focusing more on weight reduction and handling than it is on power modifications. According to 7Tune, the harder IS F is likely to shed over 300 pounds, dropping the overall curb weight to around 3,400 pounds. Carbon fiber will be used extensively both inside and out, with more prominently blistered fenders fore and aft, and the costly weave used liberally throughout the interior, including the console and seats. Output will rise to around 422 hp and carbon-ceramic brakes are rumored to be fitted at all four corners. A total of 500 examples will be available worldwide, but with a price of around $250,000 U.S., most Evolutions will be sold in Japan.

If our green tea leaf reading is correct, we'd expect the Evolution to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this year, although judging by the price, don't expect it to be available on U.S. shores.

[Source: 7Tune]

What if one of the world's preeminent auto nations threw a party and nobody came? That's the question on everyone's minds today as the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has announced that most of the world's major automakers have decided to sit out this fall's show.

We already knew about the Detroit 3 taking a pass, but now, word from Automotive News is that Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Renault, Volkswagen and Volvo will apparently be skipping out as well. In a news conference that JAMA chairman Satoshi Aoki called a "once-in-a-hundred-years crisis," the organization confirmed to media members that just 122 exhibitors will hawk their wares – nearly half of 2007's total of 241. The departure of those manufacturers represents a loss estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars for JAMA and the local economy (if not more), as costs associated with mounting a single show stand often reaches into seven-figures.

Of those 241 parties that still remain, Japan's eight primary automakers have signed on (Daihatsu, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota), and Hyundai will join as well. On the high-end front, only Alpina, Lotus, Ferrari, Maserati, and Porsche have committed.

Rumors swirled as recently as in January that the show might be canceled altogether, but organizers have evidently decided that a scaled-down show is better than no show at all. Other outlets are reporting that JAMA will reduce the event's Makuhari Messe footprint from four show halls to two. Additionally, public days are reportedly shortening up as well, with the original run of October 23 to November 8 being cut down – the show will now close November 4.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req]

With the D-3, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Lamborghini and other automakers, pulling out of this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota is rumored to have a big showing to capitalize on the lack of reveals this October. According to InsideLine's correspondent in Japan, Toyota will unveil the production version of the Lexus LF-A, originally expected to debut in Frankfurt. The V10-powered, 600-hp supercar's future was in doubt late last year, but the on-again-off-again coupe won't be the only two-door gracing the Toyota stage.

The collaboration between Toyota and Subaru on a new coupe is also rumored to make an appearance in Tokyo, although it's unclear if the Toyobaru will debut as a concept or a production model. Based on the current Impreza platform, the rear-wheel drive will coupe will be powered by a Subaru-sourced flat-four with a new Toyota-developed head that will decrease emissions and increase fuel economy while returning an estimated 220 horsepower.

Toyota is also expected to show off a range of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, along with new EV and battery technology. But the automaker will have four fewer days to show off its wares to the public – the show has been cut down from 17 days to 13, running from October 23 to November 4.



[Source: InsideLine]

Although Volvo has already said that it would not participate in this October's Tokyo Motor Show, the Swedish automaker's German contemporaries are reportedly dragging their feet on similar public announcements in an effort to not be the first from their country to do so. According to a brief Automotive News item, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are "unlikely to participate" as part of an effort to limit expenditures, and Volkswagen AG and supplier Bosch are among those said to be on the fence.

Speaking about the pullout possibilities, an unnamed Automobilwoche (AN's Germanic sister publication) source has said that "No one wants to be in the unpopular position of being the first to announce their exit." Perhaps, but that didn't stop Volvo from letting some air out of Tokyo's balloons, nor did it keep the Detroit 3 from doing the same before them.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req'd]

The recent news out of Japan hasn't been good for fans of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-doors. First came word that Subaru and Toyota were postponing the launch of their boxer-powered RWD coupe, then the S2000 is killed off and finally reports suggest that Nissan has cancelled its Silvia successor. Thankfully, all is not lost. InsideLine is reporting that Mazda is hard at work on another version of the RX-7 and development is underway on the next RX-8, supposedly – and predictably – dubbed the RX-9.

According to IL's (traditionally) unnamed sources, Mazda is working on a 16X twin-rotor Wankel (two rotors, each displacing 800cc), boosting displacement of the current 13B by 300cc and putting out upwards of 270 hp in naturally aspirated guise. Mazda's aim for its next generation of rotary engines is to dramatically reduce emissions and boost fuel economy to the tune of 20%.

Mazda will likely use the same engine to motivate the RX-7, but in addition to offering a traditional manual gearbox, Mazda is developing a dual-clutch transmission with a twist: the DCT will allow drivers to set the exact points where the clutch packs engage for maximum performance on the track.

The RX-7's circuit-friendly cred is enhanced by the report that Mazda engineers are struggling to keep the coupe's curb weight in check. An all-new chassis is being developed that will supposedly eliminate around 220 pounds, bringing the RX-7's weight down to approximately 2,640 pounds.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that both the RX-7 and RX-9 will make an appearance during this year's show season, although the way things are going, we don't expect to see either at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

[Source: Inside Line | Image: Motor Magazine via Carscoop]

At the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda took the wraps off the CR-Z concept, a three-door hybrid that Honda billed as a performance vehicle for the environmentally conscious enthusiast. In the meantime, Honda has confirmed that the CR-Z is headed for production and slated to arrive on European and Japanese shores in 2010, with U.S. sales likely to begin sometime in 2011.

Back in February of 2008, Honda's UK manager for product planning, Mark Turner, said development of the CR-Z was underway at Honda's R&D facility in Germany and that a strictly gasoline-powered version could make it to market if there was suitable demand. Fast-forward to today, and a new report claims Honda could be developing a CR-Z Type-R rumored to launch in Japan sometime next year.

At this point, Honda refuses to confirm or deny the existence of a Type-R version of the CR-Z, and there's plenty of speculation about what could power the new hot hatch. Honda could take a play from the Accord Hybrid and boost the stock CR-Z's gasoline-electric drivetrain, or, if Turner's mention of a gasoline-only model is to be believed, fit the CR-Z Type-R with a revised version of Honda's K20 inline-four.

Either way, expect the production version of the Honda CR-Z to debut at this year's Tokyo Motor Show and keep your fingers crossed that a Type-R variant gets some space on the stage.


[Source: GTChannel]

The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show is going to have to make do without another automaker, as Volvo has decided to save money by skipping the exhibition. Volvo's move comes after all three Detroit automakers decided to skip the event, which is held every other year. Volvo, like the Detroit automakers, doesn't have a major presence in the land of the rising sun, making the decision not to head for Tokyo easier. With the precipitous state of the global economy, the prospect of saving money doesn't suck, either. Floor space, displays, plus travel and accommodations for employees can cost quite a bit. GM spent $2 million at Tokyo in 2007, and though Volvo's display wouldn't cost that much, the tab for Tokyo time would still be steep.

No Japanese automakers have dropped out yet, but the lack of foreign automaker involvement could mean postponement until 2011. Automotive News is reporting that Tokyo Motor Show officials will make a decision on what to do by early next month.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd]