Articles by Daniel Bishop

Volkswagen Polo GTI and Ford Fiesta ST go head-to-head in this comparative review.  .star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}

Peugeot 208 GTi and Ford Fiesta ST go head-to-head in this comparative review. .star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}

Toyota will display three concept cars based on the Prius C (called the Aqua in Japan) at the Tokyo Motor Show. A drop top Aqua Air concept and a crossover Aqua Cross concept will join the sporty Aqua G concept, all based on the Toyota hybrid hero.The Aqua air appears to retain accommodation for four or five, but with a sportier interior than the standard Prius C. Red accents jazz up the interior, with deeper cushions hinting at a sportier ride.This could bring the Aqua Air in line with the Aqua G concept, which uses sports suspension, 17” alloys and other dynamic and visual enhancements. However none of these upgrades are confirmed on the open-top concept, with full details expected to be revealed at the show later today.All three concepts are likely to use the standard Prius C 1.5-litre engine mated to an electric motor, delivering 74kW in total. A CVT-like automatic continually varies the amount of electric and petrol power from both power plants to the front wheels.Aqua Cross’s taller suspension and plastic cladding protecting the undercarriage suggest it could be all wheel drive.The Aqua G is likely destined for production, at least in Japan, where its bigger sibling (Prius) is already available in a very sharp sports guise. However there are no plans to take the convertible or soft-roader version to the showrooms yet. But with Toyota keen to inject more fun and personality into its line-up, the two concept cars could well be gauging interest before a production go-ahead.

The next generation R36 GT-R scheduled for 2015 will use a hybrid system – which means we’re likely to see more track warfare break out as Nissan challenges the current king of the Nurburgring, the Porsche 918 Spyder. When the current R35 GT-R launched, Nissan triggered a series of lap time skirmishes with Porsche at the renowned circuit, as both brands repeatedly beat each other’s Nurburgring times, with Porsche famously accusing Nissan of cheating. In September, Porsche’s newly released 918 Spyder used a hybrid system to return a thundering 6 minute 57 second record lap. The ball is now in Nissan’s court, with Nissan’s motorsport branch NISMO leading development of the upcoming R36 GT-R. If Nissan falls short of the task, Ron Dennis has already vowed to claim the record with the McLaren P1 – another recently released hybrid hypercar. Last week, Ferrari’s own V12 hybrid hypercar, LaFerrari, was caught hot on Porsche’s lap time tail at the Nurburgring trying to shake up its German rival’s dominance. The NISMO version of the current generation R35 GT-R has also been testing at the Nurburgring, although Nissan is not saying what time it has achieved yet. Due next year, it will be the send off for the GT-R before the hybrid next generation takes over. Nissan’s vice president Andy Palmer told Autocar the brand is very happy with the time that former F1 driver Sebastian Buemi has achieved in the NISMO GT-R. "He was flat-out in places that other people brake in. His lack of experience at the ‘Ring didn’t hold him back," Palmer said. But without a hybrid drivetrain, Nissan may need to wait until the next generation GT-R for a chance to reclaim its glory. Palmer confirmed that Nissan will continue to use the Nurburgring as a benchmark for performance progress. This indicates the brand takes Nurburgring times very seriously, despite already being quicker than similarly priced competitors. The current $170,800 GT-R uses a 404kW, 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 to combat supercars that cost – in some cases – in excess of a million dollars. Kinishi Tanuma, lead developer of the next generation Nissan flagship supercar has already stated he wants the GT-R quality and value improved, hinting that the new model will remain relatively affordable. At a similar price as the current car, the next GT-R may not need to be king of the ring to prove its worth. But with Tanuma focusing on quality, NISMO has partnered with Williams Formula one team to focus on performance. When it arrives, the R36 GT-R may just steal the Nurburgring thunder from the million dollar supercar party one more time.  

Toyota is showcasing its vision of the future with five new concept cars and an updated 86 convertible concept at the Tokyo Motor Show.Leading the charge is Toyota's FV2 – apparently 'fun to drive' -- concept, which is a showcase of technology focusing on creating an intuitive connection with the driver. Inspired by the relationship between riders and their horses, the futuristic three-wheeler pod car uses face and voice recognition to detect the driver's mood and learn their driving style.It is fully customisable and boasts an augmented reality screen but has no steering wheel or pedals. Instead, the driver leans from side to side to steer, and backwards and forwards to accelerate and brake –  making for a similar experience to a Segway.A second concept, the sleek FCV gives an insight into a possible future form for fuel cell technology – in which air and water is transformed into electricity to power the car's motor, instead of it relying on stored energy in batteries.The FCV design is inspired by the transformation of elements in the fuel cell technology, and Toyota hopes to bring a similar vehicle to market by 2015. The carmaker says the concept can drive for up to 500kms before the tanks need to be re-filled, but unlike batteries, the refill process takes about three minutes.The Aqua G concept is a very sharp looking Prius C tuned by GAZOO racing. The hybrid electric drive remains, but sports suspension, 17 inch alloys, a unique body kit and interior modifications turn the mild Prius into a sporty prospect.For those visiting Japan in the future, Toyota has a new concept van that previews a replacement for Japanese taxis. Unimaginatively christened the JPN Taxi, it shares with most Australian taxis the fact that it runs on LPG. However unlike most of our taxis the JPN taxi focuses on a well appointed interior, with an information screen for customers, electric sliding doors, and practical interior ideas to enhance passenger comfort.For the second time this year, Toyota has also taken the roof off the 86, with a soft top concept. It looks to be a slightly more production ready version of the concept shown earlier at Frankfurt, but Toyota says the FT-86 Open is a design study only. This revives debate about when – or whether -- a production soft top 86 will happen, with Toyota recently announcing it was shelving development for the time being.But the working soft top and production ready interior in the FT-86 Open concept headed for Tokyo show that the car won't need much more development to hit the showroom floor.With a next generation MX-5 under way -- and keen to re-claim its dominance in the sports car segment, after the 86 stole its crown as the affordable sports must-have --  Toyota may just be waiting for the right timing to go topless with the 86 and keep up the pressure on Mazda.Closing off Toyota's Tokyo Motor Show concept car line up are the Voxy and Noah people mover concepts. Based on a common platform, the two vans are full of clever packaging solutions that maximise interior space. They will have a petrol and hybrid drivetrain when they reach production, but are unlikely to ever be on sale at Australian showrooms.

The Daihatsu Copen was always about being super-cute rather than super-quick. And that formula will continue as Daihatsu unveils five concepts under the Kopen (with a K) name as successors to one of Japan’s smallest sports cars. All five concepts will appear at the Tokyo motor show later this month, with the version that draws the strongest response potentially bound for the production line. The similarity of the Kopen concepts with the 2011 D-X concept also suggests development for the Copen is in the advanced stages, with only the surface design to be finalised. The Copen is a halo model for Daihatsu, which specializes in small cars, so it’s important for the brand to nail an appealing design. The Copen was also one of the last Daihatsus sold in Australia before Japan’s oldest car manufacturer was removed from our market in 2007 by parent company Toyota. It continued to sell overseas until production ceased earlier this year, making a replacement model imminent. When it launched in 2003, the Copen combined a 0.66-litre four cylinder turbo engine into a light body on a diminutive footprint. Its 50kW and 100Nm were enough to power the small sports car, but not enough to break any records. A folding aluminium roof and a low centre of gravity and curved bodywork made this a popular cheap car in many markets worldwide - especially in its home market of Japan. The Kopen concepts stick to this formula, although the concept cars rely on a CVT automatic transmission (very popular in Japan) instead of the manual setup that was available in Australia. But the diminutive turbo engine, folding metal roof and toy car feel remain. The sports roadster concept will coincide with the Tokyo show unveiling of Honda’s S660 – another similarly sized roadster. Although there is a small chance we’ll see the latter in Australia, it’s unlikely Toyota will consider reviving the new Copen in our market.  

Nissan’s new Pathfinder has abandoned its former hardcore offroader track and headed down the family softroader route.

When the current R35 Nissan GT-R is replaced in 2016, the incoming giant-killer will have big shoes to fill and some serious competitors to hunt. To boost its chances of success, Nissan has recruited

The new model, due 2016, would fill the gap between the standard five-seater Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, but would be based on the next generation Evoque rather than the current one.Autocar reports that the larger Evoque will use Jaguar’s new all-aluminium platform as seen in the C-X17 crossover concept. This signals the next generation’s intentions to save weight over the current model, despite the addition of over 300mm in length in the seven-seater version.The aluminium structure also has significantly more torsional rigidity than the current platform, increasing the appeal for off roaders and handling enthusiasts alike. The new Evoque could also spawn the brand’s new four cylinder units which are currently being developed.When it arrives, the baby Range Rover could become the smallest premium four wheel drive with a seven-seat option, opening another niche for the British off road brand. The company has also been targeting Rolls Royce and Bentley at the higher end of the market, with a long wheelbase Range Rover Vogue also scheduled for next year.If you can’t wait until the larger Evoque launches though, Land Rover may have another small seven-seater solution – if you can wait until the end of next year. The next generation Freelander will be due then, and indications are that the brand’s entry level model will feature a seven-seat option, although will likely miss out on the aluminium structure of its premium Evoque sibling.

The Nissan R35 GT-R replacement will have big shoes to fill when it arrives in 2016, with the current car being one of the quickest supercars ever. But the company now says it wants to offer more than "just performance", while keeping the supercar affordable. The chief engineer for the upcoming R36 GT-R, Kinishi Tanuma, says he doesn't just want a car with more bang, but one that represents more for your buck. "We need more of a volume car, not just more horsepower," Tanuma says. The current 404kW/628Nm R35 is also the cheapest supercar in the market, at a relatively affordable $170,800 – despite every engine being hand-built by a specialised technician called a Takumi. Nissan has only four Takumi working on the GT-R assembly line, so production is slow. However a fifth Takumi is in training, which should boost capacity at the plant. An increased production capacity should help keep the replacement car affordable too, which is one of Tanuma's main challenges. Reports suggest this will be made harder because while the upcoming model is likely to retain the current 3.8-litre twin turbo V6, the GT-R will move into hybrid drivetrains developed with Williams F1 team. This could push the entry level price beyond the A$200,000 mark for the first time. A move to hybrid technology could also result in the current GT-R's time of 2.7 seconds from 0-100km/h being trumped, if hybrid technology in other supercars is any indication of performance capabilities. Although Nissan is keeping its cards close to its chest, Tanuma confirmed the upcoming model will pack even more electronic aids. Until then, the long-awaited R35 GT-R NISMO model is due soon, and promises fans increased performance and capabilities --making it a great send-off for the R35 GT-R.