Big in Japan: The future of Japanese automotive design

by Matthew Firestone on

This week (and last), Big in Japan will be bringing you scenes from the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (???????????????????????) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.

For an overview of this biennial event, be sure to read Scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show. For all of you road warriors out there, don’t miss A look at the future of motorcycles. For anyone who loves crazy concept cars, check out The Nissan Pivo2 can pivot on a dime. For an intriguing look at the future personal transportation, see The Nissan Pixy will help us survive the apocalypse.

Do you love the Japanese design aesthetic? So do I.

From the chic minimalism of Japanese interior spaces to the efficiency and reliability of Japanese electronics, form and function is indeed a virtue here in the Far East.

With that said, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that form and function were key themes at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. If you’ve been wondering where Japanese automotive design will take us in the years ahead, keep reading as you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you use your car as a business, a home away from home or as your key to the great outdoors, you’re going to love what the future holds.

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Although space is something that most North Americans take for granted, the mind-blowing density of Japan’s urban landscapes necessitates good design.

Indeed, here in Japan it’s not about how big your apartment is, but what you do with the space that counts.

So, it’s only natural that automotive design in the years ahead will reflect our individual needs to a greater extent.

For instance, although most Americans choose car interiors based on whether or not they want cloth or leather, Japanese car manufacturers are hoping that fully customizable interiors will be the wave of the future.

Although the idea of relaxing in your car with good friends may seem far-fetched, it’s not so hard to imagine if your car’s interior had IKEA-inspired seats, a coffee table, a mini-bar and a wall-mounted plasma TV.

Or, what if instead of renting commercial space, you could take your business on the go?

Imagine instead of ruining the leather in your car in an attempt to bring Fido to the groomers, you could instead call up a service to swing on by your house.

And of course, even accessing the great outdoors will be less of a hassle in the future.

If you want to go rollerblading on the boardwalk, simply park your car, climb into the back, swivel the seats, lock in to your skates and you’re ready to go.

Or, what if you and the family want to go SCUBA diving?

Instead of trying to fit all of your tanks and gear into the trunk, simply extend the cab on your minivan, and load your gear with the ease of browsing through your closet.

Of course, customization doesn’t come cheap, which is perhaps the main hurdle in bringing these concept designs to the market.

However, in a country where form and function hold a significant amount of weight, perhaps it won’t be too long before our cars are just as personalized as our homes.

The future is indeed looking bright.

For photos of the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, check out the gallery below:

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Big in Japan: The Suzuki Pixy will help us survive the apocalypse

by Matthew Firestone on

This week (and last), Big in Japan will be bringing you scenes from the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (???????????????????????) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.

For an overview of this biennial event, check out Scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show. For all of you road warriors out there, don’t miss A look at the future of motorcycles. For anyone who loves crazy concept cars, check out The Nissan Pivo2 can pivot on a dime.

Do you ever worry about surviving the apocalypse?

Be it Armageddon, environmental degradation, nuclear war or pandemic disease, it’s becoming increasingly more likely that our days on this planet are numbered.

Fortunately, the good folks at Suzuki have a solution to our problems, namely the Pixy and the SSC (Suzuki Sharing Coach).

Together, this Segway-inspired personal mobility unit and accompanying transportation accessories will make it a cinch for humans to survive the apocalypse, be it a world of religious fury, saturated pollution, nuclear winter or seething illness.

Are you depressed yet? If not, keep reading for more information on the dark future to come.

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In a world compromised by religious fires, noxious chemicals, nuclear fallout or airborne viruses, maintaining your own personal breathing space outside the comfort of your underground dwelling is of the utmost importance. That is why the Suzuki Pixi is the perfect answer to your individual transportation needs.

As demonstrated at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Pixi is something akin to a Segway on steroids, allowing for personalized mobility and complete control. Powered by a tweaked-up mouse, the user can spin the vehicle 360 degrees, and move either forwards or backwards using just one hand.

Depending on the harshness of the outside world, the Pixi can completely seal in the user in order to create a protected environment, or go ‘convertible’ allowing the user to take in the scenic views of the scorched, exhausted, contaminated or plagued world that we once called Earth.

Of course, mobility in a post-apocalyptic world shouldn’t just be confined to travelling from your cave to the hermetically sealed grocery store, which is why Suzuki had the good insight to imagine the SSC or Suzuki Sharing Coach.

Basically, the SSC is an acronym to describe one of several vehicles that will interface with the Pixy.

For instance, imagine if you and your family want to pack your pods into the SSC and have a picnic in the haunted, cut-down, incinerated or festering landscape once known as a park. With the land cruiser SSC unit, you can experience the perils of a post-apocalyptic world together as a family.

Or, what if you need to travel across the evaporated, oily, boiling or infectious body of water once known as the ocean. With the motor boat SSC unit, you can hit the high seas and reminisce about a day when people once ate a delicious and prolific creature known as fish.

Sure, sometimes when you turn on the news in this modern era, it’s easy to get down on the state of reality. But, don’t worry – thanks to good folks at Suzuki, clearly we should have no problem surviving the apocalypse!

For more scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show, tune in tomorrow for another installment of Big in Japan.

For photos of the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, check out the gallery below:

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Who visits the U.S, and why

by Catherine Bodry on

Which country sent the most visitors to the U.S. in 2006? Here’s a hint: it’s one of our closest neighbors, and it’s really no surprise. If you guessed Canada, you’re correct — Canada sent 15,992,242. And if you guessed Mexico, you’re almost correct — our neighbors to the south came in second with 13,317,000 visitors. Next on down is the United Kingdom followed by Japan, Germany, France, and the Republic of Korea.

So, what are all these tourists checking out? It’s not all Las Vegas and Disneyland: Spanish tourists are “interested in rugged western outdoor tourism, and [there’s a] growing interest in Native American culture and traditions.” Japanese want to find scenes from their favorite movies. And with their strengthening dollar, many Canadians are coming to the U.S. to shop.

Forbes has a slideshow of the top U.S.-visiting countries, and you can read the full report on the U.S.’s foreign tourists on Forbes’ website.

Japan to fingerprint all visitors and foreign residents

by Neil Woodburn on

If you’ve been inspired by Mathew’s excellent Big in Japan feature here on Gadling and are thinking of visiting this fine country, you might want to spend a moment to check out a disturbing article in yesterday’s LA Times, Japan’s welcome mat getting prickly.

It seems that the Japanese government is cracking down on not just foreigners but foreign residents as well, requiring them to be photographed and fingerprinted every time they enter the country.

The official story is that theses measures are to help thwart terrorism. Critics charge, however, that Japan is hardly a terrorist target and that the government is enacting these measures to keep a closer eye on foreigners who spend lengthy amounts of time in the country. Civil rights activists argue that the government is racially profiling foreigners because of accusations that non-Japanese immigrants and visitors are the cause of rising crime in the country.

Yes folks, it’s the immigrants that did it! You know, the ones that don’t look like the rest of us.

How sad.

Big in Japan: The Nissan Pivo2 can pivot on a dime

by Matthew Firestone on

This week (and last), Big in Japan will be bringing you scenes from the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (???????????????????????) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.

For an overview of this biennial event, check out Scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show. For all of you road warriors out there, don’t miss A look at the future of motorcycles.

Do you love concept cars? So do I.

In case you’re wondering about all of the crazy concept cars that are being highlighted at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, check out the new Nissan Pivo2, which easily steals the spotlight.

According to Nissan, this environmentally friendly, electric-powered urban commuter car features a cabin capable of rotating 360 degrees, which is perfect for drivers with a fear of parallel parking.

The Pivo2 also caters to futurists out there with the introduction of ‘intelligent life form design,’ which is intended to revolutionize the interaction between car and driver.

Have I peaked your interest yet? Keep reading for more on this unbelievable concept car.

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Adhering to its mantra of ‘Always enjoyable, everywhere convenient,’ the Pivo2 was designed to meet the specific needs of the urban commuter. The signature feature of the Pivo2, which was inherited from the first generation, is its revolving cabin.

Thanks to its variable geometry system dubbed Metamo, the revolving interior of the Pivo2 means that the driver can always face forward while driving, even when parallel parking or leaving a front-in parking space.

As a result of the disk-shaped traction motor housed in each wheel unit, the Pivo 2 can also be maneuvered in ways that would be difficult for an ordinary vehicle. With the ability to control all four wheel units independently, the Pivo2 can actually move sideways, which is advantageous when you’re negotiating parking lots and congested streets.

In regards to safety, the Metamo system also contributes to the overall performance and safety of the Pivo2. For instance, the system automatically controls the position of the wheels according to driving conditions in order to equalize the overall load.

The coolest aspect of the Pivo2 is its intelligent life form design. Basically, Nissan believes that a vehicle can also evoke feelings of affection, creating actual partner relationships. As a result, the Pivo2 employs a robotic agent (RA) that actually talks and listens to the driver.

Seriously!

In addition to providing information needed for driving, the RA can actually infer the mood of the driver, and respond with the appropriate emotion. The RA accomplishes this task by scanning facial gestures, and analyzing the tone and pitch of the driver’s voice.

The engineers at Nissan hope that this interactive interface will put the driver in a calmer frame of mind, which they believe will result in safer driving. They also hope that the RA will forge feelings of trust and affection between the car and driver.

Awesome. I mean, I’ve named every car I’ve ever owned, but none of them actually knew mine!

For more scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show, tune in tomorrow for another installment of Big in Japan.

For photos of the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, check out the gallery below:

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