BMW Confirms CS Production Plans

Remember that wild-looking four-door coupe BMW unveiled at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show? If you don’t, there’s a picture right here and a gallery here. Anyway, at the Tokyo Motor Show that’s going on this week, BMW executives confirmed that the company will indeed build the sloping sedan.

How emphatically did they confirm production plans? “This vehicle is only a concept study, but we have already decided that we will definitely build a four-door Gran Turismo, modeled on this concept,” said BMW board member Stefan Krause.

We pretty much expected the CS to be built, but it’s always nice to know it is officially in development.

Honda Confirms Two New Hybrids

Man, things are crazy in Tokyo today: During the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show Honda dropped news that it will indeed produce two new hybrid cars. One will be a Prius-fighting family car, while the other will be based on the CR-Z concept we’ve been drooling over the past few days.

Honda will also bring a street-ready version of its FCX hydrogen fuel cell car to the L.A. Auto Show next month. Both hybrids will hit streets in 2009.

We were hoping to see them — especially the CR-Z — sooner than that. 

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2007 Tokyo Motor Show: Volkswagen Space Up! Concept

• Looks like: A boring answer to the Mazda5
• Defining characteristics: Suicide doors, lots of rear glass
• Ridiculous features: All four seats swivel to face each other … while parked
• Chance of being mass-produced: VW is looking at new small cars for the globe; it’s doubtful they’ll reach the U.S.

At just 144 inches long, the space up! concept isn’t as big as it looks. An inch shy of a Mini Cooper, we’d be shocked if VW could pull off this much space in a real production version. VW says because the engine is in the back of the vehicle — think Beetle — it’s able to open up a lot of interior volume.

While this is a novel idea for European consumers, we’re left wondering why the company hasn’t delivered an updated version of its popular bus from the 1960s and 1970s instead. More images of the concept below.

2007 Tokyo Motor Show: Nissan GT-R

• Competes with: Corvette Z06, Ford Mustang GT 500, Porsche 911
• Looks like: A 13-year-old’s doodlings during algebra class
• Drivetrain: 473-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 with dual-clutch transmission; all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: In Japan, December 2007; in U.S., first half of 2008

The worst-kept secret in automotive history finally got its public introduction today in Tokyo. Nissan has unveiled its “supercar,” named GT-R. A famed Japanese nameplate, this beast will be unleashed on U.S. roads early in 2008 at a price tag close to $80,000. For that money, you get a demonic-looking sports car that can hit 62 mph in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 193 mph.

The GT-R is not meant for the faint of heart, although it does have seating for four and a trunk, so maybe Nissan expects you to take it on trips with friends. We don’t know about that, but owners will undoubtedly be taking trips to every stoplight they can find with this thing.

Only a select number of Nissan dealerships will be certified to sell and maintain the GT-R, and the company says it will take care of all “adjustments” to keep the car running at optimum levels for the first three years of ownership. That sounds like this might be one particularly hard-to-tame animal. We’ll follow the GT-R as it gets closer to its U.S. release and official prices and dealers are announced. Of course, you can get on a mailing list now through Nissan’s U.S. website. We’d also suggest getting your name on a waiting list if you don’t mind sight-un-driven impulse buys. As always, more photos below.

2007 Tokyo Motor Show: Audi Metroproject Quattro Concept

• Looks like: If Audi crossbred with a Mini Cooper
• Defining characteristics: Big bold grille, itsy bitsy body
• Ridiculous features: Pillarless windows, personal cell phone
• Chance of being mass-produced: This could very well be the rumored Audi A1 that the company hopes can compete with the Mini Cooper.   

Sometime last night, the Tokyo Motor Show kicked off and we’re waking up to some crazy concepts. We’re blow away at how much Audi’s Mini fighter exudes so much, well, Mini-ness despite all the Audi design language going on. If you think the looks are a bit outrageous, Audi has really gone over the top with the drivetrain of this concept car.

A 150 hp, turbo four-cylinder drives the front wheels — which on its own would be a feasible, everyday powerplant — while an electric motor drives the rear wheels during acceleration. That’s right, this is a hybrid, and a hybrid creating an all-wheel drive effect. Wild. 

The electric motor can also power the car alone at low speeds, with a range of 62 miles. All told, Audi says such a system would not only hit 62 mph in 7.8 seconds it would also get around 48 mpg. Ready to sign up for one yet? We have to digest the images a bit, but we expect Audi is quite serious about this car. Check out all the images below and let us know what you think.