Top Car

16 TOPCAR.CO.ZA|January 2016INSIDER.IncomingNissan saysweshouldn’t assumethe IDS previewsMk2 Leafstyling,but who are theykidding?Thisall-carbonelectric concept isa statementofthe company’sthinkingabout autonomousdrivingtech, which it remains committedtointroducingby 2020. The‘Intelligent Drive’featuresincludefull ‘piloted driving’capability– inwhich the steering wheelretractsinto the dash– and``````the optiontopark it via iPad.Somewhatalarmingly, it’sproposedthe autonomousmode will mimic the owner’sdriving style,rather than proceedin the mostlogical and orderlyfashion, but sensorsandLEDsaroundthe car aimtosignalreassurancetocyclistsandpedestrians.Skinnytyres andaerooptimisation maximisedriving range.``````It’s noOX 99 -11 but this isa prettyboldstatementfromYamaha. Followingonfrom 20 13’s Motivcitycarconcept,the Japanesemotorbike maker hasonceagain teamed upwith GordonMurray toshowa four-wheelerbasedon the erstwhile F1designmaestro’s ‘iStream’ manufacturingprocess.This time it’s a low-slungsports car and the bones ofthe``````project are built fromcarbonfibre- afirst for iStream –in anefforttoconvincethe world that the wonderweave canbecost-effectiveaswellassuperlight. There’s atantalisingsuggestion the SportsRidecould bepowered bya Yamaha bike engineforhigh-rev thrills, but atthis stage it’sall justwishful thinking. Productionnot confirmed.TheQX 30 is a sister cartothe recentlylaunched Q30 hatchback. It’s built uponthe same MercedesA Class-derivedplatform with amixof Renault-Nissanand Mercpowerplants on the enginelist. Theground clearanceis greater,naturally, andmanyvariantswill beoffered with four-wheeldrive.``````It’s a higher-riding,butched-upkindofBeetle. VWsaysit’s inspiredby’70sdune buggies, although withitstea-trayrearspoiler, widertrack andwheelarchextensionswewonderif the design team might havepinned a911 Turbo pictureortwo totheir 1970s moodboardaswell.``````Mazdahas chuckedout aloadofbulkfrom thealready-flyweight convertiblebysomeprettyextreme changes,wrought with the help ofthe tuningfraternity. It’s about asbasic asa moderncar canbe, with the stripped-backvintage design providing abeautiful facadetocomplement thevehicle’salready good handling ability. Thelow-slung MX-5Speedster featurescarbonfibre doors andseats, small 16in rimsandeven drops the windscreenandhoodaltogether, weighing in ata feathery 94 3kg.It’s still powered bytheregular 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine–meaning118kWand 20 0Nm,but Mazdahas not issued any acceleration figures yet.It’s a vastfour-door saloon withcoupe-ishstyling anda hydrogenfuel-cellpowertrain. Visually, itgives usa good ideawhatthe nextLSflagshipis going tolook like;technically itmight bea bit morefar-fetched –thoughToyotahas justput the hydrogen-powered Mirai onsale in theUK,soit has the capability.Keydesign featuresincludea grillebig enoughfor barbecuing smallanimals, muscularhaunches andtaillightsthat look like giantboomerangshavinganorgy. Thespacious four-seater interior includes gesturecontrol, which should bea given sincethe BMW 7Seriesalready offersit. In-wheel motorsatthe frontandconventionally motor-drivenrearscreate torquevectoring 4wd.Nissan IDS ConceptYamaha Spor ts Ride ConceptInfiniti QX30 VW BeetleDuneMazda MX-5SpeesterLexus LF-LC Flagship ConceptThecarsthatrevvedusupthis month