Thursday, October 20, 2005

John McCormick Suzuki LC concept

Tokyo show tries to spur flat market with mix of zany and frugal

By John McCormick

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As in years past, the 2005 Tokyo motor show displays are dominated by domestic giants, Toyota, Honda and Nissan, but this year the focus is skewed towards fuel efficient vehicles more than usual.

That said, high performance sports cars are not entirely out of fashion, as witnessed by Nissan's hard core GT-R prototype and the stunningly-styled Mazda Senku coupe.

Innovative, creative concepts ranging from the logical to the bizarre are to be found throughout the show and Japanese automakers predilection for baffling English phrases an evident as ever; witness Honda's 'Wonderful Open-Hearted Wagon' and from Suzuki, 'Mom's Personal Wagon'.

Most Detroit automakers' CEOs were notable in their absence from the show floor, although Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group's former boss, now leader of DaimlerChrysler AG, was holding court on the Mercedes-Benz stand, where he showed another side of his talents by playing violin as part of an S-Class presentation.

Those who lament the deteriorating auto market in the US might be interested to know that Japan's domestic market is not exactly booming either, with flat demand around the four million unit level. One local analyst suggests that waning interest in new cars among young buyers is part of the problem. Apparently, Japanese consumers in their 20s are more interested in spending their disposable income of several hundred dollars a month on using their cellphones, than they are on payments for a new car. So how do they get around? The preferred options are public transport or cheap, used cars.