Tokyo 2010: Toyota Prius Custom Plus Concept

If you couldn't find a modified Prius to your likings at the grounds of this year's edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan, chances are that you never will. We lost count of how many customized Prius' made their way to the Makuhari Messe exhibition center, but Toyota alone displayed three different concept versions of its popular hybrid model.

Making its debut alongside the Prius G Sports and TOM's Prius studies was the Prius Custom Plus Concept (CCP) prepared by Toyota's in-house customizing and accessories division.

The prototype model looks thoroughly worked over thanks to the wide body kit that further accentuates the Prius hybrid's wedgy shape.

Together with the new nose job that boasts massive Lamborghini-styled air-vents, the Prius CPC gets custom-made fenders, beefy side skirts, new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and side spoilers, and a large rear wing made out of carbon fiber.

Carbon fiber is also the material of choice for the new hood, roof, the cameras on the doors that replace the exterior mirrors and the rear panel on the trunk door.

The uniquely styled 18-inch alloy wheels that are shod on 215/40 R18 Goodyear tires sum up the exterior modifications.

The Fast and Furious / Racing theme is continued inside with the addition of gauges on top of the dashboard and just above the new steering wheel that's wrapped in Alcantara.

The same material is also used to trim the new Recaro bucket seats and most parts of the cabin.

Despite the go-fast looks, the only performance mods on the Prius CCP concerns the high-performance brake system and the sports suspension that lowers the car's ride height by 10mm up front and 15mm at the rear.

Photos by Phil Alex with the help of friends Mike and Aaron

Toyota Unveils MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept, Combines 3.3-liter V6 and Electric Motor for 400HP

It may only be a concept for now, but Toyota's GRMN MR2 Sports Hybrid study that was unveiled today at the Tokyo Auto Salon may very well form the technological base for a similar production sports car in the very near future, according to reports from Japan.

Developed in cooperation with Toyota's racing and tuning partner Gazoo, the concept is a two-seater, all-wheel drive hybrid sports car based on a modified version of the platform used in the now obsolete MR2 roadster.

Underneath its widened body, the MR2 concept gets a mid-mounted 3.3-liter V6 petrol engine that drives the rear wheels and the company's THSII hybrid system with the electric motor propelling the front wheels.

The combined output of the hybrid system and petrol engine is estimated to be in the range of 400 horsepower

Power is transferred to the wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with paddle shifts.

Toyota did not release any performance figures, but if you take into consideration that the 400HP plus roadster tips the scales at just 1,300 kg or 2,866 pounds (official data), this pocket rocket promises to be nothing less than fast.

BYD Auto F3DM EV: China's Volt Makes it to Detroit, will be Launched in the States by 2011

Along with the E6 fully-electric crossover, China's BYD Auto (which stands for Build Your Dreams) also showcased the F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan at its Detroit Show stand. This is not the first time we've seen the F3DM in the U.S. as the Chinese automaker displayed the car at last year's NAIAS.

Looking a lot like a previous generation Toyota Corolla, the 4,533mm (178.4 inches) long FD3M makes use of a small 1.0-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor for a combined output of 168hp (125kw).

Even though some sites have reported now and in the past that the F3DM's hybrid drivetrain works in the same that the Chevy Volt's does, meaning that the gasoline engine doesn't drive the wheels but charges the battery, BYD Auto's press release clearly points towards a system similar to the one found in the Prius.

"When the vehicle needs more power to accelerate, a gasoline engine and an electric motor drive the wheels together to provide greater output and torque," BYD Auto states in the F3DM's press release.

BYD claims that the plug-in hybrid sedan can drive up to 100km or 62 miles on electricity and 580km or 360 miles on a single battery charge and a full tank of gasoline.

The Chinese maker says that the F3DM's battery pack can be charged to 50% power via quick charge in 10 minutes, and 100% power via household charge in seven hours.

The vehicle also features a solar panel sunroof, which can be used to channel power to the battery pack.

According to BYD, the F3DM can sprint from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 10.5 seconds and go on to reach a top speed of 150 km/h or 93mph.

The plug-in hybrid sedan recently went on sale in China for the U.S. equivalent of around $22,000. The company said that it plans to sell the F3DM in the States by 2011.

2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Coupe with 122HP and up to 38mpg Unveiled in Production Form at Detroit

The long-awaited 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid sports coupe made its world premiere in production guise at Detroit Motor Show today. Compared to last year's Tokyo show concept, the U.S.-spec model seen here has remained more or less the same with changes limited to the different alloy wheels, the larger exterior mirrors, the Honda logo that has moved from the grille to under the bonnet and the revised tail lamp crystals.

The strictly two-seater CR-Z also retains the concept model's lightly futuristic interior boasting a multi-layer dashboard and three-dimensional instruments with a blue color scheme.

The coupe also gets a mid-ship console behind the front seats to optimize cargo space while a hard-shell separator can be closed to create additional hidden storage.

At the heart of the coupe is a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine with Honda's compact and lightweight Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system.

The CR-Z's 10kW electric motor assists in acceleration and also acts as a generator during braking or coasting to capture kinetic energy that recharges the 100-volt IMA nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The gasoline engine can automatically turn off during vehicle stops to further improve efficiency.

The hybrid system delivers a combined peak output of 122 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb-ft. of torque at 1,000 to 1,500 rpm with the standard six-speed manual gearbox and 123 lb-ft when combined with the optional CVT.

The CR-Z also gets a three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between individual modes of performance for Sport, Normal and Economy driving styles. The system, which affects the settings for steering, engine response, motor assist and air conditioning, is activated through three backlit buttons to the left of the steering wheel.

While Honda did not announce performance figures for the U.S.-spec model, a leaked brochure of the JDM CR-Z makes word of a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of 9.7 seconds, which if true, isn't exactly what you'd expect from a car that's the spiritual successor of the CR-X.

What the Japanese automaker did reveal are the preliminary fuel economy estimates. Honda anticipates that the CR-Z will achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 36 city/38 highway mpg for the CVT-equipped models and 31 city/37 highway mpg (7.6 lt and 6.4 lt/100km respectively) for the manual cars.

Again, nothing to be excited about. For example, the latest Toyota Prius that is powered by a 134HP hybrid powerplant and can sprint from 0 to 60mph in 9.8 seconds returns 51mpg city and 48mpg highway. Heck, even the BMW 335d sedan with its mighty 260HP diesel achieves 36mpg on the highway.

When the CR-Z arrives at Honda's U.S. dealers later this summer, it will be offered in two trim levels, base and EX.

Standard features on the base model include Vehicle Stability Assist, an audio system with six speakers, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, remote entry and cruise control.

The CR-Z EX will add High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlights with Auto-On/Off, fog lights, a 360-Watt premium audio system with seven speakers including subwoofer and Bluetooth, and perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel.