patrick_y's insightful coverage of the Japan Mobility Show 2023, formerly the Tokyo Auto Show, offers a critical look at the future of personal transportation. His unique perspective, attending as a public visitor rather than press, highlights the evolving landscape of automotive design, sustainability, and the potential societal impacts of increased automation and electric vehicles. This article synthesizes his observations with community discussion, providing a comprehensive overview for collectors navigating the industry's transformation.
The Tokyo Auto Show has changed its name to the Japan Mobility Show 2023
Here are some photos of the show... I attended on a public day (in past automotive content on WPS, I've usually attended on Press Days or VIP days) so apologies for all the people in the photos.
Overall... Good news, bad news, and the ugly. . Good news is that the future will promise to be very convenient and be good for handicapped individuals as the world will supposedly look more favorable on personal mobility. Bad news, if you saw the movie Wall-E, that's what the future of the world is going to look like - fat people on hovering chairs/chaises. We're not going to walk enough anymore. Heck, in some countries (like USA), people drive so much that they walk too little and don't even get basic exercise. Ugly news? Well - if you're a petrolhead like me and you like emotional cars - it seems that the cars are all going to be awful and be totally devoid of emotion in the future! Other than some aerodynamic styling and a lot of light effects, cars will likely be quieter (no combustion engines) and be more comfort and technology focused with a bend towards efficiency and sustainability rather than pleasurable to drive. I like the efficiency and sustainability part - as we are consuming too much of the world's natural resources. But I don't like the boring driving part (c'mon, all I want is a Alpine A100S in my driveway...).
Here are some photos...
I don't do queues! There were a thousand people queueing to get into this place! This is the Tokyo BIG SIGHT - a convention center. This is NOT, I repeat, NOT A SPACEPORT! It looks like a SPACEPORT, but I assure you there are no spaceships in here!
BMW's new design language.
This is my kind of car... A practical 4 door sedan - electric. Maybe a BMW i5? I've had two BMWs in the past - did like both of them. Especially that V8 engine that was so smooth and linear. Although both of the BMWs I had were equipped with sliding brake calipers (generally I prefer fixed calipers) and both did not have double wishbone suspension. Oh - and that BMW with the V8 not only sounded great, it also had a great audio system that sounded as good as the audio system in the Rolls-Royce Ghost! Sometimes I didn't want to get out of my concert-hall-on-wheels.
Hydrogen is manufactured two ways; the vast majority is made from stripping the hydrogen atoms out of natural gas - very pollutive and bad for the environment as the remaining molecule is thrown away or burned. The hydrogen that car companies and oil companies want you to think is clean comes from water - but more energy is required to separate the oxygen atom from the molecule than the process will ever give back. In other words, it takes 100 KWH to make the hydrogen that will only give you back 60-70 KWH of energy (before transportation and infrastructure costs) - that doesn't make sense. But Japanese market is high on hydrogen - so let's see what happens...
BYD! The Chinese cars are coming!
This is the BYD Seal, a mid-size electric sedan that will soon be available in many major markets including European markets! This car looked well built. I don't know if BYD found the best one out of the factory - but this car should make all the European and American car companies worry... It looks darn well put together. I know Chinese cars aren't great performers in crash testing yet, and handling/performance isn't their strong suit yet - but this BYD brand looks ready to take on the mainstream. As a Tesla fan and a Tesla investor - I'm a little scared of BYD! This is a stealthy and silent player, who's coming up fast in the rear view mirror!
Lexus has some awesome designs - these designs are supposedly very aerodynamic too.
Honda showing off the future of mobility - including their Honda Jet! Remember this show is not focusing on JUST cars - it's focusing on ALL MOBILITY including trucks, drones, VTOLs (Vertical take off landing), and personal mobility devices (we're all going to be sitting on motorized chairs in Neo-cities).
That's one nice airplane.
Honda Prelude sports car! Nice blue Brembo brake calipers! This is a future EV and it looks almost production ready!
Looks good! Honda Prelude Electric car! Can't wait to drive this one! RWD? Double Wishbone suspension? Good brakes?
Honda now sells bicycles. This Honda Prologue SUV uses a General Motors Ultium battery and chassis!
The car of the future - a CRUISE mobility pod. CRUISE, a subsidiary of General Motors, just lost their license to operate driverless cars in San Francisco - too many small accidents and cars getting stuck!
The future world will have these mobility chairs! Car companies expect everyone to commute to work in one of these! Where do I park this thing? In my cubicle? It looks like the hovering chaise in the Wall-E movie!
Oh! This is cool! I want one of these! A Lexus ATV! Awesome!!!
Afeela is a car brand from SONY and is another one of Honda's many joint ventures.
Famous race cars were in attendance - but this is not a show about luxury cars nor about performance cars (that used to be the Geneva Auto Show - don't know when that will come back). This is a show about mobility - so sadly this poor car with the latest technology didn't get the full recognition it deserved.
Okay, a lot of us own G-wagens. I like them - they're cool - but I haven't gone camping in years! Still - super cool. Here's the concept version of the upcoming electric version. An electric G-wagen? I like the idea - and I like the idea of having a much smaller fuel bill - I can't afford the fuel bill on gasoline cars - petrol prices in California hit $8/gallon (a US Gallon is 3.78 liters) for a brief moment (only a month) in the summer. That was a painful month!
The new Toyota Landcruiser. Toyota owned this show. Between the Toyota booth, HINO trucks, and all the other Toyota subsidiaries, Toyota probably had 20% of the floor space at this show!
You can't see it, but there's a party going on in the background with dancing on the stage and loud club music! The actors on stage in the wheelchairs are dancing and doing wheelies in the wheelchairs!
The new Toyota Crown Wagon!
A drone! In the future, if you live in a high-rise, one of your windows will open so a drone can fly in and drop off a package. Or it can drop off the package in your balcony. In the future city apartments will be modified to accept drone delivery! Make sure you draw your bedroom curtains! Drones might startle you while you're sleeping in bed! Frightful thought!
In the future, robots will make sushi! This is a 3d Sushi printer!
More robotic cooking, this drum will spin and cook food evenly.
Mobis, Mobil-eye, all the LIDAR and sensor companies are here too!
The Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center feels like futuristic NEO-Tokyo today. This weird looking building is probably a popular setting for science-fiction movies. What a weird building!
There will be warrior robots in the future too!
Drones to transport human passengers! Oh my goodness! Is that thing safe? It looks a little flimsy.
Finally! A high performance and emotional electric sports car! This is the Nissan Skyline GT-R concept!
It's pretty cool - I have to admit!
Revisiting the BYD booth - notice this front suspension is a double wishbone suspension - seems like BYD is using good parts - the back suspension looks super basic though. Very basic McPherson Strut set up with not a lot of links.
Subaru had a video that showed off their Eyesight driving technology and their approach to driving enjoyment! It seems that most brands are heading away from driving enjoyment! Sadly!
Toyota CENTURY - the Rolls-Royce of Japan - this is Japan's most luxurious automobile - I still haven't been in one! Prime Ministers, The Emperor, Japanese ambassadors, often travel in a Toyota Century. Supposedly they are extremely luxurious cars! While I was looking at this car - I noticed one couple - a very well heeled man and woman who were looking to upgrade their current Century with this new one - I asked her how did she like driving her current Century - she informed me she has never driven her Century even once as she has a chauffeur - but her chauffeur tells her the car drives well and is reasonably stable in cornering. I asked her why didn't she acquire a Rolls-Royce instead - she told me the paint on her Century was much better and she could see some orange peel in the paint of the Rolls Royce - which disappointed her. Gee, this is one detailed lady! I wonder if she's into watches!
Overall. Good, Bad, and Ugly... Good - mobility will be available to all and is evolving to be less polluting which means better air for us! Bad - We're all going to be in hover-chairs like the Wall-E movie - go watch that movie if you haven't seen it - it's A FANTASTIC Pixar movie. Ugly - if you're into emotional performance sports cars, your days are numbered!
