Top Good Stuff: 11/29/11

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Toyota Fun-Vii Concept

Crazy concept cars are something of a staple of the bi-annual Tokyo Motor Show, which takes place this year at the Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward from November 30 (press day) to December 11.

And while the star of Toyota's booth will be without doubt, the new 86 coupe (formerly known as the FT-86), Japan's top-brand has plenty more in store for us including the Fun Vii concept study.

The experimental model is described by Toyota as a "smartphone on wheels" and all for good reason as the Fun Vii functions a lot like a mobile phone. For instance, , the whole body of the vehicle as well as the interior can be used as a giant display space, with both the body color and display content changeable at will "with the same ease as downloading an application"

The Fun Vii also interacts and is able to link with surrounding vehicles and infrastructure, while Toyota says that a portion of the car's functions can be controlled remotely via a smartphone or any other mobile communication device.

We'll have more on the Fun Vii as well as the rest of the cars Toyota is planning to introduce in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Toyota 86 Video Bonanza: Track and Road Driving, Presentation, and Promo Films

So you want to see more of the new Toyota 86 sports coupe, do you? Well, we have you covered with more than a dozen fresh videos including promotional films, driving footage on the track and the road as well as clips from the media presentation at the Fuji Speedway in Japan.

For some reason Toyota has decided to name the car simply 86 in Japan and GT 86 in Europe, while the same or possibly slightly different variant with the Scion badge will be marketed as the FR-S in North America.

The key facts about the 86 include a front-mounted Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter boxer engine pushing 200-horses towards the rear axle through a short-shift six-speed manual gearbox (or a 6-speed automatic) and an available limited slip differential.

Toyota has not yet released full specifications, but a leaked brochure revealed that the JDM version tips the scales at 1,210kg (2,668 pounds) in basic trim and at 1,230kg (2,711 pounds) in the second trim level.

Needless to say, there's more to come so stay tuned…

Just Some Drifting Fun at the Local Parking Lot

Skilled drivers with a certain amount of experience behind the wheel don't need a lot of space to have some fun with their cars - and without getting into the same trouble as the owner of this white Corvette C6...

The video that follows after the break was shot in Taiwan and it shows a couple of dozen local drivers with their modded cars practicing their drifting skills on a relatively small parking lot marked with cones.

Toyota and Yamaha to Jointly Display Concept Bikes

It's a very little-known fact, but one of, if not the most famous Toyota sports cars of all time, the late 1960s 2000 GT, was designed and manufactured in collaboration with Yamaha, which is mostly recognized as a maker of motorcycles, marine engines and pianos.

The two Japanese companies are now combining forces once again with a joint display of two concept models at this week's 2011 Tokyo Motor Show to highlight their new collaboration in the development of communications-linked next-generation vehicles.

The two concepts are the three-wheeler electric commuter "EC-Miu" and the electrically power assisted bicycle "PAS WITH".

As part of their broad partnership, Yamaha Motors and Toyota plan to build a charging infrastructure that can be shared by both two-wheeled vehicles and automobiles, and also establish common systems such as navigation and telematics services that utilize smartphones and Wi-Fi communications.

Special Edition Versions of Mazda Demio hatch and Verisa

Mazda's Japanese division has rolled out two new special edition models, one based on its Demio sub-compact, which is known as the Mazda2 in overseas markets, and the other on the Verisa, a tall hatchback based on the previous generation Demio / Mazda2 that was launched in 2004 and is available exclusively in Japan.

Built to commemorate Mazda selling 2 million units of the Mazda2/Demio worldwide, the Demio '13-SKYACTIV Smart Stylish' is exclusively available with a Clear Water Blue Metallic exterior body and special seat trim with red piping. Other features include dark tinted glass, a keyless entry & start system with two advanced keys.

The Japanese firm's second special edition is the Verisa CLASSY STYLE that is offered in two flavors, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, both equipped with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine linked to a four-speed automatic transmission

Buyers can choose from three exterior colors Clear Water Blue Metallic (exclusive to this edition), Crystal White Pearl Mica and Radiant Ebony Mica, while the interior is trimmed in bespoke sand beige seats with leather side supports.

Additionally, the exterior is fitted with a special "Dress-up package" that includes chrome trim for the front grille, front bumper, rear bumper, side sills and tail gate, plus a standard Auto-light system, water repellant coating on the front door windows and mirrors, an exhaust pipe finisher and front fog lights with chrome bezels. Finally, the special edition Verisa rides on 15-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 185/55R15 81V tires.

Pricing in Japan is set at 1,470,000 Yen (U$18,995) for the Demio special, 1,640,000 Yen (US$21,150) for Verisa FWD and 1,829,000 Yen (US$23,600) for the Verisa AWD.

MAZDA DEMIO '13-SKYACTIV SMART STYLISH'

MAZDA VERISA VERISA CLASSY STYLE

Star Wars 442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper

The 442nd Siege Battalion was a unit of clone troopers within the Grand Army of the Republic. As their name implied, the 442nd were skilled in besieging enemy fortifications. They were equipped with AT-RT walkers and ISP speeders with green markings. During the Clone Wars, they were sent to aid in the capture of Cato Neimoidia, a key Trade Federation stronghold.

It is possible that this unit takes its designation from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a highly-decorated unit of the US Army consisting mostly of Nisei volunteers. These Japanese-American soldiers earned many honors fighting in brutal close-quarters and mountain combat in Italy during World War II. (source: wookiepedia)

The 442nd was a self-sufficient force, and fought with uncommon distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany. The unit became the most highly–decorated regiment in the history of the United States armed forces, including 21 Medal of Honor recipients. The motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was “Go for Broke.”

Here's another Sideshow Collectibles clone trooper from their Star Wars Militaries series - the 1/6 scale 442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper has the same armor as all the other earlier released clone troopers including the Phase II helmet but with a different color scheme.

You can pre-order this Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 scale 442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper 12-inch figure at TFH till it closes on 11-12-2011. Launch date is expected to be in the 2nd Quarter 2012.

Star Wars Republic Clone Captain

Sideshow is certainly keeping up with their clones. Having previewed the Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 scale 442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper 12-inch figure in the previous post, here's a first look at the Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Republic Clone Captain 12-inch figure.

The Clone Wars, also known as the Clone War and the Great Clone War, was the name given to the major galactic conflict fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The war was named after the clone troopers utilized by the Republic against the battle droid forces of the CIS. These armies, the Grand Army of the Republic and the Separatist Droid Army, were two of the largest ever pitted against each other in galactic history, and the fighting between them rapidly spread to countless inhabited worlds.

During the Clone Wars, the clone trooper captain was a specialized clone trooper breed which was bred on Kamino as battlefield officers and special mission operatives.

At the start of the war, clone trooper captains were recognized by the red markings on their helmets and torso armor, but as the war progressed, clone trooper armor became more customized and red marking not longer signified the rank of captain.

This is Sideshow Collectibles offering of the 1/6 scale Republic Clone Captain 12-inch figure from their Star Wars Militaries line. It is a clone trooper captain of the Grand Army of the Republic in Phase I clone trooper armor. The most obvious difference between Phase I and Phase II armor is the helmet.

The clone troopers were an army of identical, genetically-modified clones, created to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.

The armor was loosely based on the design of Jango Fett's Mandalorian shock trooper armor. The most notable feature of Mandalorian influence in the armor's design was the helmet's distinctive T-shaped visor.

The full uniform consisted of twenty plastoid armor plates, attached to a black body glove. Other aspects of the armor included the helmet's breath filter, a utility belt and the boots' high-traction soles.

Click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

At the beginning of the Clone Wars, Phase I battle armor used color to distinguish clone officers from each other and the rest of the rank-and-file stock. For instance, commanders were marked by yellow stripes; captains, lieutenants and sergeants were identified by red, blue and olive green respectively.

Here's a picture of all the various colored clone troopers Sideshow has released.

You can pre-order this Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 scale 4Republic Clone Captain 12-inch figure at TFH till it closes on 11-12-2011. Launch date is expected to be in the 2nd Quarter 2012.