14 Inch Edsel Wheel Mercury on 2040-parts.com

Tokyo motor shows: past, present and future

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 20 August 2009 09:30 As bets in this topsy-turvy, unpredictable industry go, it’s a banker: of all the motor shows on the global calendar, the Tokyo exhibit is always the barmiest. Although the Chinese shows are rising in importance – and amusement value –  there’s something peculiarly bonkers about the biannual Japanese bash held in downtown Tokyo. So strange is the exhibition at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba City to westerners, that you don’t bat an eyelid at talking cars, vehicles with feelings, or cars designed for dogs.

New Ford C-Max revealed

Ford has released first details of the new C-Max which will debut at Frankfurt Ford has released some detail of the new C-Max, which is the first car from Ford to use the next generation Ford Focus platform, and will come as either a five or seven seat car. Not only will the new C-Segment platform be used here in the C-Max, but it will also see use in not just the next generation Focus, but also in the eventual replacement for the Ford Kuga. The C-Max will very sensibly stick with the multi-link rear suspension that has given the current generation Focus such great driving dynamics, and it will also feature Ford’s 1.6 litre Ecoboost engine, which is equipped with a turbo and direct injection for improved economy and efficiency.

The next F1: McLaren plans replacement for supercar

Formula One powerhouse McLaren secretly has begun work on a replacement for its legendary F1 supercar, while it also gears up to become a mainstream sports-car maker. McLaren's Technology Center in Woking, England, has built some 2,000 McLaren SLR supercars a year for Mercedes-Benz, but McLaren boss Ron Dennis reportedly has his sights set on producing 1,000 of its upcoming Ferrari F430-fighting P11s a year starting in 2011. The number, Dennis said, will rise to 4,000 cars by mid-decade as future models such as the Porsche 911-challenging P8 come on line.