Speco Er370 Deluxe Megaphone W/siren - 16w -er370 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.

Latest Saab production halt raises concern

News today that Saab has halted production again, owing to problems paying suppliers, has raised further questions over the long-term financial viability of the independent car maker. Saab says it continues to negotiate with its local suppliers to ensure a supply of parts, but has declined to mention when production may resume. Didn't Saab have supplier issues last week?

Driven: Mini Countryman

There has been no more contentious a car launched this year than the Mini Countryman. It's been labeled by some as sacrilegious to the very essence of the Mini brand, of 'selling out' and, yes, of being ugly. But does the concept of a four-meter Mini translate to use in the real world?