Yamaha's debut of a new concept car will the highlight of the upcoming 44th Tokyo Motor Show event slated to begin on Oct. 29.
The car, which has a design concept that is "inspired by motorcycles and expresses the unique style of Yamaha," was teased by the company in an image that showcases its sports coupe-like build.
According to Yamaha, this year's theme will be "Yamaha Product Orchestra." While the company is famous for creating a number of noteworthy products such as ATVs, scooters, motorcycles, side-by-sides, snowmobiles and other engines, they have yet to include a car in their product lineup. Perhaps Yamaha will deviate a little from the usual if the teaser image of the concept car proves to be authentic.
Apart from the teaser image, no other information has been divulged. The caption, which noted how the car will be inspired by motorcycles, hints that the company may collaborate with Toyota to come up with a car designed with high output engines that are similar to the motorcycle lineup of Yamaha.
Yamaha has been developing engine components for known automobile makers such as Toyota, Volvo and Ford. In 1992, the company launched a sports car prototype called the OX99-11. Although the car was planned to reach production stage in 1994, it ended up being a shelved project due to financial concerns.
Another concept car that was revealed by the company was the MOTIV, showcased in the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Co-designed with Gordon Murray, the 8.8-foot MOTIV car concept comes with a tubular frame and sits two people.
Yamaha is also preparing to launch a global premiere of its reference and experimental motorcycle which will be known as the Resonator 125. Powered by a 125cc single-cylinder fuel injected motor, the motorcycle will come with a slim, lightweight and compact build. Other notable features include a seat cowl made with authentic wood grain materials and wood panels that adorn the fuel tank.
Hiroyuki Yanagi, President and Representative Director of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., said that Yamaha is preparing produce cars in an effort to diversify their business. The allocated budget for the manufacturing stage has been set at around "tens of billions of yen" which should be enough to produce the 2-seater car for commercial purposes. Yanagi added that the car will primarily cater to customers coming from Europe.
It remains to be seen whether the new car concept will actually reach production stage. With the Tokyo Motor Show slated to begin in a couple of days, Yamaha enthusiasts can look forward to new products and updates.
