In the build up to this year’s Tokyo Motor Show it seems there is an abundance of information surrounding  just what will and what won’t (and maybe!) make an appearance in October. One of those is the Lexus LF-A and ahead of the show we’re given another little piece of news.

Apparently the new Lexus 4.8L V10 will be designated “1LR-GEU” according the Japan’s Best Car magazine and although we’ve read it all before, they once again reiterate that the V10 will produce 550PS. With a new snippet of news surfacing on the Lexus LF-A literally coming out every fortnight, it’s quite understandable that Best Car chose to keep this update short and sweet.

The name change that’s been mentioned revolves around some information regarding the restyling effort. Will the restyled LF-A bring with it a departure from the current Lexus performance car naming system? Best Car (BC) has been informed that a name change is on the table but it’s not clear whether this will actually go through and become a reality. We’ve been told that “SS550″ or similar (SS meaning Super Sports, 550 being the power output) could be what the new Lexus sports car will be named in a move to further separate it from the current Lexus performance car, the IS-F.

There is also going to be 30 colors to choose from when the Lexus LF-A goes on sale, 12 standard colors and 18 optional premium colors. That should go some way to make potential buyers feel better about the 22,000,000 JPY asking price! BC haven’t pulled any punches regarding the design of the headlights, looking very similar to the  Nürburgring race car’s design only with an additional tab added underneath for the turn signals. Nevertheless, Lexus LF-A and 086A hype is in full swing in Japan so we should be hearing a lot more about these two as we get closer to October.

Well the new Mark X will continue in the previous car’s mould and not offer a turbo charged engine. There was talk of the new 2010 Mark X going up head to head with Subaru’s Legacy B4 2.5 GT with a turbo model but we’re now told that won’t be the case

and only 2.5L and 3.5L V6 engines will be available with the 3.5L replacing the smaller 3.0L V6 in the current car. The design of the exterior is said to be less agressive and it will also offer a higher quality interior. While the platform will be a modified version of the current car’s underpinnings and offering 4WD as well as RWD, it is also expected to be a “world car” being offered for sale in major markets outside Japan.

Fan of the almighty 370Z get ready to push the limit of your beloved mythical coupe with the arrival in Japan of the new and improved Autech Nismo 370Z.

Tuned to bring you the most of your Z, you will not only be able to enjoy its 19ps improvement (355ps in total) but also is newly designed exhaust line, improved manual gear box, suspensions, as well as tuned aerodynamic in order to make sure that not only your car will be even faster but also better equipped to handle like a charm.

Interested? Well guess what, in Japan the 6 Manual Gear Box version only cost 4.9 Million Yen (37000€)… So just get your passport ready !

Is this going to be the next new thing? Stateside the tuning scene seems to be turning towards the Dub euro scene with bonnet bras, lowered to the floor and deep dish alloy wheels.

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the sales launch of the all-new Mazda Axela (known overseas as the new Mazda3) in the Japanese market. Mazda’s mainstay model has been fully redesigned and updated with a host of new features, including the ‘i-stop’ engine stop/start system.

Since the Mazda Axela first debuted in October 2003 it has become a core model in Mazda’s lineup, selling over two million units worldwide and currently comprising over a third of its annual global sales. For the second generation Axela, the development team was determined to once again exceed customer expectations. As a result, the new model inherits and evolves Mazda’s highly acclaimed sporty performance and exterior styling. Additionally, it arrives with an outstanding interior with greater quality and functionality, and offers advanced environmental and safety features.

All 2.0-liter front-wheel-drive (FWD) models are equipped with i-stop, Mazda’s unique engine stop/start system, which uses combustion energy to restart the engine in just 0.35 seconds, about half the time of most other competing systems. The i-stop system also suppresses noise and vibration as the engine shuts down and restarts, ensuring that drivers experience a natural driving feel with no sense of discomfort. Prices for models with i-stop start from an affordable 1,890,000 yen (including sales tax).

The 2.0-liter FWD Axela with i-stop provides 15 percent better fuel economy than the previous model.^*1 The 1.5-liter Axela models are newly equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This combination enables a sporty ride and top class fuel economy^*2 of 18.4 kilometers per liter. All models in the Axela range qualify as Super-Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (SU-LEV), achieving exhaust emissions that are at least 75 percent lower than the levels required by the Japanese government’s 2005 exhaust emissions standard. Additionally, six of the nine model grades qualify for Japan’s eco-car incentive program as well as tax reductions of 50 or 75 percent under the government’s eco-car tax reduction program.

Together with its superb environmental performance, the new Mazda Axela also boasts more spirited driving performance. Mazda’s engineers achieved notable weight reduction while efficiently increasing the vehicle’s body rigidity, and reworked the aerodynamics so that the new Axela provides enhanced handling and straight-line stability at high speeds. Drivers can enjoy substantially improved comfort and cabin quietness due to reduced road noise, engine vibration and wind noise.

The updated exterior design, which features a new version of Mazda’s hallmark five-point grille, carries forward the original model’s sporty impression and injects an added touch of dynamic and refined styling. click here to read the rest of the article

If so far only Cusco Racing had an Impreza running on the GT300, Subaru and STI is planning to soon launch a modified Legacy B4 (sedan) in order to compete in this Category.
A bit surprising indeed in such economical atmosphere to start racing again, and especially since Subaru no longer participate to the WRC, but this announcement could boost Subaru brand image in Japan.

Mitsubishi UK propose both the Lancer Evolution X FQ-330 and FQ-400, 2 stunning Evo X with some serious “boost”, and despite our effort to convince Mitsubishi Japan we don’t expect to see anything coming from them soon… Luckily, the folks over at MONSTER Motor Group in Japan, you can TODAY get a fully loaded 360 PS Lancer Evolution X with their 360SPEC Lancer Evolution X.

Based on either a regular GSR SST or GSR-Premium SST, Monster will rework the engine, improved and tweak ECU, Mufflers… In order to provide you a nice 360 PS with a 50kg-m Torque Evo.

Interested? Well make sure to contact Monster Sport since their offer is quite “attractive” and for just 4.5 Million Yen (33 000€) you will get an impressive Evo to play with !

Another week another picture of the week. This time an nice track prepared Honda Civic LSI, from the Japanese Performance Tuning Show at Silverstone 2009. This car might only be a 1.5 SOHC engine but weighing in at under 850kg it can certanly turn a few heads round the track.