Nother CarGuy

Yamaha makes motorcycles. It may make cars at some point, if recent concepts lead anywhere in the near future. But this one bridges the gap between the two. With four wheels, the MWC-4 may appear closer to a car (missing some parts), but is closer in concept and execution to a motorcycle (with some extra components added). Like a Renault Twizy, it features tandem seating, a windscreen, fixed roof, and open sides. But it's controlled by handlebars (not a steering wheel), and actually leans into corners (instead of staying perpendicular to the road surface). The MWC-4 is little longer than a Twizy, but about the same height, and a fair bit narrower. Power comes from a pair of electric motors, with a gasoline engine on board to serve as a range extender. And the design looks considerably more aggressive than the Renault – or anything this side of a Decepticon, really. Whether Yamaha ever gets into the conventional car business or not, building something like the...

From pianos to motorcycles, Yamaha makes a lot of different products. It has traditionally stayed out of the mainstream automobile market, but it's been dipping its toes in the water with projects like this one. Called the Cross Hub concept, the funky off-roader is one of the more intriguing showpieces at the center of Yamaha's presence at the Tokyo Motor Show this year. Technical details are few and far between, but what we're looking at is clearly a fresh take on the small pickup. Most unusual is the cab, which features a four-seat layout – but not as you'd usually expect to find it. Instead the seats are arranged in a diamond configuration, with the driver (quite literally) front and center, flanked rearwards by two passenger seats, and another one in line with (and behind) the driver. The pickup bed is even further separated structurally from the cab than usual, sporting enough space to transport a motorcycle or two (or a quad ATV) for adventures o...

Yamaha is set to unveil another car concept at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. Limited details about the vehicle are known but it will follow in the footsteps of the Sports Ride Concept which was shown to the world in 2015. Like that concept, the new car will be built through Gordon Murray’s iStream manufacturing process and is also tipped to be a two-door sports car. Yamaha has made no secret of the fact that it wants to launch a sports car and the Tokyo show car may turn out to be a preview of that future production model. Autocar reports that Yamaha intends on limiting the sports car to 900 kg while making it mid-engined and similar in size to the Smart Roadster. Power will probably come from a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine built in-house with in excess of 100 hp, making the sports car a direct rival for the Lotus Elise. Carscoops