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ACZON MICROTRON MT2.50

W-613 6.5” COAXIAL

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2

スクープ

BESTSCOOP6 BEST CAR’S 16 SECRETS

Japanese automakers prepare to shake up the market with the commercial releases of their best and brightest models!

イベント

BESTEVENTS22 SOUNDING OFF AT THE SASCA/

IASCA CAR AUDIO CARNIVAL 2011At the SASCA/IASCA Car Audio Carnival, stellar sounds were combined with radical rides!

デビュー

BESTDEBUTANT26 HONDA THE DREAM MEISTER

The automaker finally revisits its sports car plans!

レポート

BESTREPORT-O!30 NOT-SO-SWEET ANTICIPATION

Toyota and Subaru’s FT-86 will finally enter the market two years after its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

35 TITILLATING AND TRIUMPHANT RETURNS Honda brushes the dust off its Type R series!

38 MAKING THE GRADE Best Car grades the Presidents of Japan’s eight automakers.

CONTENTSTABL

E OF

目次

対決

BESTSHOWDOWN44 HONDA’S PERFECT FITS

Honda welcomes the newest addition to the Fit family.

NOT-SO-SWEET ANTICIPATION Toyota and Subaru’s FT-86 will finally enter the market two years after its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

TITILLATING AND TRIUMPHANT

Honda brushes the dust off its Type

Best Car grades the Presidents of

BESTSHOWDOWN44 HONDA’S PERFECT FITS

Honda welcomes the newest addition to the Fit family.

Japan’s eight automakers.

CONTENTS

If you have a story to tell, or would like to contribute to Best Car, drop us an email at [email protected].

We Are Looking...

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3526

ガジェット：車

BESTWHIZBANGS: CARS87 CUSTOMISATION Á LA CARTE

Local customiser Aire Pro Designs take its artistic canvas to the streets and the racetrack.

90 GOODYEAR’S TWIN EAGLES Goodyear introduces the latest additions to its Eagle F1 range.

93 PHILIPS TAKES THE WHEEL Philips breaks into the automotive scene with innovative products that will awe all car aficionados.

ファッション

BESTRUNWAY96 REMEMBERING THE

NEWSMAKERS We skim through our past issues and bring you some of the models that made the headlines.

ガジェット：ライフスタイル

BESTWHIZBANGS: LIFESTYLE100 STANDING THE TEST OF TIME

Time may be fleeting, but these timepieces make marking it a pleasure.

104 HOT REELS Films that pack a punch and tug at heartstrings.

105 HOT PLAYLIST Feel-good tunes with an edge.

ライフスタイル

BESTLIFESTYLE106 INNER AND OUTER

PERSPECTIVES Get acquainted with one of the driving forces behind 988online.net.

ギフト

BESTGIFTS108 FREEBIES R US

You Like, we give, you take.

特集

BESTFEATURE48 THE TWO SIDES OF THE

AUTOMOTIVE PYRAMID Everything has a bright side and a dark side—cars are no different.

62 REMEMBERING THE TITAN The prolific Hiromu Naruse’s legacy lives on at the Nürburgring.

66 “NIMS” TAKES THE STAGE Nissan and Mitsubishi join hands in the quest for mutual automotive glory.

70 MIMOTO’S AUTOMOTIVE SCRAPBOOK VOL. 4: TOYOTA MOTORSPORTS THROUGH THE AGES Relive Toyota’s glory days on the circuit and rally track.

キーパーソン

BESTA-LIST80 FUN CAR LABORATORY VOL. 10

Terry Itoh makes a celebrity of Nissan GT-R.

84 SUPER CARLIFE VOL. 8 Koji “Prince” Aoyama strikes in a Shelby Cobra.

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Japanese

automakers

prepare to shake

up the market with

the commercial

releases of their

best and brightest

models!

BEST SCOOP

Mazda astounded the automotive market when it announced the arrival of its SKYACTIV-equipped Demio on 9 June—it arrived in showrooms on 30 June. Its main attraction is its unbelievable fuel economy, which is comparable to a hybrid vehicle. Demio’s body, transmission and sus-pension have also been developed using Mazda’s newest breakthrough.

Mazda’s next SKYACTIV car will probably be the next Road-ster, which will debut in 2013. Like Demio, its body will employ the very best of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technol-ogy—not only that, its SKYACTIV chassis will also be more lightweight. It will therefore be much lighter—while the current Roadster weighs 1100kg, its successor will weigh

MAZDA EUNOS ROADSTER

The mass-produced Demio arrived in showrooms on 30 June with a new 1296cc SKYACTIV engine—it generates 84bhp. The integration of the Mirror Cycle raises its compression ratio to 14:1 and it can clock up to 30km/ℓ. 1.5ℓ and 2ℓ variants will also be available.

just 1000kg. This is in line with the development team’s plan to ensure that the fourth generation Roadster will come in at 1000kg or less. Also, though Roadster’s seats will be similar to Demio’s, they will be made from new lightweight materials.

Additionally, Roadster’s light-weight frame will enable Mazda to install a smaller engine, which in turn will improve fuel effi ciency by 10 percent and will enable a 30 percent

Japanese

automakers

prepare to shake

SECRETS

BEST CAR’S

SECRETSSECRETSSECRETS

6 BEST CAR ISSUE 10

スクープ

RX-8’s successor—aptly called “RX-9”—will be a hybrid equipped with motor assist; it

will increase fuel savings by 30 percent.

Nissan 370Z is currently being tested with Fuga’s hybrid

system. It will clock 19km/ℓ, and will have twice Fuga’s power.

Not only will the new Roadster be equipped with a SKYACTIV frame, but its cabin will also be fi tted with new and lightweight materials. This it will weigh 1000kg or less.

improvement by 2015. The new Roadster will not be

equipped with Demio’s 1.3ℓ SKYAC-TIV engine but may share Axela and CX-5’s 1.5ℓ or 2ℓ engines. Neverthe-less, its fuel consumption rate will be 15 percent better compared to the current model and a 30 percent overall improvement is anticipated. Whereas the current Roadster clocks 13.5km/ℓ, its successor will achieve 18.5km/ℓ—a 5km/ℓ enhancement. What is more, its increasingly com-pact body and Idling Stop will make the new Roadster worthy of the title,

“The 21st Century’s Lightweight Sports Car”.

But the next Roadster is not Mazda’s only attraction. It might be joined by the highly anticipated RX-9—RX-8’s successor—that will supposedly have a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy. It goes without saying that it will sport Mazda’s newest rotary engine—ini-tial speculations also claim that it would be powered by hydrogen technology. That said, recent break-throughs in turbocharger and electric motor research might prompt devel-

opers to take a different approach. Nevertheless, this new system will no doubt reduce fuel consumption during start-up and acceleration and a smaller motor with lithium-ion batteries may also decrease its price tag.

Another sports model to watch for is Nissan’s Fairlady Z, which is going for a revamp in 2013. It will be a hybrid and will suppos-edly share Fuga’s VQ35 engine. But whereas Fuga sports a naturally-aspirated (NA) 3.5ℓ engine, Fairlady Z’s will be upgraded to allow it to clock 19km/ℓ, which is identical to Roadster.

MAZDA EUNOS ROADSTERMAZDA EUNOS ROADSTER

SECRETS

SEPTEMBER 2011 7

HONDA THE DREAM MEISTER

BEST DEBUTANT

デビュー

Honda’s President, Takanobu Ito, breaks his silence about the automaker’s new Beat!

明かされたニュービートのこれから . . . . . .

It is rare for an auto-maker’s President to disclose the details

of a new model prior to its launch. But recent disclosures suggest the tides are turning: Daihatsu’s Presi-dent, Koichi Ina, revealed the fuel consumption rate of the automaker’s newest light vehicle, e:S. Honda’s former President, Takeo Fukui, also announced the development of NSX’s successor well in advance. Now, Fukui’s successor, Takanobu Ito continues the legacy.

Everything began on 23 June at the Annual General Meeting of Honda’s shareholders. Unexpect-edly, Ito came forward during the Q and A session and announced that the automaker was in the midst of developing its next lightweight sports car to meet the demands of fans. This immediately caused a stir among the shareholders and the media.

Speculations about Honda’s next sports model have been

circulating for some time. In fact, an article in Best Car Japan’s 26 Janu-ary 2010 issue reported that Honda would defi nitely have a sports model in its light vehicle line-up. So here we are.

Honda’s engineers had been pushing for the approval of their sports car plans, but these only received the thumbs-up after

Honda unveiled its OSM (Open Study Model) concept at the 2008 London Auto Show, while the Hybrid Sports Concept was released at last year’s Geneva Auto Show. This is just like Honda.

26 BEST CAR ISSUE 10

THE CASE FOR FFWhen Best Car Japan reported on the Beat’s successor in early 2010, the piece relied upon the information available at the time. At the end of 2008, former President Fukui dis-closed that Honda was working on a brand new light vehicle platform, which would debut in a sports model similar to Beat—fans were thus excited by the possibility of a revival. A year later, a Honda insider said that a new light vehicle similar to Daihatsu’s Tanto would be launched in 2011 to compete with Suzuki and Daihatsu in the light vehicle arena. While these plans have been slightly delayed because of the earthquake, Honda will supposedly launch sev-eral new light vehicles by the end of the year.

Now let us return to Beat’s suc-cessor. As early as 2008, President Fukui mentioned that it would be in-cluded in Honda’s production sched-ule, and in 2009, a new platform was designed. Afterwards, the concept was unveiled, and the current Presi-dent, Takanobu Ito, gave approval to proceed.

One of the most contentious arguments about the Beat succes-sor concerns its powertrain. Many enthusiasts fully expect it to have the midship layout, like the original Beat. However, it is more likely that it will be an FF car, like most of the models in Honda’s upcoming light vehicle line-up.

The FF layout has several advantages. First, it will allow Honda to completely revamp Beat’s current 658cc inline-3 SOHC P07A engine—

the recent Japanese earthquake. While one would expect that the automaker would devote most of its efforts into completely resum-ing its operations after the disaster, the confi rmation of its new sports model—which will reportedly suc-ceed Beat—indicates that the car will play a major role in Honda’s revival. Though shareholders may have some concerns, the news was met with shock by Honda’s fans.

At the moment, concrete details about the Beat’s successor have yet to be disclosed but Ito’s statement

has spurned some speculations. The fi rst question concerns its size—while Ito announced that it would be a lightweight sports car, other sources suspect that it might be closer to a light vehicle. The second question concerns the layout of its powertrain, with one group an-ticipating an FF model, and another expecting a new midship car. The fi nal query deals with logistics, such as when the car will be released and how much it will cost.

It may take some time before these questions can be answered, but suffi ce to say that Honda lovers and petrolheads are hanging on to Honda’s every word.

One-and-a-half years ago, speculation was rife that the successor to the midship Beat was on its way. It was suspected to be smaller and lighter than the original, and enthusiasts expected it to be a midship.

HONDA CLAIMS THAT THE RUMOURED FF BEAT SUCCESSOR WOULD BE AN AFFORDABLE CAR THAT IS ENJOYABLE TO DRIVE—IT MAY EVEN BE TURBOCHARGED, LIKE DAIHATSU’S COPEN. IT MAY ALSO HAVE A METAL ROOF.

SEPTEMBER 2011 27

BEST SHOWDOWN

対決

HONDA’S PERFECT FITSHonda Fit Shuttle faced much adversity before its 16 June launch. Originally scheduled to debut on 17 March, the earthquake in Eastern Japan had the automaker racing to move the car’s production from its Sayama Factory to Suzuka. It was an inspired move on Honda’s part, one that would have been impos-

sible had it been any other time in its history. Now that Fit Shuttle has fi nally arrived, the automaker can pat itself on the back for a job well done.

At the fi rst glance, it is clear that Fit Shuttle is a larger and more spacious version of the innovative Fit, which has quickly become the benchmark of all compact cars. In

実は中身が違います。乗り心地も静粛性もグッと進化!

Honda welcomes the newest addition to the Fit family. TEXT • NAOYA SUZUKI

HONDA FIT SHUTTLE PRICE LISTVariant Transmission Drive Layout Price*15C CVT FF ¥1.6 million

5-AT 4WD ¥1.8 million15X CVT FF ¥1.7 million

5-AT 4WD ¥1.8 millionHybrid-C CVT FF ¥1.8 millionHybrid ¥1.9 millionHybrid Smart Selection ¥1.9 millionNavi Premium Selection

¥2.3 million

VERSUSVERSUSVERSUS

FIT HYBRID FIT SHUTTLE HYBRID


fact, Fit’s influence has spurned a new automotive trend, one where size is limited in the pursuit of improved fuel efficiency. Currently, the dominant belief is that only users who require a greater seating capacity and expansive space would purchase a van—such as Honda’s own Stepwagon—while other con-sumers would be more than happy

THE BESTSELLING HONDA FIT NOW COMES IN WAGON VARIANTS—CAN THEY TRIUMPH AMIDST THE DECREASING DEMAND FOR WAGONS? WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FIT HYBRID AND FIT SHUTTLE HYBRID.

Though Fit Shuttle shares Fit Hybrid’s 2500mm

wheel base, it is 510mm longer overall. Also, its 496ℓ cargo capacity is

much larger compared to Fit Hybrid’s 341ℓ trunk.

* Prices are only indicative of the Japanese automotive market. For local pricing, please contact the relevant dealerships. SEPTEMBER 2011 45

R E M E M B E R I N G

THE TITANThe prolific Hiromu Naruse’s legacy lives on at the Nürburgring.

In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, about 60km south of Cologne, there is

a small town called Nürburg. Any motor-sports enthusiast knows that this quaint town is the home of the Nürburging, the internationally renowned circuit that is the pride of Germany. Widely considered as the world’s most demanding racecourse, many automakers perform their cars’ final test on this circuit, as well as their final tuning

processes and time trials.This year, the Nürburgring 24 Hours

Race was held from 24~26 June, and fans flocked to the picturesque Nürburg to revel in the proceedings. However, one new con-cept car was revealed a day before the race began—and that was none other than the GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II.

REMEMBERING HIROMU NARUSEOn 23 June 2010, Toyota’s top test driver, Hiromu Naruse, passed away in a collision

during a test on the suburban roads close to the Nürburgring. Apart from being a test driver, Naruse was also the force behind Toyota’s GRMN project and had always dreamed of developing a hybrid sports car. He spearheaded the development of the GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept—which is in-spired by Toyota’s MR2 Spyder (called “MR-S” in Japan)—with the aim of developing an enjoyable and valuable hybrid car. After his untimely death, the project was temporarily put on hold.

G R M Nスポーツハイブリッドコンセプト

BEST FEATURE

特集


Given this history, announcing the new GRMN Sports Hybrid Con-cept at the Nürburging had a special meaning for the GAZOO Racing Team. It could be their way of paying homage to Naruse’s memory and of showing him how far the team has gone in upholding his vision.

PRESENTING THE NEW GRMN SPORTS HYBRID CONCEPT IIThe first GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept prototype was developed in 2005. Toyota mounted a hybrid

system on its MR2 and brought the car to the Nürburging to be tested. In fact, special testing sessions were conducted specifically for the media and press representatives. However, after Naruse’s passing, the project was suspended.

In 2009, Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, became increasingly inter-ested in the GRMN Racing initiative and ordered that the development of the Sports Hybrid Concept be resumed. The GRMN—short for “GAZOO Racing tuned by Meister of Nürburgring”—brand aims to

The first GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept was exhibited at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon. The midship powertrain and extended wheel base made it stable without compromising performance—it is also fun to drive.

The latest GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept is inspired by Toyota MR2, with some enhancements. It is 455mm longer, 195mm wider and 35mm lower than MR2, with a wheel base that is 195mm longer. It is also larger than Mazda Roadster and is shorter but wider than Lexus IS C.

promote the joy of driving, and it provided Toyota with three concept cars that were unveiled at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon. One of these was the original GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept.

Some time ago, we received information that the second GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept would debut at this year’s Tokyo Auto Show and that it was now based on Lexus IS C. However, the plan was cancelled before the show because the proto-type was not yet ready.

Finally, the GRMN Sports

SEPTEMBER 2011 63

SUPERスーパー

CarlifeSUPERCarlife

VOL. 8

’60年代の伝説の毒蛇が

現代に復活J 軽量ボディ

+爆発的パワーを生み出

す7ℓエンジンの猛毒コ

ンビネーションに、王子

もメロメロj

BEST A–L ISTキーパーソン

This month, Koji “Prince” Aoyama

strikes in a Shelby Cobra.

Any motorsports aficio-nado will know that the Shelby Cobra gets its name from the legend-

ary American racer, Carroll Shelby. It was a particularly imposing presence on the 1960s circuit, with its glamorous roadster body and unbelievable perfor-mance. This time, Koji “Prince” Aoyama takes the wheel of an authentic Shelby Cobra CSX 4000, one that has been certified by Carroll Shelby himself.

Our day began at Shelby Asia, the official Japanese dealer for Shelby Asia, Ltd, at Yokohama City. Asked whether he had previously driven a Cobra, Aoyama replied, “I’d wanted to, but I’d never really had the chance—this is ironic, since I’ve driven so many colour-ful cars. I’m glad that my chance to test a Cobra has finally arrived!”


Local customiser Aire Pro Designs take its artistic canvas to the streets and the racetrack.

t he customisation of a helmet or car is not uncom-mon but I have never fully understood the rationale behind it. That is, until I delivered my own helmet to custom painters Dylan Liang, Shane Chia and War-ren Lim at Aire Pro Designs.

When I dropped off the helmet, it looked just like any other mass-produced accessory: a plain white acces-sory identical to hundreds—perhaps even thousands—of others worldwide. But when I returned to collect it, I was awestruck by the magic Liang, Chia and Lim had worked on it. Not only had its sentimental value increased exponentially, it was also genuinely rewarding and satisfying to decorate a commercial object with a theme of my own choosing.

Customised helmets serve a greater purpose on the circuit. A team of racers often wear identical accessories so that they can be easily distinguished during the race. For instance, during the extremely high-speed races of Formula One, each driver is only recognisable through his team’s colours.

Aire Pro Designs was founded in 2007 when local custom painters Liang, Chia and Lim saw the potential for customisation in the Singapore market. None of the three came from artistic back-grounds: Chia was a personal trainer, Lim was an F&B manager and Liang was a captain in the Army. Yet their belief in the strength of their craft prodded them to start Aire Pro Designs to prove that the local customisation industry is able to reach the interna-tional standard.

TEXT AND PHOTOS • CHERYL TAY á la Carte

BEST WHIZBANGS > CARSガジェット：車

SEPTEMBER 2011 87

BEST WHIZBANGS > L IFESTYLEガジェット：ライフスタイル

In the 1960s, Tissot’s PRS 516 was already a favourite on and off the circuit. Its award-winning advertis-ing campaign featured the watch wrapped around a racer’s gloved wrist. The PRS 516’s current incar-nation pays tribute to the brand’s commitment to motorsports through its sophisticated Valjoux chrono-graph movement and retro-modern design. The high-tech dials include sub counters that are reminiscent of the steering wheels of racing cars. The motoring connection is also pronounced in the 45mm case’s inner detailing, which resembles tyre treads.

The reason why classics occupy a privileged place in their fi elds is that their features possess an elusive timelessness—Alfred Dunhill’s Clas-sic Watch is an excellent example. An 896-dato Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre is housed in an elegantly simple but resolutely masculine stainless steel case. The faceted hands compliment the silvered guillouché dial, and the second sub counter is located at six o’clock. The Classic Watch is available with either a stainless steel case with a black alligator or full stainless steel strap, or with a pink gold case with a matt black alligator or pink gold strap.

Sporting the trademark black Blackbird dial, the Breitling Blackbird Red Strike retains the aggressive-ness that it is known for—with the addition of powerful red accents. Its self-winding Calibre 44 chronograph movement is COSCA-certifi ed like the rest of Breitling’s timepieces, and it is water-resistant to 300 metres. The red-lined dial is equally attractive in either a full-polished or satin-brushed fi nish case, and with a racketed bi-directional rotating bezel. Production has been limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide.

BREITLING BLACKBIRD RED STRIKE LIMITED EDITION

ALFRED DUNHILL CLASSIC WATCH

TISSOT PRS 516 CHRONO AUTO VALJOUX

T IMETIMETIMEStanding the Test of

Standing the Test of


2011 marks Tag Heuer’s “Mastering Speed for 150 Years” celebration, as well as the the fourth year of the Singapore Prix. The watchmaker commemorates these special oc-casions with its limited edition Car-rera Heritage Calibre 16 Automatic Chronograph. Connoting passion, innovation and heroism in Spanish, the Carrera series was fi rst launched by Jack Heuer to pay homage to the Carrera Pana-americana Mexico, one of the world’s most challenging races.

Limited to 250 pieces, the Carrera Heritage is inspired by the prototype of the 1945 Carrera, and with its Calibre 16 movement, resembles a fi ne vintage chrono-graph. Meticulous care was taken in reproducing the original Carrera’s pushbutton, crown, index designs and hand shape. The sleek “fl inqué” textured black dial sports three sub counters, protruding polished silver Arabic numerals and a coloured Tag Heuer logo. The 41mm polished steel case and steel fi xed bezel look exquisite on any wrist.

But what truly sets the Carrera Heritage apart are the green chrono-graph second hand and green sub counters, as well as the green stitch-ing lining the black alligator strap. “The Carrera Heritage characterises the long-standing foundation of Tag Heuer’s watchmaking know-how, with its motor racing heritage, mak-ing it an ideal choice to commemo-rate 150 years of Mastering Speed and the exhilarating fourth Singapore Grand Prix,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President and CEO of Tag Heuer.

TAG HEUER CARRERA HERITAGE

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