Displaying Items By Tag: Application

Kawasaki is working on a unique open-air three-wheeler with a rolling body that can lean into turns, according to a patent application published by the European Patent Office and discovered by Motorcycle.com. 

Like the three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot — which just got an update including a more powerful engine — it seats two people in a side-by-side layout, but it has some key differences. Most notable is the ability to tilt inward into the turning direction, which the applicant says makes it "possible to realize a favorable driving feeling similar to that of a motorcycle or the like." And that's the whole point: to counteract the centrifugal forces that normally push the driver away from the cornering side.

On February 18 this year, as picked up by The Truth About Cars, Toyota submitted an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure the term "i-Force Max." The paperwork requests the mark for "automobiles and structural parts thereof." It's thought the moniker will be applied to the rumored new engine headed for the next-generation Tundra pickup, expected next year, perhaps for the 2022 model year. The i-Force name is as old as the Tundra, appearing in 2000 on the first-gen model powered by the 4.7-liter V8 that produced 245 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque. When Toyota overhauled the truck in 2007, the i-Force name migrated to the new 5.7-liter DOHC V8 that made 381 hp and 401 lb-ft. At the time, that was more than could be had with any V8 from the Big Three competition, the Chevrolet Silverado's 6.0-liter Vortec Max V8 topping the challengers with 367 hp and 375 lb-ft. The Tundra hasn't moved on since then, its i-Force V8 making the same 381 hp and 401 lb-ft. in 2020.     

Years of rumors have pointed to the third-generation Tundra getting a top-trim 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid built off the same motor used in various Lexus models. Predicted output is 450 hp and 500 lb-ft., worthy numbers for the i-Force Max name if that's what ends up happening. That would put the Toyota right behind the high-output version of Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that makes 450 hp and 510 lb-ft., if the Tundra came out right now. We'll need to see what Ford reveals with the 14th-generation F-150 later this year, and how the domestic competition responds before the Tundra hits the market. Full-size truck buyers don't generally concern themselves with gas mileage, but the Tundra should destroy all comers if rumors of 30 miles per gallon on the highway prove true. And with a purported new chassis under the 2020 Tundra dubbed "F1," it's likely the payload and tow ratings will receive a generous increase from the current 1,660 and 10,100 pounds, respectively, in SR5 trim.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry will start accepting visa applications online from Chinese tourists next April.

The ministry says a record 8.38 million Chinese people visited Japan last year, and that 80 percent of the visas the ministry issued were for Chinese visitors.

Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe has attended an event in Tokyo to promote the start of online applications for tickets to the 2020 Olympics.

The application period for the Tokyo games began on 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have begun inviting volunteers for the events.

Officials from both parties took to the streets of central Tokyo on Wednesday and distributed flyers to passersby.

TV broadcasters will be able to reach more viewers on more devices with a more robust signal

LAS VEGAS, NV – January 5, 2018 — Pearl TV today announced a collaborative project with Sony Electronics to develop an essential viewer navigation ingredient for next-generation television – a new type of on-screen television program guide that will be responsive to consumer commands.  The new channel navigation tool, part of the larger interactive content environment for next-generation ATSC 3.0, is being developed for the Phoenix Model Market project that is supported by 10 Phoenix market TV stations.

A Honda patent application for a new, unique kind of air dam that could be used on a variety of vehicles.

According to the filing, the design is for a strong air dam with hollow structural crossbeam members. The design allows for an intake to be more rigid, improving the structural strength of a front bumper. The hollow crossbeams feature zig-zag patterned supports inside, which allow for the intake grille to be both strong and lightweight. The filing also says some intake designs can cause a whistling sound at speed, and this intake could potentially address that problem as well.

Toyota might be going nostalgia crazy. It’s already bringing the Supra back, and now the Celica could return as well. 

Will some elements of the Nissan IDx live on?

Nissan has filed a trademark application for “NISSAN IMX,” suggesting a new concept is in development. The new trademark is a bit similar to the IDx Concept, which although it was well-received, never headed to production. At the time when Nissan confirmed the IDx got axed, the company did say some of its styling may live on in a front-wheel-drive sports car. Could the Nissan IMX trademark bring that to fruition?

Lexus has filed a trademark application for “LS-FC Concept.”

Lexus recently unveiled the LS F Sport model, suggesting a hardcore LS F isn’t out of the question. And now a trademark application filed on April 24, 2017, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office hints at a concept version of a Lexus sport sedan in the near future. Although the LS-FC Concept trademark is a bit different than previous Lexus concepts that begin with “LF,” the use of “LS” points to a concept based on the automaker’s flagship sedan. Lexus used the LF-FC Concept in 2015 to preview the new Lexus LS.