Japan Considers Banning Sale Of New Gasoline-powered Vehicles In Mid-2030s

Japan considers banning sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in mid-2030s

TOKYO — Japan may ban sales of new gasoline-engine cars by the mid-2030s in favor of hybrid or electric vehicles, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday, aligning it with other countries and regions that are imposing curbs on fossil fuel vehicles.

The move would follow Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's pledge in October for Japan to slash carbon emissions to zero on a net basis by 2050 and make the country the second G7 nation in a little over two weeks to set a deadline for phasing out gasoline vehicles.

The World Needs A Hellcat-powered Nissan Z Proto

The World Needs A Hellcat-Powered Nissan Z Proto

When the Nissan Z Proto spawns a production model, it will reach the hands of customers with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine pumping out 400 hp. However, we suspect there will be owners who will want even more performance and will swap out this six-cylinder for something a little more powerful.

Toyota, Jaxa Call Their Hydrogen-powered Rover The Lunar Cruiser

Toyota, JAXA call their hydrogen-powered rover the Lunar Cruiser

In early 2019, Toyota joined forces with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to develop a six-wheeled rover capable of transporting two astronauts and their gear on the moon. Development work is ongoing, the process is expected to take nearly a decade, but the partners have already agreed on a name.

It's an off-roader, albeit not one Toyota is used to developing, so it earned the name Lunar Cruiser. The Japanese firm explained it chose that name because the vehicle's basic mission is the same as the original Land Cruiser's: to bring its passengers home alive. FJ Cruiser-like trim on the front end creates another link to Toyota's SUVs.

Report: Lexus To Add V8-powered Is 500 For 2021

Report: Lexus to add V8-powered IS 500 for 2021

Come next year, things may get interesting for the Lexus IS, a car that currently is not the first to jump to mind when one thinks of compact, rear-wheel-drive sports sedans. The IS is rumored to be getting a major makeover for 2021, the most notable element of which is said to be the arrival of a V8-powered version. Don't call it an IS F, however; the model instead will be known as the IS 500.

None of the above is official — the source of the V8 rumor is an Instagram post from allcarsnews, as surfaced by thedrive.com. As has been previously reported, the IS is going in for a major makeover for 2021, one that this outlet characterizes as being less than a complete redesign. It will, however, bring revised sheetmetal mirroring the look of the Lexus LS as well as a new interior. While the current engine lineup is said to carry over, this report says it will be joined by the brand's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. That engine powered the IS F, which was dropped after the 2014 model year, but in the 2021 car it, strangely, will be sold as the IS 500. That's the rumor, anyway.

Students Create A 2jz-powered Toyota Supra Convertible From A Lexus

Students create a 2JZ-powered Toyota Supra convertible from a Lexus

The students at Nihon Automobile College (NATS) put together some pretty wild custom cars for each year's Tokyo Auto Salon. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing this year is what looks like a 2020 Toyota Supra. It features the bold orange paint scheme of the famous fourth-generation Supra in The Fast and the Furious. It even gets the fourth-generation Supra's revered 2JZ inline-six. But this heavily Supra-inspired car is not what it seems. This is actually a Lexus SC430, the luxury retractable hardtop convertible from the mid-2000s. The main tell is the interior, which features a dashboard that clearly was built years before the A90 Supra. Of course there's also the fact that this is a convertible with a well-finished windshield header. And as you look closer, you'll notice that details such as the hood vents and the vents on the doors look just a little off compared with the real thing. That's not to diminish the work done, here — the attention to those little details is impressive. Besides the Supra conversion, Fast and Furious paint job and the addition of a turbo 2JZ engine, the students at NATS added several other modifications. The modern Supra body parts have been augmented by the Pandem widebody kit that's been popular on new Supras at both SEMA and Tokyo Auto Salon. Inside, it has racing seats and massive nitrous tanks. Take it all in as you scroll through the image gallery above.