Daihatsu's mini roadster
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Daihatsu has released a few sketchy details and pictures of its D-X concept, a two-seater roadster set to be unveiled at the Tokyo show later this month.
Unlike the Honda, the little Daihatsu isnft electrically motivated, but has an equally interesting powertrain: a new two-cylinder turbo petrol engine with direct injection.
Daihatsu hasnft revealed how big that engine is, or how much power itfll produce, but itfs safe to assume itfll be (a) little and (b) not very powerful. Daihatsu claims the D-X strikes ea balance between the joy of driving and fuel efficiencyf, and kei-car regulations suggest its two cylinder engine will displace around 660cc and produce 60-something horsepower. The current Top Gear two-cylinder of choice, Fiatfs lovely little eTwinAirf, displaces 875cc and makes 84bhp in turbocharged guise.
Wefre told the D-X uses a eresin-based bodyf – some sort of plastic composite, in other words – with removable panels. Shorn of that strange black plastic cladding around the sills and arches, the Daihatsu might actually look quite normal. In fact, can anyone else spot a Jaguar-aping front end hiding under there?
Daihatsu isnft revealing any more about the D-X, not least whether itfll be considered for production. If so, it could replace the similarly kei-car-based Copen, which has been built since 1999 and is surely creaking towards retirement.
As part of its eBig Answer from Smallf philosophy (a slogan we can only imagine made more sense in Japanse), Daihatsu will also use the Tokyo Show to unveil a couple more bonkers concepts: an all-electric Renault Twizy-style scooter-car, and a bizarre two-seat pod powered by a fuel cell.
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![[image]](http://www.topgear.com/uk/assets/cms/a8f87eab-8ae3-4b44-97e8-3943008919f6/Large%20Image.jpg){kind=link}
Daihatsu has released a few sketchy details and pictures of its D-X concept, a two-seater roadster set to be unveiled at the Tokyo show later this month.
Unlike the Honda, the little Daihatsu isnft electrically motivated, but has an equally interesting powertrain: a new two-cylinder turbo petrol engine with direct injection.
Daihatsu hasnft revealed how big that engine is, or how much power itfll produce, but itfs safe to assume itfll be (a) little and (b) not very powerful. Daihatsu claims the D-X strikes ea balance between the joy of driving and fuel efficiencyf, and kei-car regulations suggest its two cylinder engine will displace around 660cc and produce 60-something horsepower. The current Top Gear two-cylinder of choice, Fiatfs lovely little eTwinAirf, displaces 875cc and makes 84bhp in turbocharged guise.
Wefre told the D-X uses a eresin-based bodyf – some sort of plastic composite, in other words – with removable panels. Shorn of that strange black plastic cladding around the sills and arches, the Daihatsu might actually look quite normal. In fact, can anyone else spot a Jaguar-aping front end hiding under there?
Daihatsu isnft revealing any more about the D-X, not least whether itfll be considered for production. If so, it could replace the similarly kei-car-based Copen, which has been built since 1999 and is surely creaking towards retirement.
As part of its eBig Answer from Smallf philosophy (a slogan we can only imagine made more sense in Japanse), Daihatsu will also use the Tokyo Show to unveil a couple more bonkers concepts: an all-electric Renault Twizy-style scooter-car, and a bizarre two-seat pod powered by a fuel cell.
![[image]](http://www.formula1.com/wi/347x231/sutton/2011/d11abu2475.jpg){kind=link}