Prius spotlight-grabber in Tokyo Motor Show

By Al S. Mendoza

TOKYO—Twenty-two years later, I am still at it: Covering the Tokyo Motor Show.

It is a once-in-two-years thing and I haven’t kicked the habit since I covered it in 1993 for the first time.

I never missed a single show in the succeeding 11 Motor Shows, including this year’s edition.

And what is the Tokyo Motor Show again?

It showcases the latest vehicle models still to be rolled out of the assembly lines.

You have heard of concept cars, I am sure?

The Tokyo Motor Show is flooded with such amazing machines.

A concept car is what it is:  A concept.

But the beauty of it is, you can see it in the flesh; touch it.

It is a whole new car, complete with chassis, body, engine, tires—everything.

The concept car can run like the other cars on display at the Show.

But the concept car, unlike the rest of the models highlighted in the exhibition, is not yet ready for acquisition.  In other words, it is not yet for sale.

Already almost a perfect creation, it is still a work in progress.

It continues to undergo rigid tests before a slew of engineers could give the green light for it to be paraded in dealership showrooms.

Take the case of the Prius.

This Toyota hybrid was first unveiled in the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show.

Was I glad to have driven it at the Fuji International Speedway to test its road worthiness and ability to co-mingle with the “regulars.”

That was a thrill of a lifetime.

A concept car then, the Prius was a hit as it ran not on gasoline alone.

It functions as a car on four powers:  battery, motor, engine and fossil fuel (gas).

Because it is not solely dependent on gas for it to run, the Prius would become the most fuel-efficient car ever invented.

Thus, when it was finally unleashed in America and in some parts of Europe, it became an instant hit.

But why not?

It could run consuming only one liter of gasoline per 50 kilometers!

Stunned Americans, who buy cars like they are merely buying bicycles, immediately fell in love with it.

The Prius and its kind are not yet wholly accepted by Filipino car buffs.

For one, it remains pricey.

For another, the technology for maintenance and repair has not yet been totally perfected.

But Toyota’s engineers are getting there.

Meanwhile, the Prius is making a giant stride again at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Its fourth generation model is sure to grab the spotlight anew as it tangles fiercely against equally worthy foes from the other car companies.

But look at this:  Electric vehicles are also proving to be scene-stealers here, proof that the time is near for cars to run minus gasoline—completely.

And then this: another Toyota model on display here is a concept car that only emits water, making it the perfect green car of the future.

Indeed, I’m just so lucky to be here.  Again.

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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