It doesn't have the Porsche
Mission E's guilt-free supercar performance or the Mercedes's ability to
shape shift at higher speeds. It isn't even built by a car company, but
the Yamaha Sports Ride, unveiled in October at the Tokyo Motor Show
could well be the most important concept car of 2015.
It's
a two-seat sports coupe with external lines that wouldn't look out of
place at a McLaren or Ferrari dealership, and one that measures just
3.9m in length, 1.7m in width and stands just 1.17m tall. But what makes
such a small car such a potentially big story is what lies beneath
those lines -- a Gordon Murray-designed carbon fiber chassis.
Since
leaving McLaren and having assured his place in automotive history as
the mastermind behind the McLaren F1 supercar, Murray has been on a
mission to revolutionize how cars are designed, developed and
manufactured. His solution, called iStream, is an all-encompassing
platform that cuts waste and vehicle weight, improves efficiency (of the
car and the business) and can be used potentially by any company, big
or small, to cost-effectively mass produce a host of different types of
cars of different sizes and with different powerplant types.
"Light
weighting is the final frontier in the automotive industry fight to
lower emissions," said Murray of the platform and its use of affordable
carbon fiber, a material that is traditionally out of reach for everyone
but supercar makers and Formula One teams. "A step change in vehicle
weight to enable downsizing of powertrain and components is all we have
left in the armory. Light weighting is important for internal combustion
engined cars, but even more important for hybrids and electric
vehicles."
Although a
concept, the Yamaha proves that the system is ready, and in 2016 further
proof will arrive in the shape of the first all-new TVR sports car in a
decade. Also designed by Murray, it will be an iStream production for
rapidity of production, efficiency and for being able to react quickly
to changing tastes and trends. One chassis could easily spawn a coupé,
convertible and even a shooting brake with little or no extra work.
The Ford 2016 Trend Report published highlights this past week on how
crucial being able to adapt and differentiate is going to be in the
coming years for automotive brands. Over half of Millennials globally
agree that standing out is more important than fitting in and that one
size no longer fits all. And at the same time, there is a growing trend
across age groups for favoring products that use recyclable materials or
environmentally friendly means of production.