Ultimate MX-5 revealed

It's back to basics for sportscar legend Mazda - the Japanese firm will premiere a super-light version of its best selling MX-5 sports car at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Dubbed the Mazda MX-5 Superlight, the concept celebrates 20 years of success with an open-topped, no-frills design focusing on affordable driving fun.

Created by Mazda’s studio in Oberursel, Germany, the two-seat roadster has been pared back to the bare essentials.

As these official Mazda pictures demonstrate, the Superlight concept is a roofless speedster offering only minimal protection from the elements. The cabin is a race inspired affair in keeping with the radical exterior.

A spiritual successor to the dramatic RenaultSport Spyder, Mazda claims that the Superlight concept takes the lightweight nature of the MX-5 to a whole new level, so expect extensive use of exotic materials amongst other weight saving measures.

Engine output has not been revealed, however the radical weight loss alone would make faster than your regular MX-5. Options open to engineers include the turbocharged 2.3-litre unit that offers up to 260bhp in the Mazda 3 MPS

In addition to the performance benefits of lightweight construction, Mazda is keen to stress the fuel saving and emission reductions possible with a lighter vehicle.

SLICK, LIGHT AND SLIPPERY: Mazda'S MX-5 Superlight show car has no external handles to disturb the airflow over the body and the specially-shaped scuttles obviate the need for a windshield.

Toyota Plans Affordable Sports Car

Toyota Motor Corp. President and Chief Executive Akio Toyoda said Wednesday that the auto maker plans to build a "fun-to-drive" affordable sports car and launch it within the next few years.

Mr. Toyoda said during an appearance here that the company is making the move in an effort to inject the enthusiasm from the race track into the vehicles Toyota builds around the world.

"I am very excited about it and I plan to put it on the fast track," said Mr. Toyoda, who is also a race car driver. "Along with my hope for getting Toyota back on track, I believe the U.S. market will not only recover, but come back stronger than ever."

Mr. Toyoda didn't provide specific details on the appearance of the car or when it would be introduced in the U.S.

The company, along with the world's other auto makers, has been struggling with sluggish sales around the world amid the global economic recession.

Toyota said Tuesday it will deliver a smaller-than-expected 77.82 billion yen ($816 million) quarterly loss, and reduced its full-year fiscal loss forecast to 450 billion yen through March, better than the 550 billion yen loss initially projected.

"The severe drop in the economy and auto market has created some of the most challenging times Toyota has ever faced," Mr. Toyoda said. "I am to take us back to what made Toyota successful for many years--making high-quality products at an affordable price."

Separately, Mr. Toyoda didn't provide any further detail on the future of the New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. plant launched 25 years ago in California. GM announced last month it was withdrawing from the partnership as part of its bankruptcy exit strategy.

"GM's decision to withdraw from the joint venture has created some extremely difficult issues for us to resolve," Mr. Toyoda said. "We are still studying the situation, and I hope to make the decision soon."

City car concept

Will "no product" become the new brand? John Hockenberry provocatively suggests that given the global economic crisis, "no product" is now plausible. But how plausible given our society organized around economic growth? I'm talking here about consumerism as both the primary purpose of growth, and its principal driver—the high product context.

Made in UAE: A six-passenger, solar-power vehicle

A six-passenger, solar-power vehicle designed by Tarek Al Zubair, currently an 11th grade high school student at the International Science and Art School in Dubai. The car can travel 90 km on fully-charged cells and has a top speed of 40 kph. Mr. Zubair was commended by His Excellency Mr. Hanif Hassan, the UAE Minister of Education, for his work on this and other solar projects.