Yamaha

Meet Alex Jones. The man has just set a new Cannonball Motorcycle Record, getting from New York to LA in 32 hours and 52 minutes. With this blistering time, Alex has beaten the previous motorcycle record for the Cannonball Run, which was set by Calvin Cote in April 2019, who completed the same run on BMW K1600 GTL in 35 hours and 6 minutes.

Yamaha is a company mostly associated with motorcycles and musical instruments. There are also the occasional collaborations between Yamaha and certain carmakers – mostly (but not limited to) Toyota – where they design engines for high-performance vehicles. Some more notable examples are the Toyota 2000GT, Ford Taurus SHO, Lexus LFA, and others. What many don’t know, however, is that in the 1990s, Yamaha decided to build a car of its own. It was called the OX99-11 and although it ultimately failed, there are many interesting facts about this weird-looking supercar, which we are now sharing with you.

Yamaha is well known for building fun stuff like motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, outboard engines for boats, and even the occasional musical instrument or two. Now, the Japanese mega-corporation is toying with entering the compact pickup market with this, the Cross Hub Concept. It’s unique in just about every way, from its seating configuration to its cargo bed. Sadly, the project seems a bit too “concept” to make production anytime soon.

The Cross Hub Concept made its debut at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show and is billed as a lifestyle car for those splitting time between city life and the great outdoors. Yamaha says it’s “just the right size” and is designed for on-road and off-road maneuverability while still having room for “other Yamaha recreational products.” So far, this is the furthest Yamaha has gotten to building a road-going, four-wheeled vehicle. Of course, there was the time it developed and built high-strung V-6 and V-8 engines for the first three generations of Ford Taurus SHOs, and technically some of its side-by-side UTVs are road-legal, but you won’t find any rolling down the interstate. The Cross Hub, on the other hand, promises to be road-ready and built for fun.

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The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show is going to be very eventful this year with many showcase pieces expected to be in attendance. There is one vehicle though that’s going to get a lot of attention, and all because it comes from a company that’s not necessarily known for building cars, let alone one of the concept variety. Yes, folks; Yamaha’s at it again. Two years after introducing the Sports Ride Concept in the same event, the noted motorcycle company is bringing another “automobile” to Tokyo.

The concept vehicle will be one of six world premieres that Yamaha is expected to unveil. All the others are typical scooters, motorcycles, an e-bike, and a futuristic motorcycle prototype that’s right up Yamaha’s alley. Now, I spent a good deal of time on the motorcycle scene here at TopSpeed, so I am curious about what Yamaha’s two-wheeled debuts are going to be. But, I will admit that I’m more curious about what Yamaha’s “automobile design concept” is going to be. Details are still scarce at this point, but it’s hard to look into what Yamaha unveiled two years ago and not think that there’s a possible connection between the Sports Ride prototype and whatever it is that the company is preparing to unveil at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. Remember that lightweight piece of automotive goodness? Not only did it look like a proper concept car, but it actually had roots to the iStream design concept that was popularized by none other than Gordon Murray. I don’t know if this new concept will have similar roots, but you can be sure that I’m excited to find out.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

It’s not often we get to write about Yamaha products – that’s usually left to TopSpeed’s motorcycle page. Today is different, though, as the Japanese bike-builder release its newest four-wheeled creation at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.

Though details are rather scarce, the photos and a touch of speculation provide a look into what Yamaha may deliver in the future. Meet the Sport Ride Coupe concept.

Yamaha says the design follows its iStream philosophy of a oneness between the driver and machine. The Sport Ride Coupe concept is built to mimic the feeling of riding a motorcycle, but with an enclosed cockpit and four tires on the ground.

But what speaks volumes about the car’s design is actually its philosophical designer. It was none other than legendary racer Gordon Murray who pioneered the iStream concept of design – the same guy who designed the McLaren F1. Look closely and you’ll even see hints of the F1 in the Yamaha’s profile.

The Sports Ride Coupe concept has a footprint roughly the size of Mazda’s latest MX-5, though the Yamaha makes the Miata look like a porky block of concrete. At 2,332 pounds, the MX-5 is a full 679 pounds heavier. That’s a 1,653-pound curb weigh for those mathematically challenged.

There’s no word on what powers the Yamaha, but I suspect its something out of a sports bike. Only time will tell, though.

For now, check out all the details and photos of Yamaha’s latest creation.

Continue reading to learn more about the Yamaha Sports Ride Coupe Concept.

British automotive designer, Gordon Murray, has teamed up with the Yamaha Motor Co. of Japan to create a unique electric drive city car. Murray is known for his revolutionary designs, right from Formula 1 cars to high-performance road cars like the Mclaren F1. Murray has also had a vision to build eco-friendly, fuel-efficient city cars. His latest creation comes in the form of the Yamaha MOTIV.e electric car.

Built by Yamaha, the MOTIV.e was unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show . It was one of the crown jewels of the Yamaha stands this year. The increased urban traffic and the need for compact, fuel-efficient cars has resulted into the creation of the MOTIV.e city car.

Click past the jump to read more on the Yamaha MOTIV.e City Car