A yet-unnamed rear-wheel-drive Nissan production coupe could appear at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall.

Japanese magazine Best Car‘s April 10th edition will feature a rendering of a rear-wheel-drive coupe on the cover. Japanese press have also reported that Nissan officials have spoken about a “newly nostalgic direction.” It should be noted, however, that Best Car is known in its home country as a frequent speculator and that its images are purely the magazine’s speculation and not anything official from Nissan.

Clearly the much lauded Nissan IDx concept is evoked, but playing along for a moment if the renderings are to be dissected, the design sees much more Skyline than what most saw in the original IDx, the Datsun 510. The angled roofline is pure GT-R, as is the blocky rear end and “surf line” traveling up the rear quarter panels.

In fact, the alternate sports version in the background wears the livery of Nissan’s Skyline GT-R touring cars of the early 1970s. Perhaps that is implied to be the NISMO version.

While the cars exhibit the “floating roof” C-pillars that is already propagating across the Nissan line on cars like the new Murano and upcoming Maxima, it lacks the “V-motion” grille Nissan designer Mamoru Aoki is pushing for all new models. In fact, the original IDx unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show was quickly refreshed to include this styling cue before making its North American debut at the 2014 Detroit show last year. The lack of this important cue indicate the illustration is not based on any solid evidence.

For its part, Nissan has declined to say whether the IDx will in fact reach production, or whether it will retain its concept car looks.

Though recently announced for the next-generation Civic, Honda’s new family of turbocharged engines have already made their debut in Japan.

The Honda StepWGN is a compact van (think Mazda5) that has been hugely popular in their home market and other Asian nations. It’s the first model to utilize the global 1.5L turbocharged direct-injection VTEC inline-four, a motor Honda says will provide the power equivalent of a naturally aspirated 2.4L.

However, Honda has yet to release power figures for the new van, but estimates of 177 hp and 42 mpg on the Japanese testing cycle have been rumored.

In addition to being Honda’s first turbocharged minivan, the StepWGN debuts another ingenious feature, what Honda calls the “Waku Gate.” The origami-like rear hatch folds in on itself and opens in several different ways. Using hinges on top, it can lift up completely like a normal minivan hatch. However it’s also split 70/30 down the middle and when in the down position, the larger half opens like a butterfly wing, allowing easy access to the cargo area and third row.

The StepWGN will continue the its three-row seating tradition, as well as its “Magic Sheet” storage under the flat floor. The new StepWGN goes on sale in Japan in late April and there are no plans to bring it stateside.

American boutique automaker Galpin Auto Sports has arrived at this year’s edition of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance with a heavily-modified carbon fiber-bodied Mustang GT called Rocket.
The Rocket was penned by Henrik Fisker, a talented Danish designer who founded the moribund company that bears his name. Starting with a stock 2015 Mustang, Fisker added a large radiator grille with carbon fiber mesh inserts, a chromed slat and a pair of fog lights, flared fenders all around, two air vents in the hood and an air diffuser out back.

“725″ stickers on the hood hint at what lurks in the engine bay, while ten-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped by Pirelli P-Zero tires add a finishing touch to the menacing look.

The modifications continue inside with carbon fiber trim on the dashboard and the door panels, bucket seats for the front passengers, a new instrument cluster and a handful of Galpin-specific bits and pieces such as emblems.

Galpin is not ready to publish a full set of technical details, but it promises that the Rocket lives up to its name thanks to a supercharged V8 engine that generates 725 horsepower. Massive Brembo brakes on all four corners bring the action to a stop.

The Galpin Rocket will arrive as a limited-edition, built-to-order model, but the company has not announced when it will go on sale, how many examples it will build and how much each one will cost.