Toyota will travel to tomorrow’s Tokyo Motor Show to introduce the JPN Taxi Concept. Designed to replace the 20-year old Toyota Crown Comfort, Japan’s most popular taxi, the show car accurately previews the high-tech, eco-friendly cab that will roam the streets of Tokyo by the end of the decade.

Careful observers will notice the JPN Taxi Concept is essentially a toned-down version of the eponymous show car that was displayed at the 2013 edition of the Tokyo event. It gains a less futuristic-looking front end with horizontal lights that stretch into a five-slat grille with a chrome frame, a body-colored bumpers, less chrome trim and steel wheels fitted with plastic hubcaps. A surprisingly tall green house gives the passengers a clear view of the world around them.

The cockpit is wheelchair-accessible thanks to a sliding door on the passenger-side of the taxi and a low loading floor. Interior pictures won’t be published until the start of the Tokyo show, but Toyota explains the cabin was designed with Japanese hospitality in mind.

Power for the JPN Taxi Concept comes from a hybrid drivetrain that’s made up of a small electric motor and a four-cylinder engine that runs on liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Full technical details haven’t been published yet because Toyota is still fine-tuning the drivetrain in order to make it more robust and smoother to drive in stop-and-go traffic.

The JPN Taxi Concept is expected to make the jump from concept to production with only minor modifications. It will go on sale in April of 2018, though it’s too early to tell whether or not Toyota will offer it outside of Japan.

A new report coming out of England finds Honda is busily developing an all-electric sports car.

The yet-unnamed model will be powered by the next generation of Honda’s SH-AWD torque distribution system. The 350-horsepower drivetrain is expected to consist of four inboard electric motors — one for each wheel –, a torque vectoring system and a four-wheel steering system designed to enhance both handling and maneuverability. A large lithium-ion battery pack will give the coupe a total driving range of about 300 miles.

Honda’s futuristic, battery-powered sports car was previewed by the heavily-modified CR-Z that took 11th place overall in this year’s edition of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Interestingly, the automaker recently revealed that the project was launched in 2012 in order to develop a production car, not a race car. Competing in Pikes Peak was simply a way to put the technology through its paces in challenging conditions.

Honda insiders told British magazine Autocar that the electric model hasn’t been given the green light for production yet. If built, the coupe will land by the end of the decade with a base price of approximately $100,000. It will be sold as a Honda and positioned right below the 2017 NSX (pictured) in Japan and in Europe, but whether it will wear a Honda emblem or an Acura badge on our shores is up in the air.

Kia has previewed a heavily customized Sorento that will be headed to Las Vegas for SEMA.

A teaser image shows the PacWest Adventure Sorento’s front fascia, confirming an extreme off-road focus for the family crossover.

Perhaps taking inspiration from Baja racers, the Sorento has been outfitted with larger knobby tires, long-travel lifted suspension components, a tube-frame bumper, skid-plate, no less than eight LED arrays and even a snorkel for deep-water excursions.

“Kia is headed to this year’s SEMA show to celebrate America’s love for the open road and the diverse car cultures spanning the many regions of this country,” the company said in a statement.

As its name implies, the PacWest Sorento has been designed with the Pacific Northwest in mind. An accompanying teaser video hints at some of the mechanical modifications and paint scheme “inspired by the lush forests of the region.”

Kia’s fleet of one-off cars will be on display from November 3-6.

Tire maker Bridgestone has agreed to buy automotive aftermarket chain Pep Boys for $835 million. The deal is expected to officially close in early 2016.

The deal will give Bridgestone access to Pep Boy’s 800 locations in 35 states and Puerto Rico, essentially boosting the company’s retail network by 35 percent. Bridgestone currently operates about 2,200 service centers under the Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires Plus and Wheel Works brand banners.

“Bridgestone and Pep Boys are two leading companies that share a proud heritage in the American automotive services industry,” said Gary Garfield, CEO and President of Bridgestone Americas. “Our shared expertise and commitment to our customers and employees will help us build an even stronger organization.”

It remains to be seen if Pep Boys will continue to offer a variety of tire brands or if the chain will exclusively sell tires from the Bridgestone portfolio.

Once the deal is finalized, Pep Boys will be taken off the New York Stock Exchange.

General Motors has announced that its new Chevrolet Camaro is finally rolling off the production line.

The first wave of sixth-generation cars is scheduled to leave GM’s Lansing Grand River factory by the end of the week, eventually arriving at showrooms for customer delivery by mid-November.

The 2016 Camaro launches with six all-new powertrain combinations, starting with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill with 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A revamped 3.6-liter V6 powers the LT trim levels, while a 455-horsepower 6.2-liter LT1 V8 can be found under the SS’ hood. Each engine is available with a choice between six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Engineers worked to make the car lighter than its predecessor, slashing between 223 and 390 pounds depending on the package. Despite the weight savings, the chassis is stiffer for improved handling.

The Camaro starts at $26,695 (excluding freight) for the 1LT model, representing an increase of $2,990 over the previous-generation’s entry-level 1LS package. The price discrepancy narrows to $690 when comparing the 2016 1LT build vs the 2015 1LT trim.

The Lansing Grand River factory received $175 million in retooling and equipment upgrades to build the new Camaro.

Live images by Brian Williams.