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Concept Car of the Week: Nissan NX-21 (1983)

In the early 1980s, with the new millennium still seemingly an age away, Nissan Design America was tasked with imagining the family car of the future, while giving potential buyers a preview of the forthcoming N13 NX and EXA models. The resulting concept would be shown at the Tokyo motor show in 1983. Given confidence by the increasing success and expanding global presence of Japanese cars, including the previous generation N12 NX, Nissan's designers, led by Tom Semple, decided that the NX-21 (for 21st century) was the answer.

Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME heading for Geneva as the quickest Astra yet

The Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME (pictured) is heading for a Geneva debut. The VXR range of Vauxhall’s – the sportiest of Vauxhall’s car range – is ten years old this year, so what better way to celebrate than with an even more extreme version of the Astra VXR. Vauxhall obviously agree as they’ve revealed the Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME as the new top of the range Astra VXR and it’s heading for a debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March before going in to limited production.

The Tokyo motor show 2009 review, by Phil McNamara

Ch–ch–ch–changes: time to face the strain, presciently sang David Bowie looking forward to the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. Since the 40th show in 2007, the car world has changed economically, politically and technologically. Even the show itself has suffered a pitiful transformation, stripped to just the Japanese firms after the European and American car makers block voted with their feet and jilted the show to save cash.