Dune buggy dreams: Yamaha's concept to debut at Tokyo motor show

Delhi : Yamaha is exhibiting an electric three-wheeler and a hydrogen-powered dune buggy at the Tokyo Motor Show in an effort to bring "unfiltered joy" to urban travel. The Yamaha Tricera has an open-sided cockpit with seating for two, similar to the Morgan Super 3 and 3 Wheeler.

The motor and chassis are described as "highly responsive" by Yamaha. They've also added a revolutionary rear-wheel steering system that they claim would improve the Tricera's turn-in response. This steering may also be handled manually and, according to the manufacturer, delivers "the sense of accomplishment that comes with learning and developing new driving skills."

The company went on to say: "Modern mobility is shifting toward automated driving, but that is precisely why Yamaha Motor is going back to basics." The Yamaha Tricera is not anticipated to go into production, but the motorbike company has demonstrated a penchant for vehicles with more than two wheels in the past.

It revealed the OX99-11 in 1992, a two-seat sports vehicle with a 400bhp V12 that was canceled in 1994. It has since aided in the development of various high-performance engines, including those used in the Lexus LFA and Lexus RC F. In 2022, the business was also collaborating with Toyota to convert the RC F's 5.0-litre V8 to hydrogen combustion, a method that may drastically cut conventional engines' net carbon emissions.

Yamaha has separately continued to explore with hydrogen combustion and has adapted a YXZ1000R buggy to burn hydrogen. Yamaha stated: "Yamaha Motor is exploring that potential in order to keep the unique appeal of these engines, such as their sound and feel when on the move, alive for the foreseeable future."