The new Mazda 6, rolling out to showrooms in 18 months, will be making most of the Sky Activ Technology developed by the Japanese car manufacturer. The setup will include new more fuel efficient engine variants running on diesel and gas, lightweight gearbox, new suspension, and a new modular platform.

Sky Acitve allows Mazda to move forward as an independent carmaker after its breakaway from Ford, and also make sure that the lineup of Mazda can pass the stricter emission requirements in the future.

The first car release of Mazda that will be utilizing the full array of Sky Active Technology will be the CX-5 which comes out Spring of next year. The new Mazda 6 will be the second vehicle to impplement the lighter but tougher platform. The new platform makes use of steel spaceframe configured to be scaled in order to be used for the whole range of Mazda vehicles.

The Takeri saloon makes use of the new design language of Mazda. The Soul of Motion design philosophy gives the concept car a bolder look compared to the current version of the Mazda 6. It has a better looking grille, crisper lines, a more aggressive profile, and technical headlights. The rear end of the car hints of a Jaguar inspiration especially when you focus on the boot and the brightwork on the boot.

The interior takes a minimalist approach. The designers also made use of rotary controllers instead of traditional controls.

The engine of the Takeri sallon is the 173bhp Sky Activ-D 2.2L turbodiesel. The combined effect of the lighter body, great dynamics, and new engine, the Takeri only spews out 104 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The engine is coupled with an automatic gearbox with torque convertor technology that makes its fuel economics similar to a manual transmission.

The 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon is still a big hit with 600 plus cars on spotlight. The car show also attracted a record high of exhibitors, temporarily brushing off the thought that the auto industry is suffering from the global financial meltdown.

The mix of vehicles is a colorful dash of style and inspiration. The displays were ranging from super tune vehicles, hardcore, odd customized tricycles, and muscle 1000 automobile.

The atmosphere was very encouraging. Tuners were all out in convincing muscle car lovers to do their next engine modifications. Manufacturers were also playing hard and teasing youngsters with imagination-tickling customization of the production cars.

The Nissan 370Z caught the attention of everyone. The manufacturers tuning arm, the Nismo, took advantage of the spotlight and unveiled the S-tune version of the car. The staff revealed that the S-version may reach the shores of the United States. Zele Perfomance won praises with their 370Z version, the Lamborghini-orange.

The Mazda 3 due for release in 2010 was also on display. Mazda also showcased some modified versions that the crowd eagerly checked out.

Power Enterprise wowed the crowds with the installation of extra superchargers to the GTR making it a quad-supercharged mean machine with 700 horsepower.

The Acura NSX of Mugen was also a pleaser during the Tokyo convergence.

Honda Access also unveiled the new Sports Modulo range. The aerodynamic parts of the S2000 Sport Modulo caught the eyes of everyone. The manufacturer also placed on center stage the concept cars like Sports Modulo Fit RS and the Life Style Study.