The automobile craftsmanship of Japanese is evident in the variety of concept cars currently displayed at the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is among the numerous latest finds in the event, which officially opened last October 24 at Chiba City’s Makuhari Messe.

Among the high-end Mazda parts the Premacy has, the hydrogen rotary engine stands out. Almost similar to a hybrid vehicle, this four-wheel machine from Mazda is powered by two sources. Instead of just running on gasoline, a special kind of water is also utilized for this vehicle to work. With these two sources working together, the production of that much needed horsepower is achieved efficiently. The electricity produced from the hydrogen combustion is the one used to make the motor parts of the engine work.

According to Mazda, the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is more efficient in terms of speeding up as well as burning the mixture inside the engine compared with the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen. Aside from all those inner workings of the vehicle, the Premacy is more spacious and is capable of having as much as five people plus some cargos.

The Tokyo Motor Show, which is now on its 40th year, is not just a display of various concept vehicles as it also allow guests to have the first-hand driving experience with some selected cars, like the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE. The event will be open until the 11th of November.

Mazda Motor Corporation, together with Teijin Limited and Teijin Fibers Limited, was able to come up with the world’s first biofabric that can be used as seat covers and other components that can be found in the vehicle’s interior. The biofabric that was invented by the team-up does not have oil-based materials in its constitution. Although this is the case, the said biofabric is durable and is of outstanding quality. The biofabric is resistant to abrasion and to brittleness even when constantly exposed to sunlight. One of the best features of the said biofabric is that it is flame retardant.

This new biofabric will be used in the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid’s seat covers as well as its door trim. The said vehicle will be on exhibit this coming October at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Aside from the biofabric, the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid will also feature the bioplastic—which Mazda was able to develop sometime in 2006—for its instrument panel as well as on other interior components. The biofabric is made from polylactic acid, which is a plastic that is basically fashioned from combining lactic acid molecules that are found at fermented carbohydrates like plant sugars. Since the said biofabric is organic, it will in no way be harmful with the environment.

Due to the high demands for environment friendly vehicles, Mazda has come up with “biofabric” that makes their vehicle’s seats friendly to the environment. With this new feature of Mazda vehicles, one can expect the future Mazda vehicles to be outfitted with seats made from plant-derived fibers. This is what most people would call a rather “green” solution to the problem of conventional car seats that are made from oil-based materials.

Mazda plans to show the “biotechmaterial” fabric in the cabin of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to the public next month when the said vehicle will be out on display at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show. Many are already anticipating to have a sight of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid for it will feature the Mazda “bioplastic.” This innovation was developed in 2006 in the instrument panel for Mazda vehicles.

The new Biotechmaterial technology is slated to “become a cornerstone for future biotechnologies aimed at reducing the burden on the environment,” said Seita Kanai, Mazda’s director and senior executive officer in charge of research and development.

The said biofabric that will be featured in the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hbrid is made of polylactic acid. This poluactic acid is described by Mazda as a plastic made from fermented carbohydrates such as plant sugars. The biofabric is said to be resistant to abrasion and damage from sunlight, as well as being flame retardant. It was developed in collaboration with Teijin and Teijin Fibers.

Mazda biofabric is a plant-derived fiber used to make the seat covers and door trim on the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. It’s made using “fermented carbohydrates” and according to Mazda, the said new “biotechmaterial” fabric is fire retardant and resistant to abrasion and sun damage. This means that Mazda vehicle owners who have biofabric seat covers will save a lot because the seat covers are guaranteed to last and unlike regular seat covers, will not need to be replaced every once in a while.

With this innovation in seat covers, Mazda proves that it is a company geared toward the environment. Being made from plant-derived fibers, the new seat covers are durable and will put an end to the constant need to change the vehicles’ seat covers. With less need to change the seat covers, there will be less waste material that needs to be disposed off. By making high-quality seat covers from biofabric materials, Mazda is able to contribute to the world’s waste problem.

Mazda Motor Corporation has just recently informed that it had improved its hip and sporty Mazda Premacy line of models in Japan. These redesigned models for Mazda’s performance compact minivan are now available at all Mazda Anfini, Mazda, and Mazda Autozam dealers. The Premacy is introduced to other countries as the Mazda5 and the Japanese automaker’s target sales volume for this model is 1,800 vehicle units a month.

The improvements and upgrades that were made to the Premacy were for Mazda’s “Communicative and Dynamic” product concept. It has an electronically controlled five-speed automatic gearbox and this is situated in all front-wheel-drive (FWD) grades. Also all models have been provided with the sequential valve timing or S-VT. These changes have resulted into the improvement of power and also fuel efficiency and top class emissions. Mazda has also improved the model’s suspension system in order to have a more stable ride and greater comfort.

There are new body parts installed like the bold front end, and they give the redesigned Premacy range a more sporty and stylish exterior. The interior features sport an improved instrument panel and modified layout to heighten the redefined image. Seven new body colors have also been made available such as the Golden Sand Metallic.

The suggested retail price of Mazda for its redesigned Mazda Premacy is between 1,768,000 to 2,355,000 yen (including consumption tax).

Features of the Redesigned Mazda Premacy include the following:

For its exterior, the front design has been modified to create a smooth, clean line that links the hood to the bumper, and newly-designed headlights highlight the Premacy’s refined expression. The quality of the premium model grades has been heightened through LED indicator lights embedded in the door mirrors, and LED rear combination lights.

The interior features an instrument panel and layout that have been redesigned. It has blacked out dials and highly visible white illumination has been added to raise quality and render a more dynamic interior design. The interior colors and seat fabric have been changed for different model grades, creating a more stylish and individual expression.

In terms of dynamics, the use of sequential valve timing (S-VT) has been expanded to enhance the performance of the well-established 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter MZR engines. The front-wheel-drive (FWD) models have also been equipped with an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission. These upgrades provide reassuring torque and linear acceleration to make daily driving more satisfying.

Its environmental efficiency has also been enhanced because its fuel economy has been improved by adopting S-VT in addition to an electronic throttle and electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission. All FWD models with the 2.0-liter MZR engine meet Japan’s 2010 fuel economy standards plus 10%, making them eligible for Japan’s Green Tax exemptions. Both the FWD and four-wheel-drive (4WD) model grades now qualify as Super-Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (SU-LEV), achieving exhaust emissions that are 75 percent or lower than the levels required by the Japanese government’s 2005 exhaust emissions regulations.