Tokyo Auto Salon: 555TES Minute-S
It’s been a lost in translation situation, but from what I could develop here at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the oddly shaped and oddly named 555TES Minute-S is a “three-wheel compact commuter” powered by a Yamaha 250-cc engine coupled to a Toyota Aqua hybrid drive. Here it is in motion:
TTAC predicts similar success as other three-wheelers. Mt compact-commuter is pocket-size. It’s a SUICA card. Works on the subway.
The pink thing behind it is the official “Rice Rocket.” I kid you not. I know you won’t trust me, so here is proof.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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This makes at least as much sense as a Can-Am, three wheeler - maybe more. They need to dump the 250 and bump it up to the 600 from an R6 or a 1000CC from an R1, change the two back wheels to one of those huge meats they put on choppers these days (to keep it a "motorcycle") and add a slide back canopy like a fighter so it can be run in the rain. That thing looks like it would be a total blast.
Nice idea, but better aero and less 80's syntho-rock would help its case. Wonder what it gets on the Japanese 10-15... infinity?