Tokyo Concept Cars: Green Machines

©Mitsubishi

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by Shane Kite
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Japanese manufacturers usually go wild with their concept cars during the Tokyo Motor Show and introduce experimental vehicles that may or may not appear on the roads someday। The crop of crazy concepts this year is largely an eco-friendly group of small vehicles, some of which are tiny enough to serve as personal mobility devices. Below are all of the world debuting concept vehicles from this year's show, which was held from Oct. 27 through Nov. 11, 2007.

Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport

The Mitsubishi i MiEV SPORT is a zero-emissions plug-in electric mini-car that is the performance version of the automaker's innovative Electric Vehicle, or "MiEV." In-wheel motors up front and a special all-wheel-drive system, called Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC), make this Volkswagen Beetle-looking car highly maneuverable as well as responsive, the automaker said. A single motor drives the rear wheels. An electronic all-wheel-drive system optimizes the output of all three electric motors (the two up front and one at the rear). Besides using regenerative braking technology as is already incorporated on current hybrid vehicles, the i MiEV Sport includes a couple of other innovative features that help charge the vehicle's battery pack: an auxiliary photovoltaic generator on the roof captures and converts sunlight into electricity and a fan inside the front grill harness wind power. The small coupe has a range of 124 miles and top speed of 112 mph. The taillights and the interior use power-saving LEDs, and heat-absorbing window glass is meant to curb the use of air conditioning. "Green plastic," Mitsubishi's plant-based resin technology, is used where possible to cut down on interior components that could end up in landfills. The automaker said that occupants are protected in collisions from any direction, even when colliding with a vehicle of different height or weight, due to the car's layout and use of Mitsubishi's latest Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body.

Arrest Made In Violent Sexual Assaults

Russell M. Nunn, 46, is accused of attacking an elderly woman at her eastside home in August. Nunn is also accused of assaulting another elderly woman at her eastside home earlier this month.

Investigators say forensic evidence linked Nunn to the assaults. Nunn is a Level 3 registered sex offender. The Level 3 category is for those most likely to re-offend, according to the Tucson Police Department.

Nunn was released from prison earlier this year after serving time for a previous assault. Nunn was booked into the Pima County Jail Thursday night and charged with 2 counts of robbery, 2 counts of burglary, and 1 count of aggravated assault, according to a press release from the Tucson Police Department.

Paparazzo Seriously Injured in Spears Madness

UPDATE: Miraculously, the victim was released from the hospital last night with only a tire mark on his arm. Not a single broken bone, and no internal injuries. Lucky guy!

TMZ has confirmed a paparazzo on a motorcycle has been injured while chasing Britney Spears.

The accident, first reported by That Other Blog, happened around 5:00 PM tonight, roughly a mile from the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel. Several cars were in line chasing the pop princess when one hit another photog on a motorcycle, throwing the rider off the bike and onto the road. We're told the rider was seriously injured and transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His current condition is unknown.

UPDATE: We're told that the injured person is what is known as a "spotter," and does not actually carry a camera. He will follow the star and tip off other photographers to her whereabouts. We hear he's fairly new to the Britney beat, only appearing on the scene in the past several days.