He Yamaha Sports Ride Concept It is clear proof of how the Japanese firm is capable of developing passionate vehicles beyond the world of two wheels. And to tell the truth, if you look back, you can't explain why this light sports car didn't end up in mass production.
Because if we talk about sensations, the Sports Ride promised to fill us with them, thanks to the possibility of ending up mounting the Yamaha YZF-R1 engine of the moment, destined to propel the barely 750 kilograms dry that the brand itself declared. With this weight-power ratio we not only ensured incredible performance. Also the certainty of creating a very effective device inside and outside a circuit.
Yamaha Sports Ride Concept: What could have been and should have been
Imagine being at that 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and witnessing how those responsible for Yamaha officially presented that Sports Ride Concept. Because we are not only talking about a performance car that would have convinced a wide clientele to take advantage of its services. You will also love its compact and well-defined shapes, as well as a really high level of finish.
Yes, we all know that once the decision has been made to mass-produce a certain model, most brands begin to eliminate most of the elements that give an exclusive touch to the initial concepts. In any case, this Sports Ride It looked very good from the beginning and everyone present there, most likely, filled their heads with idyllic images piloting such a thing.
On the other hand, the Sports Ride Concept It took advantage of the structural configuration already seen previously in the MOTIV urban prototype, presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013. In both of them the magic of Gordon Murraythe British-South African designer, father of what is possibly the most iconic street car in history: the McLaren F1.
Under the design process iStreamthe work of Gordon Murray Design Limited, would be able to produce lightweight chassis equipped with high rigidity, technology similar to that used in Formula One. Yamaha described it like this: “The concept is to create a basic structure by attaching composite panels to a tubular frame. “It is a process to develop personal vehicles that offer high performance and respect for the environment.”
With scarcely 3.90 meters long, 1.72 wide and 1.17 high, the Sports Ride Concept was destined to turn the light sports car segment on its head. Although initially the idea of equipping a three-cylinder engine with a displacement of one liter and 80 HP of power was considered, later there was open talk of integrating the engine of the contemporary R1 together with a manual gearbox.
The whole was finished off by exotic materials such as leather, carbon or aluminum. Furthermore, both the floor of the car and the roof were transparent, seeking the interaction of its occupants with the environment every time we decided to squeeze out their dynamic qualities.
That is, increase the level of sensations as if it were a motorcycle. To complete this sporty image, the brand integrated a double exhaust outlet in the upper central part of its rear, in the purest style of the Yamaha R1.
After that first presentation we learned about the Sports Ride Concept in 2017, when the brand published a test video that seemed like the logical evolution of that first prototype, baptized under the name T40. However, in 2019, the project, which had aroused so many passions four years earlier, was permanently put on hold.
