Tokyo Motor Show

The Tokyo Motor Show occurs annually but alternates between commercial vehicles one year and passenger vehicles the next. As you might expect, the Tokyo auto show is the coming-out party of all the latest from the Japanese Big Three: Honda, Nissan and Toyota. But as the Chinese auto industry has grown over the last decade, the Tokyo Motor Show is quickly gaining even more relevance as an important international auto show.

One of the Tokyo auto show's most unique elements is its abundance of concept cars. From mild soon-to-be-production models to outrageously designed one-off contraptions, Tokyo's auto show floor is often crammed with so many concepts that it's hard to appreciate the intricate details of every vehicle. Technology often plays a central role in these concepts, so you'll often see the first hints of the latest new gadget being shown in a car on the Tokyo show floor. Recent auto shows have also focused on high-technology drivetrains, with hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles getting most of the attention.

Started in 1954 when it was known as the All Japan Motor Show, the Tokyo Motor Show has its roots in commercial vehicles. The early auto shows were dominated by trucks, with passenger cars representing less than 10 percent of the vehicles on display. Over the years, the rise of the Japanese passenger car industry, both in its home market and especially abroad, made the Tokyo auto show a must-attend event for anyone interested in the latest new cars, trucks and even buses. Today, the Tokyo auto show is beginning to share some of the limelight with the Shanghai Motor Show, but it's still regarded as the preeminent auto show in all of Asia.

The 2003 Tokyo Motor Show lived up to expectations as the show floor was packed with concepts from nearly every major Japanese automaker, most of them sporting outlandish designs and even more interesting names to describe them. There wasn't an official theme for the show, but concept after concept rolled out boasting of one form of hybrid drivetrain or another.

There were several notable debuts at the Tokyo auto show, including the Honda HSC concept, a low-slung sports car that looked like a dead ringer for the next-generation NSX. For the ultimate in fuel economy, Honda also rolled out the IMAS concept. Similar in shape to the Insight hybrid, the IMAS was equipped with an even more powerful version of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology. No actual horsepower numbers were given, but Honda fuel economy was said to be in the 85-mpg range.

Other notable concepts on display at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show included the Jeep Treo, the Mercedes-Benz F500 Mind and the Kia KCV-3. Toyota's Lexus division brought out two concept cars that actually hinted at future production models. The LF-S sedan wore sleek styling not typically seen from Lexus. Sharing space on the Lexus stage with the LF-S was the LF-X, another sleek new four that seemed ready for the showroom floor.

The Tokyo Motor Show show takes place every two years, alternating with the commercial vehicle show. As always there will be a huge variety of new designs, predominantly from Japanese manufacturers, ranging from new production cars to some of the most unusual concept cars.

We will have highlights from the show floor during the press days 22-23 October, and in-depth design reviews to follow. Watch this space and enjoy the show!

The 2005 Tokyo Motor Show shaped up to be a dream come true. No, the Skyline GT-R was still a concept and there was no new NSX or Supra. There was, however, a dozen or so concept vehicles that looked as though they were scribbled on nightstand notebooks after a few sake-fueled fantasies.

Almost all of them came from the minds of Japanese designers, even Chrysler's Akino concept was penned by a Japanese native living in San Diego. The Akino is a cab-forward crossover-type vehicle that uses recyclable materials inside and unusual window lines to give it that futuristic look. The Akino was joined by some similar concepts from Suzuki like the P.X, a wannabe minivan that looks like an Airstream travel trailer and the Ionis, a smaller people mover. Nissan rolled out four new concepts of its own ranging from a pint-size coupe to the way-out-there Pivo podmobile.

Leaning toward the production side of things was the star of the show, the Nissan GT-R concept that's slated to go on sale in 2007. Audi's Shooting Brake Concept looked like it could hit showrooms within the next few years as well. Subaru's B5 concept, a hybrid-powered hatchback was another near production-looking concept as were Mitsubishi's Concept-X and the Lexus Flagship Sedan concept. Actual production vehicles included the Audi S8 and the Mitsubishi Outlander. It was the Japanese market version, but we hear the U.S. model won't be much different.