Tokyo Auto Show Highlights

Here are a few select highlights that caught my eye from the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, via TopGear.com. Nothing too exciting went down as many North American and European car companies did not show here as a result of Japan's usual preference for local models as well as the impact that the recent downtown has had on Japan's economy. With that being said, there were a couple of cool showings that deserve some press.

New Lotus Exige Stealth. Lighter, Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. Two coats of paint here. First a glossy layer and then a matte black to give it a pretty dirty two tone color scheme that looks pretty mean.

The Honda CR-Z hybrid crossover concept with both scissor and sliding doors to fulfill all of your hip hop fantasies. Looks like an interesting car and word is that it's fairly close to production. It is hybrid *booo*, which is not as great for the environment as people think. Think about all the electricity factories that would be needed to supply power to these if everyone just started driving hybrids! Electricity does not grow on trees people. With that being said, this model sure kicks the Prius' ass and if I was forced to drive an electric golf cart, this would be it.

The much talked about Lexus LFA supercar. Now, if this is new to you, you're probably as surprised as everyone else was when they first saw this guy. Now, Lexus is not typically known for their performance automobiles. I would say that they would be the Japanese equivalent of a Cadillac with soft, squishy seats and equally soft suspension for 50 year old middle aged men. However, this Lexus is of a different breed. It packs a 500bhp roaring V10 engine and comes with a staggering price tag of $350,000-$375,000. Who would be that crazy to spend that kind of money on a Lexus. When you start throwing that number of presidents around, you're breaking into supercar top tier status and the bevy of beauties at your disposable makes you wonder if this Lexus really belongs in the high rollers club.

A cool Nissan concept that has a body that leans into corners to give the sensation of carving. I love the idea of driving one of these.

Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept.

The new Toyota FT-86 Concept. By far my favorite car from the show. It's great to see Toyota bring back a rear-wheel drive coupe with aggressive looks. This is the best looking Toyota in a while. I guess now that Toyota has cornered the reliable family vehicle segment, their design team had some extra time to really let their creative juices flow. Now they say this a concept, but by the looks of the production ready body, this model is probably not too far out realistically. I think this car is a potential Audi A4 and BMW 3 series killer. Expect its price point to be a notch lower overall and if you can get the reliability of a Toyota to go with it, bonus!