Tokyo Auto Show 2009

Auto shows are lightning rods for the strangest of the strange, attracting the cars that automobile designers cook up while locked in their studios, shaping clay models or drawing digital sketches. Nowhere is this more true than the Tokyo Motor Show.

Subaru Hybrid Tourer

What's cooler than scissor doors? Gull-wing doors, that's what. While the aftermarket will be happy to supply you with the parts needed to make your minivan's doors hinge upward just like the latest creation on "Pimp My Ride," Subaru is the only company we know brave enough to bolt butterfly doors onto a simple concept.

Though the company says the openers are there just to provide the best view of the interior, we can expect to see more of the Hybrid Tourer's design language from Subaru in the future. What's more, the 2.0-liter flat 4-cylinder and twin electric motors in the drivetrain will likely find their way into production as well, possibly thanks to the company's latest partnership with Toyota.

Daihatsu Basket

Tokyo served up a host of cars that were so cute that we just wanted to run up and pinch their cheeks. (Too much information, right?) The Daihatsu Basket is one such pint-size ride. Aside from dish-plate headlights and its open-air design, the Basket is a kei-car, which means it's powered by an engine no larger than 660 cubic centimeters.

That's a little more than a half-liter, for those us whose eyes glaze over at the mention of the metric system. Don't expect to see one of these in your neck of the woods anytime soon, though. Daihatsu says its adorable Basket is meant for the Japanese domestic market only. Too bad.

Daihatsu e:S

At just over 7 feet and 1,500 pounds, the featherweight e:S is supposed to carry four passengers and deliver fuel economy of a hair over 70 mpg, Daihatsu says. How does it do it? Well, Daihatsu was less than forthcoming about drivetrain details, but a microscopic 660 cc engine puts power to the pavement.

Given the inherent difficulty of getting Americans to think about owning anything with less than 6 feet of ground clearance and seating for 12, we seriously doubt Daihatsu plans to bring the e:S to the States in our lifetime.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo

It looks as if Mitsubishi has taken a page from the conversion-van chapter of American automotive engineering for its i-MiEV Cargo. Using the bones from the company's tiny i-MiEV electric vehicle, Mitsubishi stitched on an aerodynamic cargo-van rear end, which adds 65 cubic feet of storage room. While that's a pretty snappy number, we can't imagine that loading this thing to the roof does much for its 100-mile range. At least you can charge the lithium batteries to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes.

Nissan Land Glider Concept

By Nissan Land Glider Concept standards, cars like the i-MiEV Cargo and Daihatsu Basket are full-size behemoths. A battery-powered 2-seater with electric motors mounted in the rear, the Land Glider is designed to have an amazing turning angle of up to 17 degrees.

That means you can squeeze into parking spaces built for motorcycles — provided you can squeeze into the cockpit first. As strange as the design may seem, the charging system is downright cool. Instead of using a standard plug-and-cord setup, the Land Glider uses a contact-type charging system, like those seen on cordless, rechargeable telephones.

Honda EV-N Concept

Another of the too-cute-for-words vehicles on display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, the Honda EV-N Concept borrows heavily from the company's N600 of decades past. Unlike its classic inspiration, the EV-N is powered by a plug-in lithium-ion battery and boasts green tech such as a solar-panel roof and 100 percent recyclable seat material.

Honda hasn't said much in terms of range, price or whether or not the company will even produce the EV-N, but we do know both the driver and passenger doors store a U3-X electric mobility device (that's the Honda electric unicycle).

Suzuki Swift Hybrid Concept

While most of the cars in this story are vaporware (read: not destined for production), the Suzuki Swift Hybrid may be whirring along our city streets in no time. Suzuki has been painfully behind in the transition to green pastures up until now.

The Swift Hybrid uses a series hybrid drivetrain, complete with a 660 cc range-extending engine for when the batteries run dry. A 54-kilowatt electric motor helps push the small 5-door along. Otherwise, the Swift is identical to the gasoline car, which is in production right now.

CT&T City2

South Korean company CT&T has been producing short-trip or "neighborhood" electric vehicles for a while now, and has even committed to producing the things here in the States. Its latest model is the City2, which was on display in a variety of trims and colors.

The wackiest one had to be the version geared toward law enforcement — apparently headed to a mall parking lot near you. Technically, it's a "low-speed" EV, but the City2 looks a lot like a glorified golf cart to us. It can reach speeds of up to 35 mph and has a range of up to 68 miles with a lithium-polymer battery, though.

P70t Conch

We can't be too hard on the P70t Conch, but there's no question that it takes the quirky cake. Worked up by a partnership between Japanese design students and the Phiaro design consultants, the P70t Conch is designed to be a 3-seater EV with 107 lb-ft of torque on tap.

Given that the vehicle weighs a scant 1,800 pounds, that's not a bad power figure. The car is designed for use in car-sharing programs or inner-city driving, though we think it could double as Optimus Prime's head in the next "Transformers" movie.

Lexus LFA

Not every car at the Tokyo Motor Show was out to save the planet. Lexus unveiled its much-talked-about LFA to the delight of horsepower junkies everywhere. With a baby-seal-clubbing 552 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque from a 4.8-liter V10 engine, the car will be limited to just 500 examples. If that's not bizarre enough to stir your coffee, the price tag should be. Toyota, er, Lexus will be asking $375,000 per car. However, dealers will probably want a bit more than that.