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While car companies want to show off their environmental credentials, they also realize that performance never goes out of style. We spent quite a bit of time going over these sporty concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. They range from small, fun performance cars from the likes of Honda and Peugeot, to big sport luxury concepts from Nissan and Suzuki, and all the way up to pure design plays like the Mazda Taiki.

Click here for photos of sport concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.

Toyota's 1/X concept, shown at the 2007 Tokyo auto show, uses a body design that closely resembles that of the current Prius. But the 1/X has a lot of tricks up its sleeve that could give it double the already frugal Prius' mileage. First off, the 1/X's body is made of the same carbon fiber materials Toyota developed for its racing cars. This type of body makes the 1/X a third lighter than the Prius. As a flexible fuel vehicle, the 1/X's plug-in hybrid power train can burn gas and ethanol. With … Read more

At the 2007 Tokyo auto show, automotive equipment maker Denso demonstrated technology for cars that monitors a driver's gaze. The system uses a camera to scan the driver's face and will continuously monitor where the driver is looking. The technology also employs cameras to monitor the car's surroundings, and will alert the driver to anything significant he or she might have missed. For example, if you are looking off to the right, and a kid runs into the street from the left, the car can alert you, or even hit the brakes. Denso's technology can also … Read more

Among the concept cars on display at the 2007 Tokyo auto show, a substantial number run off of electricity. Some, such as the Suzuki Pixy and the Nissan Pivo2, are a little outlandish. But many represent very serious efforts on the part of automakers to develop a successful and practical zero-emission vehicle. Both the Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport and the Subaru G4e look like they are ready for the road.

Click here for photos of electric concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.

At the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, Suzuki showed off the Kizashi concept, and, frankly, we weren't too thrilled. We weren't sure why Suzuki was building something that looked like a Dodge Magnum. But at the 2007 Tokyo auto show, Suzuki revealed the Kizashi 2, indicating that it's serious about building bigger cars. Suzuki has had success building smaller cars and SUVs, but now it wants to stretch its proverbial wings, competing in new segments. The Kizashi concepts show Suzuki's direction in this area--big, gaudy, and brawny wagons.

After examining the Kizashi 2, we give in. Suzuki … Read more

With a lot of sleek Yamaha concepts on display at the 2007 Tokyo auto show, Bobby stood out for its awkward look. This electric scooter is designed for commuters. It's not much smaller when folded up, but Yamaha points out that it can be more easily stowed in the trunk of a car or kept on a balcony. OK, we'll buy that. Bobby incorporates an RFID reader, so you can use a cell phone equipped with a Sony FeliCa chip as a key. The future is sounding weirder and weirder.

One of the pleasures of the Tokyo auto show is seeing technologies from automotive equipment makers that haven't made it into any current models. This is the stuff that might appear on cars of the future. We saw numerous displays from different companies about how different colored LEDs can be used for exterior and signal lighting on a car. One equipment maker, Koito, had an interesting concept with an LED string framing the headlight housing. The LEDs in this string could flash yellow, working as a turn indicator, or they could turn blue and stay on for night driving. … Read more

Lotus brings back a legendary name with the Lotus 2 Eleven on display at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. The original Lotus Eleven was built from 1956 to 1958, and competed successfully in many races of that era. The new generation 2 Eleven is based on the Exige S, getting its suspension and 1.8-liter supercharged and intercooled engine. But Lotus manages to squeeze 16 percent more power out of it, upping horsepower to about 255 at its top engine speed of 8,000RPM. The 2 Eleven is currently Lotus' most powerful car, and it gets from 0 to 62 … Read more

Single-person wheeled vehicles look like the stuff of science fiction, but Toyota and Suzuki showed off a few concepts at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. They tend to have a futuristic look and electric drive, but we're not entirely sure what problem they are supposed to solve. Just as the Segway become more novelty than necessity, we can't imagine future thoroughfares jam-packed with people commuting in the vehicles. Still, they look like they would be fun to drive.

Click here for photos of personal transportation concepts.