Car shows

BMW adds a hallowed model label to its 1-Series Coupe, along with carbon fiber components and a sport interior. The tii concept takes the 135i, which should already be an incredible performer, and tricks it out for the race track.

Audi's metroproject concept presages the Audi A1, set to begin production in 2009. This little car uses a hybrid powertrain, with a gas engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor for the rear wheels. It employs a unique removable smartphone-like device that works as the brains for the car's infotainment systems.

The Tesseract looks like two motorcycles bolted together. This four-wheeled bike, powered by a hybrid engine, employs a unique mechanism that lets it lean to the side when you go into a corner. At stops, it locks into an upright position.

Looking like a giant MP3 player mock-up, the SSC, or Suzuki Sharing Coach, is actually a transporter for two other Suzuki concept vehicles. The SSC can hold two Suzuki Pixys, little personal transporters. Are cars within cars the wave of the future?

Although none of these cars are likely to make it to production, they represent some of the most interesting, or, possibly, aberrant, ideas in automotive design. From the Nissan R.D/B.X, designed to let its occupants interact, to the Honda Puyo with its gel-covered body, these concepts are as wild as they come.

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

At the 2007 Tokyo auto show, we found many concept cars that could be put into production today. These cars wouldn't look out of place on the road or in a mall parking lot. We've got photos of these ready for the road concepts, from the Volkswagen Space Up to the Toyota iQ.

Click here for photos of road-ready concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.

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