TOKYO MOTOR SHOW HAS GREEN THEME

Apart from a couple of notable exceptions like the Lexus LF-A and Toyota FT-86 coupe, most of the energy at this year's recession-blighted Tokyo motorshow has been expended on 'environmental' projects.

The Honda CR-Z has been revealed, with at least half a chance of appealing to sports driving tastes when it arrives in UK showrooms next year, but most of the new tech stuff is hardly likely to set enthusiasts' hearts racing.

It's a shame, as the Tokyo show has tradtionally been noted for its flights of fancy. However a couple of other concepts from the Japanese majors are worth a mention, including Honda's amusingly retro-styled EV-N - a small 4-seater battery electric vehicle, inspired by the N360, Honda's 360cc micro car launched in the 1960s.

It has solar cells on the roof which could be used to charge the on-board battery, is less than three metres long and has a width of 1475mm. It also has a pocket in each door for one of the weird U3-X gyroscopically controlled unicycles that Honda is also offering as part of the solution to urban travel problems.

Subaru in turn has revealed its Hybrid Tourer concept, which apart from being a relatively uninspiring jump onto the hybrid bandwagon, offers a new 'design language' which will apparently make its way onto future models - including that sharper new front fizzog.

There's no Tokyo show next year, but it's scheduled to return in 2011 - when hopefully it will have found its mojo!