As we count down the days to the beginning of the Tokyo Motor Show, taking place from December 3 - 11, manufacturers have begun to release teaser images of some of the cars we can expect to see when the doors swing open.

The theme most firms have adopted is an electric one with EVs the order of the day. Honda will bring a trio of the environmentally friendly cars to the Tokyo Big Sight (yes that is the name of the arena).

Most interesting is the Small Sports EV Concept that Honda says is as fun to drive as it is efficient. The roadster is also said to hint at the design direction of future models. No firm details have been released but there is no mistaking the influence of the hybrid CR-Z in the Small Sports EV Concept's styling. Since the demise of the S2000 Honda has not offered a sports car of this size so could Honda be ready to replace VTEC with EV? As exciting as it looks Honda seems to have turned away from the performance end of the market with CEO Takanobu Ito saying "You can't depend on a high power output to call a car 'sports' any more."

Much more likely to see production is the AC-X; a plug-in hybrid that would appear to show the next generation Civic Hybrid. Said to offer a comfortable and enjoyable driving experience the AC-X will allow drivers to choose between "engine drive mode" for more spirited driving and "automatic drive mode" when they want to relax.