Citroen
The Far East is an important region for Citroen where it can trade on a 'premium European' tag, so it is no surprise that it will bring two of its latest offerings to Tokyo in the C4 Grand Picasso (the seven-seat one) and DS3 Cabrio. As we have already seen them we are much more interested in the facelifted DS3 with a new nose seemingly inspired by the Wild Rubis concept.
Daihatsu
Daihatsu disappeared from European markets years ago, but it is hoping that its Tokyo Motor Show offerings will rekindle interest in the brand. Though not called as such, the RMZ is a reborn Copen convertible - a Volkswagen up!-sized two-seat drop top that is powered by a 660cc three-cylinder engine. The XMZ is also Copen-based, but seems to create a niche that neither Audi nor BMW have thought of yet - that of the baby SUV roadster.
Honda
Like Daihatsu, Honda has also turned to its past for inspiration with the result being the S660 Concept - a spiritual successor to the Honda Beat. Honda will also unveil the production version of the Honda Urban SUV (though that is unlikely to be its name), a Nissan Juke rival based on the Jazz supermini. There will also be a plug-in hybrid version of the Accord saloon (primarily for the American market) and no doubt the long-awaited NSX will be rolled out, but unless it's an actual production model this is the last time we will mention it. It's not the last time we will mention the first turbocharged Civic Type R, however. While still two years away from production the 300hp hot hatch is already beginning to impress with its stats and should make an appearance at the Big Sight arena. If not we'll content ourselves with a ride on the Uni-Cub. That sounds all wrong, doesn't it?
Lexus
The big draw on the Lexus stand will be the RC Coupé, a car that has been directly inspired by the LF-CC concept and has both the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series in in spindle grille sights. Two versions - the RC 350 with a 3.5-litre V6 and the hybrid powered RC 300h - are likely to be shown in Tokyo, but there are suggestions of a 450hp V8 engined model in the pipeline. That or a BMW M4? The Tokyo Motor Show will also give us a second chance to see the LF NX SUV that debuted in Frankfurt and to see whether or not the styling was some sort of Lexus in-joke...
MINI
The all-new MINI officially made its debut at the plant in Oxford on what would have been Alec Issigonis' 107th birthday, but the car will be shown to the world at both the LA and Tokyo motor shows. While the looks are similar to the outgoing model, the car is all new with the biggest changes being under the bonnet where BMW debuts its new range of 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engines.
Mazda
Considering the Mazda6 racer was the first diesel powered car to win a Grand Am race in the States, it was only a matter of time before it cashed in on the success. The Atenza (Japanese for 6 it seems) Racer will debut in Japan with new aero parts, engine upgrades and Brembo brakes. Tasty! The estate version of the 6 will receive similar treatment to spawn the Wagon Grand Touring Concept, which seems a funny way to spell 'MPS 6' but what do we know? Away from the 6 Mazda will also roll out a 'dual-fuel' version of the 3 hatchback that is capable of running on both petrol and compressed natural gas (CNG). As we do not have much of a CNG infrastructure it is unlikely to upset too many rivals, but a hybrid powered Mazda3 may just have the Lexus CT 200h shaking in its boots.
Mercedes-Benz
We shall shed a tear as the SLS AMG Final Edition is wheeled out onto the stage in Tokyo (and simultaneously, LA) but be instantly cheered up as the 630hp BiTurbo V12-powered S 65 AMG that follows it. We always thought the regular S 63 was a bit wimpy...
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi will bring a trio of cars to the Big Sight; two of them plug-in hybrids. The first of these is the GC-PHEV full-sized hybrid that may preview a replacement for the Shogun, while the XR-PHEV crossover gives us our first look at Mitsubishi's planned Nissan Juke rival. Both cars are expected to be powered by a version of the plug-in hybrid system due to be launched in the Outlander. The third vehicle is the AR - a seven-seat SUV/MPV crossover that will use a downsized turbocharged petrol engine.
Nissan
There must be something in the water around the plant in Yokohama as the brand we would normally expect to trot out a range of crazy EVs has gone sports car crazy for the Tokyo Motor Show. First up is the long awaited Nismo tuned GT-R. The standard GT-R is no slouch but the 600hp Nismo version has just lapped the Nürburgring faster than any other volume production car in the world. Bizarrely, we are even more excited by the BladeGlider concept. The radical looking electric sports car has clearly been inspired by the Deltawing Le Mans racer and is expected to be loaded with LEAF Nismo RC electrical components. The reason we are excited is that Nissan actually wants to put it into production. Even with all that going on there's a chance Nissan might unveil its next-gen, turbocharged 370Z in Tokyo.
Porsche
Get your cheque books ready as the Porsche Macan is almost here. The 'entry level' Porsche aims to take buyers out of their Audi Q3s and BMW X3s, not to mention the Range Rover Evoque. From various leaks we know that two turbocharged six-cylinder engines will be offered at launch (a 260hp 3.0-litre V6 diesel and a 400hp 3.6-litre V6 in the Macan S), but more engines are expected in time. Also on hand will be the 565hp Panamera Turbo S.
Subaru
Subaru is still trying to find its mojo and while the Subaru WRX (an Impreza WRX in all but name) is slated to debut at LA, Tokyo will play host to a number of concepts. Yeah we would've thought Subaru's home show would be the better place to debut its signature car but what do we know? The Levorg name comes from a combination of "Legacy," "Revolution" and "Touring" so that will be the next generation Legacy estate then. Little else is known about the concept as Subaru has only released teaser images but it is expected to be powered by an all-new 1.6-litre Boxer engine. It is also likely to spawn a seven-seat version, or at least that is what the Crossover 7 concept seems to be - a jacked up and slightly extended Levorg. The final piece of the Subaru jigsaw is the Sport Cross Design concept, which is expected to lead to a replacement for the 'visually challenged' Tribeca.
Suzuki
While Land Rover is still faffing around with the Defender replacing DC100 Suzuki has stolen a march with the X-LANDER concept. Basically a scale model of the DC100, it previews what a Jimny for the 21st century may look, but as the concept is a hybrid it is likely to remain just that - a concept. More likely to make production is the Crosshiker. This crossover-cum-coupé is about the same size as a city car, but its jacked up suspension means occupants will have a clearer view of the road ahead. The unfortunately names 'Hustler' (we have to assume Japan does not get Larry Flynt's eponymous magazine) is a slab-sided box on wheels in the mould of the Honda Element. It will likely work on busy Tokyo streets but little else besides.
Toyota
Toyota will take the fuel-cell baton from Honda (which has been working on the FXC Clarity for years) when it debuts the FCV in Tokyo. Set to go on sale (in limited numbers) in 2015 the FCV runs on hydrogen that is converted to electricity through a chemical reaction. Toyota says the car will have a range of up to 300 miles and can be refuelled in less than three minutes, which makes the four-hour wait for battery electric cars to recharge seem 'shocking'. I'll get my coat... The FCV is positively normal compared to the FV2 - the big T's latest take on personal mobility. Looking not too dissimilar to a Sinclair C5 from the 1980s the FV2 does not have conventional controls and instead relies on inputs from the driver's body movements. Curiously, though we were told that the open-topped GT86 has been canned, it looks like the concept version is to be on hand in Tokyo, alongside a rather less desirable cabrio in the form of the Aqua Air concept car, based on the Yaris we believe. And then there's the JPN Taxi concept, a smaller, very Japanese take on the black cab.
Volkswagen
The Twin-up! hybrid concept takes the mighty XL1's powertrain on board to create a 257mpg Volkswagen up! city car with an electric-only range of about 50 kilometres. We expect to see it at the Tokyo show.