As expected, Subaru unveiled the Hybrid Tourer Concept at Tokyo, which features the world’s first hybrid drivetrain whose engine has Subaru’s trademark ‘boxer’ configuration. That allows Subaru to herald a spurious green first.

What’s all the fuss about?

The ‘gullwing’ doors, futuristic styling and the fact it’s a hybrid all stand out, but most pressing is the fact it probably hints at what the next Impreza will look like. When we first saw this concept in picture form, we thought it looked somewhat like an Alfa Brera at the back end – and that’s still the case in the metal, sort of. It’s very stylish indeed, which is not something usually said of Subaru’s products.

What makes it so green?

That boxer hybrid drivetrain is actually very clever, because it has two electric motors, one on the front axle and one in the back. The more powerful of the two is at the back and can drive the car alone at low speeds before the turbo boxer petrol engine kicks in at higher velocities. The front motor is normally a generator used to charge the batteries, but if extra traction is needed, the 13bhp unit can kick in and power the front wheels. Thus, this concept has an unusual type of green four-wheel drivetrain. {via Mark Nichol}

Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda has said the automaker is in desperate need of an excitement injection, and here’s the first dose: the Toyota FT-86 Concept.

Inspired by the Corolla-based AE86 sports coupe of the ’80s, the FT-86 concept was designed by the automaker’s ED2 styling studio in France and bears a remarkable resemblance to the FT-HS concept shown at the Detroit Auto Show several years back.

The engine is powered by Subaru’s 2.0-litre boxer, which puts out 146bhp in current production form but should develop slightly more in future iterations. The FT-86 has a 2+2 seating configuration and measures 416cm in length, just a fraction longer than the Audi TT and around 18cm shorter than the Lotus Evora.

The concept that measures 4,160mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,260mm high with a wheelbase of 2,570mm also features ADVICS brakes. Inside, the 2+2 concept features an instrument panel with a gray and white base, gauges with red neon lights and digital displays as well as a navigation system.