Tokyo Motor Show 2011 review

Tokyo was reaffirmed as one of the leading international motor shows in 2011 with 53 world premiere models and visitor attendance up by 37% compared with the heavily downsized 2009 event. After a series of economic and natural disasters put the show’s future in doubt, a move to a new venue plus some creative concepts and credible production cars – some of which were available to drive on a new rooftop track – boosted footfall to 842,600 in just nine days when its doors closed on 11 December. BMW, with its Concept 5 Series Active Hybrid, and Audi, with a five-door variant of its A1 supermini, both chose Tokyo for global launches. But the big news came from the Japanese car makers.