Honda unveils electric sports car

Honda has not one but two new sports cars up its sleeve, and here's the first: official sketches of The Small Sports Car EV Concept. And when they say small, they mean small. Very small.

(The second is a rumoured "new NSX", set to debut at the Detroit motorshow in January and the Avengers movie in May. Back to that in a minute, but you can see it below)

So, the small one pictured above. Honda says this little concept will preview a new sports car, so it is for real. But it's a little harder to work out exactly what it is.

Despite some reports, this isn't the car to end the Top Gear Feud of Feuds; a car with the spirit of the Honda S2000 to keep Jeremy smiling and the dynamics of a Boxster to please James. Don't holster your weapons yet gentlemen.

It is an EV. A pure electric too, like a Nissan Leaf, only much cooler. And we're not exaggerating about its smallness. It's in Japan's tax-and-parking-ticket-dodging Kei-class - so the size of a Mitsubishi Icar. And like the I, it's been designed for overseas markets, including the UK.

If it's got a spiritual antecedent it is the Smart roadster. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's not made of anything exotic, so unlikely to be expensive either. Sound like fun? Let us know what you think: we'll know a lot more once the Tokyo Motor Show opens its doors later this month.

In other Tokyo news, Honda is also showing a generic plug-in hybrid called the AC-X, complete with neon blue side graphics liberated from the BMW i8 concept last time it was allowed out in public.

There's also a curious Russian doll of an idea; an electric Micro Commuter Car that features, hidden inside, a detachable Motor Compo electric scooter that features, hidden inside, a detachable battery, to power other stuff in your life.

There's also another called E-Canopy, an electric trike and another RC-E, a kind of electric Fireblade. Honda is clearly not expecting batteries to go out of fashion any time soon.

See pictures of the new Honda concepts to launch at the Tokyo Motor Show

And a final word about that new NSX. Honda has made it clear that having made Ferrari blush once, it has no intention of repeating that exercise. There's clearly another target this time: lightweight, V6-powered but with electric wheel motors, it would seem to suggest, alongside this little fella, that Honda has decided the future of sports cars is guilt-free. BMW i8 alternative anyone?