Tokyo motor show highlights - Honda EV-ster

The pre-show sketches of Honda’s two-seat, open-top sports car had us all talking about a spiritual successor to the S2000, or even a Boxster rival.

The real thing is neither of those; in fact, it’s a slightly oversized preview of a ‘kei car’, a tiny rear-wheel-drive model designed to beat Japanese tax regulations.

Does that mean it’s relevant to Europe and the UK? In basic terms, no. However, the EV-ster is significant for a few reasons.

Firstly, the project leader insists that it could yet stay at this size and that it will be sold first as an EV - so there is still an outside chance that it could make it to Europe. It would probably come in costing a fair chunk more than Honda’s hybrid CR-Z sports coupé, though.

Secondly, and more significantly, it shows that Honda is serious about making some fun cars again. We’ll see further proof of that in Detroit in a little over a month’s time, when the firm previews a new ‘supersports car’ - a new NSX, in other words.

If it has a decent slice of the EV-ster’s sharp styling, it could look terrific. Strange to say this about a car that’s unlikely to reach the UK, but the EV-ster really gives you hope.