Tokyo motor show - Toyota's 'harmonious drive'

Toyota RiN
…and relax. Here's a car that should lower your pulse rate, Toyota's RiN. It may look a little like a Blackpool tram, but there's nothing clattery about this car – it's all about ‘serene, healthy living'.

From the door that gently glides open, like entering a Japanese tea house (unless you try to slam the door, when it instantly becomes heavier), to the seats designed to promote a perfect posture, RiN is all about harmony of body and mind – it's what Toyota says is the first of its people-centred cars. Or a health spa on wheels.

The steering control (not a wheel) features an electrocardiogram that senses your emotional state and feeds back appropriate information through the instrument cluster. Very calming.

The oxygen level and humidity is constantly measured and adjusted in the cabin, while green glass filters out ultraviolet and infrared light to make the world outside seem a brighter, happier place.

One of the more practical features are headlights that vary the light distribution to avoid dazzling oncoming cars or pedestrians – so they'll feel more relaxed about life, too.

Will the RiN make it into production? Not a chance. Although cars that sense your mood and adapt accordingly are all the rage at Tokyo (like Nissan's Pivo2) and aren't as far-fetched as you might think.

Toyota 1/X
At first glance, it's easy to see why the 1/X (pronounced one-Xth, of course) is so eco-friendly and fuel-efficient – there's nothing of it. Doors would be handy.

Toyota likens the car to a marathon runner, an ultra-slim physique that helps it go far, while using little energy. That means it's the size of a Prius with twice the fuel efficiency.

The 1/X tips the scales at a lithe 420kg (about a third of the weight of a Prius), using advanced carbonfibre to save weight, while remaining structurally safe and allowing good visibility with slim screen pillars.

A combination of plug-in hybrid power (chargeable from your mains at home) and flexible fuel (running on petrol or bioethanol) means you can go a decent distance on electric power alone, and it's relatively futureproof.

So what are your chances of buying a 1/X in the future? Again, slim, although the technology is more likely to find its way into future Toyotas than some of the concept cars on show.

iReal
This is not a fancy stairlift. What seems like Toyota's barmiest offering at Tokyo is actually the closest to production. It's called the iReal and it's part of Toyota's personal mobility programme, a vehicle with human dimensions.

Turn left and it'll lean to the left. Accelerate and its rear wheel will slide back for greater stability. Slow down and stop, and it'll move into an upright position to help you out.

An on-board communication system let's you exchange information with other iReal users, while it'll also alert you to any potential collision with objects or those pedestrians not fortunate enough to have their own iReals.

Just in case those pesky pedestrians get too close, it'll also alert them that you're coming through with a series of ‘pleasant lights and sounds'. Quite.

So how close to production is it? Sadly Toyota wouldn't put a timescale or a potential price on the iReal.