Lexus SS550 (LF-A), Mazda RX-7, Scion Drop Top, Toyobaru

If you were like us a few months ago, you were probably a little worried that the fascinating Tokyo Motor Show was defunct until 2011. It was on pace to become the Olympics of the automotive show calendar, happening once every four years. Fortunately, though, organizers pulled it together for 2009 and signed up around half of the exhibitors from 2007 who are excited to display their latest and greatest starting this October 23.

A few days ago, the latest edition of Best Car Magazine from Japan hit our offices, and after a quick scan of the book’s Tokyo show preview, it seems the bi-annual event is amazingly still on track to be quite the exhibition.

The first car that caught our eye was the much-talked-about Lexus LF-A supercar from Toyota. In addition to showing a rendered final form, insiders quoted by Best Car say Toyota officials are looking to rename the car to ‘SS550′. The ‘SS’ standing for ‘super sport’ and ’550′ for the car’s tremendous horsepower figure. Product planners are also keen on offering the six-figure car in 30 color schemes — 12 of which would be standard, the other 18 optional.

A few pages later, Mazda’s rumored upcoming next-generation RX-7 took us aback. As you can see, it’s clearly Nagare-inspired, incorporating the design philosophy’s dramatic sweeping lines and smooth curves. Many are saying new RX-7 flagship will continue the rotary bloodline when it arrives in Japan in early 2012.

Below the RX-7 sat

an attractive two-door wearing the Toyota badge. Is this the fabled Toyota-Subaru front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) sports car? Or how about a new Toyota Supra? We’ll leave that for you to decide.

Concluding our latest ‘Japanese Mag Shakedown’ is an interesting drop-top that’s supposedly based on the Toyota/Scion iQ minicar. Yes, that’s neither of the marques’ badge on its hood, but we’re guessing Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu will likely be the car’s brand if it does get the production go-ahead. Daihatsu, too, has a thing for creating ultra-compact convertibles.

source: motortrend