Toyota Readying 2013 Scion FR-S and Green Concepts for 2011 Tokyo Auto Show

Just the Facts:

• New fuel cell, hybrid and EV concepts are coming from Toyota at the Tokyo auto show.
• The Yaris-based Aqua hybrid concept paves the way for Prius C in the U.S.
• The Scion FR-S will also be fully revealed...at last.

TOKYO — Toyota is the latest, and last, of the Japanese auto big guns to preview what it has in store for the upcoming 2011 Tokyo Auto Show.

For many, the biggest draw at Toyota will be the long-awaited, much-discussed debut of the sports coupe America already knows as the 2013 Scion FR-S and Europe calls the Toyota FT-86, but which Toyota in Japan still coyly refers to as a "compact, rear-wheel-drive sports vehicle."

Ahead of the show, Toyota is officially saying zip about this 2.0-liter boxer-engined sportster that it has co-developed with Subaru, but we've already brought you a drive of a close prototype and the real car may, in fact, first be seen in public at the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival in Japan on November 27, just ahead of the Tokyo show.

Another key intro is the Aqua, the new hybrid compact that previews America's forthcoming Prius C, which makes its U.S. debut in early January at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. In JDM trim, the Aqua stands 134 inches long, 68 inches wide and 57 inches tall, so not so far off the Yaris subcompact on which it's based, although the dedicated sheet metal is all new and more "fluid."

Launching in Japan in December, the Aqua runs with a Prius-style 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain that delivers as much as 82-94 mpg in Japan's economy cycle, Toyota says, so even better than the standard Prius.

Of the show concepts, the one nearest to production is the FT-EV III. Based on the iQ, this is a pure electric commuter-type runabout designed for short trips, with a lithium-ion battery pack and estimated cruising range of 65 miles on a fully charged battery. Look for this one to be launched sometime in 2012.

Toyota hasn't forgotten about fuel cells, which is why it's come up with the FCV-R as a kind of belated answer to Honda's brilliant FCX Clarity.

As Toyota sees it, the FCV-R previews what a practical, hydrogen-powered, five-seat family sedan might look like around 2015.

The fuel cell stack powering this concept consists of a 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank and the system is set up to give a cruising distance of some 435 miles or more, based on Japan's JC08 test cycle, Toyota says. Measuring 187 inches end to end, the FCV-R is about 10 inches shorter than an Avalon. The name, in case you were wondering, stands for Fuel Cell Vehicle - Reality & Revolution.

Then, there's the Toyota Fun-Vii (Fun Interactive Internet), a so-far mysterious concept that "heralds a future where people, cars and society are linked." Aside from that description and an illustration of a man taking a pic of a floral-colored car with a smartphone, you know as much as we do.

Inside Line says: When, oh, when will Toyota officially show us the Scion FR-S?