Car or spaceship? Self-driving minivan with interactive holograms and driveable airbag among bizarre vehicles unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show

They look more like spaceships and robots from a science fiction film than cars designed to drive on the roads, but these outlandish-looking vehicles are the auto-industry's vision of the future, he Daily Mail reports. 

From the ultimate 'connected' car controlled using touch screens to a beastly looking hot-rod without a skin that takes motorists back to basics, the vehicles took centre stage at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

Most of the concept cars unveiled at the show aimed to make motorists and their passengers more connected to the world around them by streaming movies and social media inside the vehicles.

Nissan's Teatro for Dayz is described as a vehicle for the 'digital native' and social media generation. The all-white car is designed to serve as a 'clean canvas' that can be modified.

Fitted with LED touch screens, the electric vehicle can be 'redecorated' while onboard cameras allow any experience in or around the car to be shared instantly with friends.

Colour changing lights also allow the car's interior to be altered depending on the driver's whims.

Nissan said: 'Share natives could change Teatro for Dayz's interior design, matching the look to the season, the weather or simply the vibe of the day.

'Some might choose to share a dreamy scene with close friends far away. Others might decorate for an online party and share the moment with friends.

'The entire interior, starting with the instrument panel, becomes a live display for a generation wired for connectivity.

'When the car is in drive mode, metres, controls and maps appear on a pure white instrument panel. When parked, it transforms to an entirely new device.'

Hidemi Sasaki, Nissan's product planning manager added: 'Share natives will use cars in ways we would never imagine.

'First, they tend to look beyond the car's basic role of transportation.

'They want a car to be a versatile tool for creativity like a smartphone. This is different from customizing a car. It is more like the ability to modify a car to meet their mood at that moment.'

German manufacturers Mercedes-Benz unveiled a sleek self-driving minivan sized vehicle that is aimed at turning the car into a luxury movable living room.

The seats inside face each other and are surrounded by a wrap-around LED display. Passengers can control the displays using gestures and holographic buttons.

'The Mercedes-Benz Vision Tokyo embodies the concept of an automotive lounge for a future generation of megacities,' said Gorden Wagener, head of design at Daimler AG, which owns Mercedes.

'The Vision Tokyo is our tailor-made product for young people in megacities.'

Toyota also unveiled a super-compact connected electric vehicle that can be controlled using a joystick and keeps its passengers linked via the internet to their friends and family.

The Coms Connect, which looks more like spacecraft than a car, has motors inside its wheels and can be adapted for single occupants or put into a 'tandem' mode.

Toyota also unveiled a diminutive robot called the Kirobo Mini to accompany motorists in their cars. The goggle-eyed creation is designed as a 'communication partner' that uses expressions and gestures to interact with its owners and 'bring smiles to their faces'.

However, Toyota has also dreamed up a concept vehicle for those who may not want to turn their vehicles into 'digital spaces' and would prefer to escape the world of touch screens and mobile internet.

Instead the Kikai is a sort of 'anti-connected' vehicle, showing a stripped back kind of beauty with old style physical buttons, pedals and not a computer in sight.

However the hot-rod style vehicle also lacks an outer skin, giving motorists a glimpse of the inner workings of their vehicle as they drive.

The fuel tank, reserve tank, exhaust pipe, suspension and upper control arms of the engine are visible and exposed to the elements.

Toyota said: 'The concept was designed to explore and emphasize the fundamental appeal of machines – their fine craftsmanship, their beauty, simplicity and their fascinating motion.

Toyota also among a number of manufacturers to showcase hydrogen fuel powered vehicles at the motor show.

Their two-seater FCV Plus has the aerodynamic lines of a flying car from science fiction films, but beneath its futuristic lines it has a pressurised tank to store compressed hydrogen from which it can generate electricity.

Honda's rival Clarity fuel-cell vehicle claims to have a cruising range of more than 430 miles and claims to also act as a mobile power-station for homes when it is not on the road.

'By connecting the Clarity fuel-cell vehicle with hydrogen stations and external power providers, Honda wants to see a society where we'll generate power, use it and connect through hydrogen-made energy,' said Honda president Takahiro Hachigo.

The Tokyo Motor Show has a long history as the place where car manufacturers unveil the weirdest concept cars their designers can dream up.

But while many of the concepts on show aimed to wrest control from motorists by producing self driving cars, one motorcycle maker sought to remove humans altogether.

Yamaha Motor's Motobot features a motorcycle riding robot capable of taking corners at breakneck speeds.

The humanoid robot sits on the 1000cc motorbike much like a human rider. Yamaha said the robot could be used to help test bikes and improve rider safety.

Safety was also forefront in the minds of the designers of autoparts maker Toyota Gosei with is Fresby prototype.

It has a body covered with urethane foam and airbags that inflate automatically in the event of a crash.

The vehicle is designed to reduce the cost of repairing damage from bumps and scrapes that come from city driving.