While it was billed as a green showcase, the Tokyo Motor Show is proving to also be quite a power play as carmakers this morning rolled out new performance models in an effort to steal the show from like-minded rivals.

» See the Tokyo performers gallery

While an expected star in the new Nissan GT-R waits in the wings for its first public airing after lunch, it wasn't just Nissan's home rivals jockeying for a piece of that Q-car limelight — even BMW and Audi are squabbling for a piece of the performance action.

BMW has recalled a nameplate from the past in its tii concept in a tweaked lightweight 135-based machine, while Audi's Metroproject quattro concept looks most compelling.

But it's the Japanese carmakers who are attacking hardest with quite literally an aces-high hand of brand new total performance models...

The all-new Subaru Impreza STi is sure to allow brand fans a sigh of relief — the winged, aggro hatchback looks very much more the part than its more basic siblings do, while next door, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X will continue a war between these two into an intriguing new era.

Lexus' M3/RS 4/AMG C63 rivalling IS-F takes Toyota's premium tag's first steps into the real performance world in a brutal V8 with the looks to go, alongside its new supercar sister LF-A, which is set to go head to head in a new Japanese war on road and play consoles the world over with that new Nissan...

Keep in touch with developments from Tokyo as they happen right here on motoring.iafrica.com/