On one hand, concept cars are often wacky vehicles that rarely see production, built to test the limits of what automotive designers can do. On the other hand, a lot of the cars currently in American showrooms, or scheduled to reach the sales floor over the next few years, are a little strange by old-school standards. Perhaps we should have seen the day coming when an automaker might decide to build one of its more bizarre concepts, and offer it to the buying public.

Automotive News reports, "The electric Nissan Land Glider will be one of the weirdest concept vehicles to come out of this week's Tokyo Motor Show, but Nissan Motor Co. is dead serious about it...Company insiders say the concept is under serious study for the automaker's luxury Infiniti brand lineup in global markets, including the United States."

The Land Glider, Autoblog explains, "is sort of a cross between a motorcycle and a car, with an enclosed cabin and four wheels along with a glass canopy and rider compartment that leans into turns for added stability - which is of utmost importance in a car that measures just 47-inches across." The concept model, on display this week at the Tokyo Motor Show, seats two, with a passenger just behind the driver. In production form, however, "the Land Glider may be a single-seater, as the concept's single rear passenger perch may not make it through safety testing," according to Autoblog.

"In a demonstration for reporters," the AP writes, "The car glided around on a test course at Nissan's design center, outside Tokyo, leaning slowly to one side, and then the other, as it turned tight corners. Just 43 inches wide, Land Glider has sensors to calculate speed and level of lean required for corners, and can maneuver through narrow streets and fit into tight parking spaces, according to Yokohama-based Nissan."

The car's narrow size may make it appealing in crowded cities. The Los Angeles Times notes, "Designed to reduce traffic in congested urban areas, there's obviously more appeal for such a vehicle in sardine-canned Tokyo than in Los Angeles. But with compact designs such as the Mini, Smart and Cube coming to the U.S., we may just see something like this stateside in the future."

If it makes it to the showroom floor, it will probably be as Infiniti's greenest model. CNET notes, "Details about the drive train are scarce, but we do know that it will be motivated by all-electric power." Nissan has the technology to build the Land Glider as an electric car - the company recently unveiled its first all-electric car, the Leaf, scheduled to reach showrooms as a 2011 model.

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.