One of the coolest and most unexpected concepts to emerge from the Tokyo Auto Salon this year was the Honda T880. Based on the Honda Acty, it takes the unmistakable look of Japan’s ubiquitous kei trucks and creates a design that is at once charming, nostalgic, and somewhat sporty.
The look is clearly meant to evoke Honda’s past kei trucks like this TN360. However, as you may notice, the name implies that, at 880cc displacement, it exceeds kei truck limitations, but technically that’s not true. The drivetrain consists of a turbocharged Acty 660cc with internals from a modern Vamos van, mated to the manual transmission from a Honda Beat. The T880 name derives from the idea that Honda believes if feels like it has the performance of an 880cc truck.
The T880 also has a trick tailgate design, in which two vertically hinged doors can open outward, or the entire panel folds down like a traditional tailgate. The bed is apparently grooved for a Honda dirtbike as well.
The design and construction was don by Honda Access, a division that creates optional performance parts like body kits and stereos. Honda has been straight up killing it with retro concepts like the EV-N and EV-Cub, as well as production cars like the N-One and S660. We hope the T880 spawns a production truck, but at this point it’s likely just a very clever showpiece.
Images courtesy of Honda. TN360 image by Skorj, co-founder of Filmwasters and you can find more of his work at Cars on Film and here on JNC.
Please bring it to the States. It’s cool,different and retro. make it to hold tall and bigger people. I would buy one before I buy a Rigdeline.
It needs the “old school” Honda H on the front, otherwise I like it.
Absolutely! And, paint it that old light blue they used to come in.
Seen several images floating around the net of an updated version of the S660 Neo Classic from TAS too. Green with a stripe, and a new set of wheels. Looks even better than the original red concept.
Do like this truck too though. Not many photos of the real deal from the show around, but it has some lovely, simple details.
I would LOVE to see this little truck on North American roads. But with that short front bumper-to-cabin distance, I’m doubting there could be much frontal crash protection. That design issue prevented further development of Volkswagen’s retro van idea 10 or so years ago. 🙁
You could engineer a short overhang, look at the smart fortwo. They just make the “cage” external to show people it can handle a frontal collision.
Kei-2-SO. Just add black.
T h i s i s a w e s o m e . Speaking of Kei’s; where we at for importables, 1992?
It’s cool!
Interesting vehicle… Dunno how accepted it would be here. A cargo van could be a hit with local delivery companies, etc. Maybe the truck for big work sites, airports, golf courses, and the like? An electric version would be a practical workhorse.
What’s it like to drive an FC truck?
Nice. Like a practical modern day interpretation of the Dodge Deora. I sure wish the Japanese brands would start designing international crash standards into the Kei car class so we could start getting some of the fun stuff only the JDM gets now.
I sure wish American drivers would start driving to Japanese standards so we can drive in hyper-modded quads with carbon bodies. We keep adding stuff to protect us from ourselves. 🙁
I would paint it candy apple red, wide deep dish mag wheels on the back, regular size mag wheels on the front that would fit it of course ( I’m sure it would be limited on types of wheels that would fit it) , wheelie bars on the back. I would make a removable false chromed light weight V8 to put in the bed behind the cab ( removable if wanting tohaul something) for car shows. Have Little Red Wagon graphics made for the sides of the truck to make a small version exact replica of the Little Red Wagon Drag Truck. I would of course leave the power train that it was shipped with, in it for gas mileage an etc.. It would be they talk around town and at car shows. That is a cool little truck