Category Archives: events
Toyota Mark II surprises at Tokyo Auto Salon with Amemiya-built rotary engine
One of the cars that stopped us in our tracks at the Tokyo Auto Salon was a lone Toyota Mark II parked amidst a sea of Mazdas. Why? Despite being the archetypical Bubble Era Toyota sedan, this GX71 jettisoned its … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged mark II, mazda, rotary engine, tokyo auto salon, toyota, x70
3 Comments
Daihatsu Hijet dekotora makes epic splash at Tokyo Auto Salon
The Tokyo Auto Salon showcases the pinnacle of car customization. But if you’re Daihatsu, and you don’t have much in terms of high-performance cars in your lineup, how do you make a splash among the drift missiles, VIP sleds, and … Continue reading
Isuzu 117 Coupé quietly steals the spotlight at Tokyo Auto Salon
The Tokyo Auto Salon is full of wild sights, but one car that stood out from the noise was a wonderfully understated Isuzu 117 Coupé. The yellow classic was displayed at the Dunlop Japan booth showing off new Synchro Weather … Continue reading
Restored Nissan March gets surprise visit from Toyota, Honda execs at Tokyo Auto Salon
Last year SuperGT team owner Masahiro Kondo bought a clean but tired 1984 Nissan March. He then handed the car over to students at Nissan Technical College, who brought it back to show-level quality. It was unveiled at last weekend’s … Continue reading
Posted in News, Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged Akio Toyota, honda, K10, march, Masahiro Kondo, nissan, tokyo auto salon, toyota
4 Comments
Honda NSX interpreted by ItalDesign debuts at Tokyo Auto Salon
The Honda NSX that ItalDesign teased last September was shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon over the weekend. Turns out, the Giugiaro-founded design firm’s reimagining of the Japanese supercar is based on the NC1, the second-generation NSX, rather than the … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 2009 tokyo auto salon, advan, honda, Italdesign, NC1, nsx
9 Comments
Honda goes heavy on heritage in Tokyo Auto Salon lineup
The headliner for Honda at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon is the Prelude, but the company really leaned into its history for much of its display. For example, this Civic e:HEV RS, which shares a powertrain with the Prelude, was … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged civic, Civic Type R, FL5, honda, Honda Heritage Parts, n-one, nsx, prelude, racing mate, SuperGT
4 Comments
Toyota 86 with pop-up headlights to debut at Tokyo Auto Salon
People love a pop-up headlight. What was once a compromise between aerodynamics and a lighting rules has become, like tailfins or stripe decal packages, a beloved marker of a bygone era. Updated laws and technology have made retractable headlights obsolete, … Continue reading
Is Akio Toyoda bringing a Toyota MR2 to the Tokyo Auto Salon?
Toyota has released an audio clip in which the big man himself, Akio Toyoda, suggests that he’s bringing a Toyota MR2 to the Tokyo Auto Salon. The soundbite, in which the chairman discusses a mid-engined sports car with an unnamed … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
5 Comments
Nissan Automotive College students create a Skyline Silhouette and retro mash-ups for 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon
It’s almost time for the Tokyo Auto Salon, and that means students from Japan’s technical colleges are getting their projects ready for the show. Nissan Automobile Technical College usually turns out some fairly wild stuff, and this year is no … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
2 Comments
Isuzu’s 80s pickup restomod steals the Bangkok Motor Show
At the recent Bangkok Motor Show it was Isuzu that surprised attendees with a restomod based on an 80s compact truck. The Dragonmax Concept began life as a 1988 Isuzu TFR pickup built for the Thai market. Isuzu updated almost … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon sonohoka (odds and ends)
The Tokyo Auto Salon can be sensory overload. There’s just so much to see, you probably can’t finish it all in one day. In Japan the term sonohoka means “the rest” or “the others”, sort of like “etc.” in English. … Continue reading
Nissan Fairlady Z gets R34 Bayside Blue, Midnight Purple
Nissan isn’t exactly doing well, but even a struggling company can toss a few bones to enthusiasts. At the Tokyo Auto Salon this year it unveiled a new Fairlady Z color for 2025. Bayside Blue, a hue made famous by … Continue reading
Okawa Soarer tribute: Trust’s record-breaking Toyota reborn at the Tokyo Auto Salon
At a show like the Tokyo Auto Salon populated with so many incredible builds, it’s rare to find a singular standout car. But this year at the Trust booth a Toyota Soarer was that extraordinary car. Not only was it … Continue reading
Pro Shop Wave’s Nissan 180SX takes the Tokyo Auto Salon back to the 90s
One of our favorite cars from this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was the Nissan 180SX from Pro Shop Wave. It’s been about 25 years since the Kanagawa drift specialists have displayed a car at the Auto Salon, but the RPS13 … Continue reading
Nissan Fairlady Z aluminum body panels unveiled at Tokyo Auto Salon
Star Road is known for wild overfendered FRP body kits on Fairlady Zs, but what they revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon was surprisingly stock-appearing. The unpainted sections aren’t really stock, though, because they’re made out of aluminum. The goal … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
6 Comments
Rocky Auto R380: A street-legal Prince race car appears at Tokyo Auto Salon
Built to conquer purpose-built racing Porsches, the Prince R380 was Japan’s first prototype race car. It never had a road-going counterpart and was retired after it fulfilled its reason for being, but now a street-legal version can be yours. At … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged japan grand prix, nissan, porsche, prince, r380, rocky auto, tokyo auto salon
7 Comments
This 1000-horsepower Sera is the Honda-Nissan merger we’re hoping for
With the impending Honda-Nissan merger, the big question is what kind of cars will the joined companies build? If an example from the Tokyo Auto Salon is any indication, we are all for it. At first glance it might not … Continue reading
New Honda Prelude back in black at the Tokyo Auto Salon
The new Honda Prelude may not be the rousing sports car we want it to be, but at the very least it’s a stylish coupe in a world where coupes are all but extinct. At the Tokyo Auto Salon that … Continue reading
