Category Archives: events
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
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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
Nissan Technical College students build a modern Kenmeri Skyline, U11 Bluebird, and Z wagon for Tokyo Auto Salon
It’s almost time for the Tokyo Auto Salon, and that means wild vehicular creations are afoot. The Nissan Technical Colleges around Japan have completed three custom cars that they plan to display at the show, which include a modern Kenmeri … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged bluebird, c110, kenmeri, nissan, Nissan Technical College, nissan z, RZ34, skyline, v35
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Electric R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R is coming to Tokyo Auto Salon
Back in March Nissan announced they were converting an R32 Skyline GT-R to run on fully electric power. The project is now complete, and will be shown at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon in January. Ahead of the event, Nissan … Continue reading
Honda transforms Tokyo headquarters showroom into Hot Wheels heaven
Everybody loves Hot Wheels, but it’s for some reason still rare for an automaker to fully embrace the little toys that create thousands of loyal customers for them. Recently, of all places, Honda Japan set up a homage to Mattel’s … Continue reading
Toyotafest 2024 date and location announced
Public Service Announcement: Toyotafest 2024 will be held at the Marina Green in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, June 8, 2024. This will mark the 28th annual All-Toyotafest, which welcomes Toyota, Lexus, Scion, and Toyopet vehicles. Vendor registration is already … Continue reading
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Mazda Familia Van with rotary engine swap shines at Tokyo Auto Salon
The RE Amemiya booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon always gathers a special display of rotary-powered cars. The legendary Mazda tuner typically has a fleet of heavily modified RX-7s and RX-8s to display with one old school Hiroshima sled thrown … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged familia, mazda, re amemiya, rotary engine, tokyo auto salon, wagons
3 Comments
Why Toyota had a used Suzuki Jimny at its Tokyo Auto Salon booth
The main stage at Toyota’s 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon booth is a strange place to find a Suzuki. Or a Yamaha. But this year Toyota surprised attendees with a showcase of seemingly unrelated cars. In lieu of a formal press … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged akio toyoda, Century SUV, GR Corolla, iQ, jimny, suzuki, toyota, yamaha
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Restored S13 Silvia, Nissan Bluebird Cube, Toyota S-FR roadster: Incredible creations by Japan’s tech school students
NATS always has a big presence at the Tokyo Auto Salon but it’s not the only school with cars to display. There are many technical colleges across Japan that all get to display their projects at the country’s biggest custom … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged bluebird, Bluebird 410/411, cube, datsun roadster, mazda, Miata NC, nissan, S-FR, silvia, tokyo auto salon, toyota, Z12
5 Comments
An FJ40 on a J70 chassis kicks off Toyota’s Land Cruiser customization business
If you have an old Land Cruiser there is probably no better place to get it customized than Toyota itself. At the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon what appeared to be a yellow FJ40 was displayed, but it was no ordinary … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged J40, J70, land cruiser, tokyo auto salon, toyota, Toyota Auto Body
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TOM’s launches Toyota restoration business to mark 50th anniversary
Tachi Oiwa Motorsport, better known as TOM’s, has been modifying the latest and greatest Toyotas for 50 years. To mark the occasion, the famed tuning house announced at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon that it has started its own restoration … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged a20, a70, A80, ae86, celica, chaser, mr2, soarer, supra, te27, tokyo auto salon, tom's, toyota
5 Comments
Mini Kenmeri Skyline, Corona lowrider, slammed Jimny: the wild Tokyo Auto Salon customs by NATS
One of the most reliably entertaining booths at the Tokyo Auto Salon is that of NATS, the Nihon Automobile Technical School. The college teaches auto repair, but each year students get to indulge several far-out projects that end up on … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged c110, corona, escudo, JA11, JA21, jimny, kenmeri, luce, mazda, mighty boy, NATS, nissan, skyline, suzuki, T20, tokyo auto salon, toyota
4 Comments
