#TamerThanPreviousYears
This was the hashtag photographer Ken Saito used on his Tokyo Auto Salon Instagram submit. No caption. Whereas the ocean of black fits and middle-aged males creates an austere environment at TAS, there are at all times pockets of insanity. However is that insanity fading?
I’m not a giant fan of crowds at one of the best of instances, so the inhabitants of a small city crammed into the slim alleyways between cubicles on the Makuhari Messe is rarely probably the most inviting. However I push myself to battle the ocean of individuals, decided to search out the Tokyo Auto Salon oddities.
This 12 months was my fourth time attending TAS, however even over this brief interval, the vibe appears to have been mellowing.
4x4s and vans now vastly outnumber the outrageous vehicles
Wanting again at a few of Speedhunters’ 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon protection, the wackiness stage appeared distinctly greater then. Bear in mind the Mustang, the cake automotive, and people wrapping paper-covered supercars? In comparison with what I’ve seen from the SEMA Present, TAS feels notably tame now – at the least in my expertise.
A whole lot of the identical stuff remains to be round; I noticed the Hiya Particular pink kei truck and the human-sized rabbit on the Osaka Auto Messe simply final 12 months. And firms like Rohan and Kuhl are nonetheless cranking out complicated physique kits and complex paint jobs.
Talking of Kuhl, what can we consider its new A90 Supra equipment?
Ten years in the past, vehicles just like the SLR McLaren had been being wearing wild customized kits, whereas Hakosukas acquired V8 engine swaps. At present, these vehicles are too beneficial to change in such excessive methods.
As a substitute, we’ll simply should make do with stanced out Toyota Centurys…
Or this GX100 Cresta, which now sports activities a Crown Crossover entrance finish, Camry XV70 rear finish, and a 1JZ-GTE engine swap. What this 12 months’s TAS might lack in amount, it actually made up for in high quality.
Particularly if you happen to’re a fan of Transformers.
Test this out – imagine it or not, a 2002 Jaguar XJ is hiding beneath. In some way, it’s been reimagined as a Chevrolet Impala.
The vast majority of vehicles on show are flaunting loopy physique kits and dress-up components.
It’s no secret that Hyundai is totally on hearth proper now. The Korean automaker’s manufacturing Inster – and the Inster Cross Tarmac Idea on present at TAS – solidify its place as one of many main automotive designers popping out of Asia. The mannequin title would possibly increase just a few eyebrows, however that’s one critically well-proportioned electrical bulldog.
A number of the most fascinating stuff at TAS is hidden within the bigger cubicles, the place you typically catch a have a look at the way forward for automotive design and mobility. Think about getting off the grid, tossing your turntables and audiophile sound system behind an SUV, and kicking again in your sculpted field trailer. Doesn’t sound too dangerous, does it?
The variety of new and classic Toyota Land Cruisers on show was overwhelming.
Not that I’m complaining.
99.9% of the 4x4s on show had been Land Cruisers, although there have been just a few Land Rovers and mini G-Wagons. And also you don’t see a five-door Suzuki Jimny in Japan daily.
Bryce Menzies’ Trophy Truck was by far probably the most excessive off-roader on present. It’s most likely an excellent factor it doesn’t have house for licence plates.
Talking of vehicles, this NASCAR Craftsman Truck/787B-inspired mashup turned heads. Sadly, there’s no howling V8 – or screaming rotary engine – hiding underneath the hood of this pickup-converted Mazda CX-5… but.
There’s nonetheless hope for the way forward for Japan’s bizarre and wacky tuning tradition. Kei Miura was available to showcase the newest iteration of his customized tube-frame race automotive – the identical chassis design used to create Mad Mike Whiddett’s five-rotor ‘787D’.
The final time I noticed it was in his Kyoto storage, the place it had simply had its stainless-steel body welded collectively, the engine was nonetheless up within the air.
Surprisingly, Miura-san has gone with a twin-turbocharged Subaru boxer engine and a 6-speed transmission. The great thing about the AWD format is that the engine and gearbox keep of their authentic orientation, with the axles that when powered the entrance wheels now driving the rear. That low centre of gravity and mid-engine format ought to maintain the automotive planted on observe. I can’t wait to see the remainder of the customized physique.
Lastly, right here’s a peek at the way forward for mainstream tuning in Japan. That is what most individuals need: a range and timber cladding behind a kei truck.
Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 might not have been as loopy as we’re used to, however one factor’s for certain – it’s nonetheless fairly mad.
Toby Thyer
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tobythyer.co.uk
