Not-so-exotic and exotic cars at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon – Speedhunters

#Tamer_from_the_previous_years

This was the hashtag used by photographer Ken Saito in his Instagram post for Tokyo Auto Salon. No caption. While the sea of ​​black suits and middle-aged men create a strict atmosphere at TAS, there are always pockets of madness. But will this madness go away?

I’m not a big fan of crowds at the best of times, so small-town residents crammed into the narrow alleyways between stalls at Makuhari Messe are never the most attractive. But I push myself to fight the sea of ​​people, determined to chase down the oddity of the Tokyo Auto Salon.

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This year was my fourth time attending TAS, but even during this short period, the atmosphere seemed to be quiet.

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SUVs and minivans now vastly outnumber outrageous cars

Looking back at some Speed ​​Hunters In coverage of the 2015 Tokyo Motor Salon, the level of absurdity seemed distinctly higher at the time. Remember the Mustang, the cake car, and those paper-covered luxury cars? Compared to what I saw at the SEMA show, the TAS seems particularly quiet now — at least in my experience.

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It’s still a lot of the same things. I spotted Hello Special in pink kei A truck and a human-sized rabbit at the Osaka Motor Show last year. Companies like Rohan and Kuhl still produce complex body kits and complex paint jobs.

Speaking of Kuhl, what do you think of the new A90 Supra range?

Ten years ago, cars like the SLR McLaren were dressed up with wild custom equipment Hakosukas Got the V8 engine swaps. Today, these cars are too valuable to be altered in such extreme ways.

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Instead, we’ll just have to make do with premium Toyota Centurys…

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Or this GX100 Cresta, which now features a Crown Crossover front, Camry XV70 rear, and a 1JZ-GTE engine swap. What this year’s TAS may have lacked in quantity, it certainly made up for in quality.

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Especially if you are a fan transformers.

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Check it out – believe it or not, a 2002 Jaguar XJ is hiding underneath. In a way, it was reimagined as the Chevrolet Impala.

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The majority of the cars on display flaunt crazy body kits and dress-up parts.

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It’s no secret that Hyundai is absolutely on fire right now. The Korean carmaker’s production of Inster – and the Inster Cross Tarmac concept on display at TAS – cements its position as one of the leading car designers coming out of Asia. The model name may raise some eyebrows, but this is a well-proportioned electric bulldog.

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Some of the most interesting things at TAS are hidden in the large booths, where you can often catch a glimpse into the future of automotive design and mobility. Imagine going off the grid, throwing your turntables and sound system into the back of an SUV, and kicking back on the sculpted box trailer. Doesn’t sound so bad, right?

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The number of new and old Toyota Land Cruisers on display was enormous.

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Not that I’m complaining.

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99.9% of the SUVs on offer were Land Cruisers, although there were a few small Land Rovers and G-Wagons. You don’t see a five-door Suzuki Jimny in Japan every day.

The Bryce Menzies Cup truck was the most extreme off-roader on show. Maybe it’s a good thing it doesn’t have room for license plates.

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Speaking of trucks, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck/787B inspired by this combination turns heads. Unfortunately, there’s no howling V8 — or screaming rotary engine — hiding under the hood of this converted Mazda CX-5…yet.

There is still hope for the future of Japan’s strange and strange tuning culture. Kei Miura was on hand to showcase the latest version of the race car with a custom tubular frame – the same body design used to create Mad Mike Whiddett’s five-rotor “787D”.

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The last time I saw it was in his garage in Kyoto, its stainless steel frame welded together, the engine still in the air.

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Surprisingly, the Miura-san used a twin-turbocharged Subaru boxer engine and a 6-speed transmission. The beauty of the AWD design is that the engine and gearbox remain in their original orientation, with the axles that previously powered the front wheels now driving the rear wheels. The low center of gravity and mid-engine design should keep the car on track. I can’t wait to see the rest of the custom body.

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Finally, here’s a peek at the future of mainstream tuning in Japan. This is what most people want: a stove and wood trim at the back of the house kei a truck.

The 2025 Tokyo Motor Show may not be as crazy as we’re used to, but one thing’s for sure – it’s still pretty crazy.

Toby Thayer
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tobythyer.co.uk