18 Causes Tokyo Is Still the Funkiest, Most Enjoyable Automobile Show Left Standing

The auto present is lifeless, lengthy stay the auto present. In latest years, we’ve seen the dying of what was the touring auto present circuit, the place Geneva, Paris, Detroit, Geneva, Frankfurt, and Tokyo all have been vacation spot spots on the calendar. Cars have been unveiled by the handfuls, information was made. Those days are largely gone now, swallowed up by the web and automakers doing one-off occasions, as the fee and expense and diminishing returns have made issues too problematic. Then the pandemic offered the coup de grâce. That’s why it was so refreshing to be taken again in time a bit by the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.

Yes, it’s largely a house present now, however the enormous crowds packing the reveals of distinctive and thought-provoking ideas from the likes of Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus, and the launch of a brand new Century model made it really feel particular once more. That, and for as soon as in in the present day’s world, the U.S. media didn’t know every part that was going to occur beforehand. The Tokyo present has at all times been on the wacky facet, with unusual and great creations on the stands through the years. That spirit was alive once more, aided partially by the brand new give attention to mobility, which introduced again the enjoyable, but additionally with a way of creating the world a greater place by means of automotive expertise. The following is a have a look at the present from a special perspective past simply the mainstream reveals. Enjoy the tour!

Toyota ME Mobility Concepts

These robots had showgoers stopping of their tracks, watching them flex and stroll and spin and contract. But they’ve a function. Japan’s inhabitants is quickly getting older, and Toyota and others have been engaged on options to assist them keep energetic and in a position to get round. We noticed a video the place the wheelchair (Challenge ME) launched off a bounce. We swear. And surprisingly, that very same video had everybody utilizing them as younger and energetic. So, possibly twin functions.

Daihatsu Midget X

This idea, an evolution of its well-known Midget mannequin, is so cute we simply needed to pinch its headlamps. This factor is small—like, golf-cart-wheelbase small. But with it’s 1+2 seating (good luck becoming three Americans in there), front-opening doorways, and quite a lot of configurations, it has tons extra flexibility than an e-bicycle.

Daihatsu Midget

This is the automotive/truck/trike that began all of it for Daihatsu as a car-making firm again in 1957. It turned often known as the “little giant” for its capacity to haul and get issues carried out in tight areas and have become a legend with the service provider class on the time.

BYD Yangwang U9

Hey, it’s one of many quickest EVs on the earth, a Nürburgring-slaying supercar able to massive efficiency. Up shut, it’s a protracted and extensive factor, with loads of presence and elegance. BYD claimed the U9 achieved a Nordschleife lap time of seven minutes and 17.9 seconds in November of final 12 months, and it additionally says it has a high velocity of simply over 243 mph. It seems to be each bit able to these numbers up shut. We’d positive prefer to see how effectively it will carry out in our MT testing.

Suzuki Vision e-Sky

Suzuki claims the all-electric-powered minicar idea is “just right” on your life. We don’t learn about that, however we do know that the e-Sky is a gorgeous little field so far as minicars go. It solely is smart that kei automobiles can be going electrical, and the e-Sky and others prefer it are bellwethers of extra to come back on that entrance from Suzuki and others.

1935 Toyoda Model G1

Before the Model AA automotive, Toyoda produced the G1 truck, partly as a result of on the time making a truck was a barely simpler proposition for the corporate. It’s larger than the Model AA, and aped the seems to be of latest Ford vehicles. Toyoda’s first engine was additionally one which used an present Chevrolet design. So, two of Detroit’s legends helped encourage and drive Toyoda’s first autos.

Suzuki MOQBA 2 and e-VanVan Concept Motorcycle

If you realize Suzuki, then you realize they do bikes, plenty of bikes, so it solely is smart that its moving into electric-powered variations. This mannequin, referred to as the e-VanVan (apparently a riff off of a mannequin from the Seventies) seems to be fairly candy and it looks like you possibly can get fairly rowdy off-road with these entrance shocks and the like. It’s fairly small in measurement, too, making it simpler to trip on the paths. As for the Moqba 2? It positive seems to be like a robotic canine, nevertheless it isn’t. It’s a 4 wheeled contraption; an evolution of a mannequin it debuted in 2023. We’re undecided what its for, however we’d give it a trip.

Daihatsu Okay-Open

Daihatsu is Toyota’s funds model in the present day, with principally small, kei-car-sized fashions on provide. The raddest of those is the Okay-Open, previously often known as the Copen, Daihatsu’s long-running open-air runabout. It’s a kei automotive, so which means it has a 660cc engine, however with a rear-wheel-drive performance-themed format. It additionally confirmed a tuned-up prototype model geared toward making it even sportier. We’ll take two.

1936 Toyoda Model AA

The Model AA was Toyoda’s first ever manufacturing automotive (it was not spelled “Toyota” but). It seems to be prefer it was plucked out of an outdated Prohibition-era gangster flick, with its pre-World War II proportions. It’s a giant car in individual, with fairly a presence. One of its claims to fame was its engine mounted on the entrance axle to present it extra room for passenger area. Just over 1,400 Model AA’s have been inbuilt all.

Hyundai Insteroid Concept

This is one bizarro-world wanting automotive, an idea based mostly on the Hyundai Inster EV and carried out up in an area age, online game, rally-car look. First revealed again in April, the Insteroid has all method of cues designed to present it a bona fide efficiency presence with the requisite wing spoiler, rear diffuser, and venting. Inside, it’s fitted with a roll cage, racing-style instrumentation and sport seats. It’s an aspirational train, as lots of its particulars look somewhat tacked on, however have a look at it from 10 toes away and you’ll envision your self barreling down a slender path, drifting your day away.

Suzuki Jimny NOMADE

Everyone’s favourite off-road car we are able to’t have now is available in a five-door mannequin just like the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It’s the primary five-door Jimny within the 55-year historical past of the mannequin, made doable by extending the wheelbase. Suzuki claims it’s snug within the rear seats. It appeared decently spacious, all issues thought of. Still, if we’re getting a Jimny, we’re going to go together with one not named NOMADE: the unique with fewer doorways.

Isuzu D-Max

Nestled amongst Izuzu’s big industrial vehicles on show was the D-Max, which to us is one handsome truck. And naturally, the D in D-max stands for diesel, particularly a newly developed 2.2-liter unit with 163 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That would make it a unicorn of types right here in America, in that the diesel engine has gone the way in which of the dodo in passenger vehicles. It’s an ideal measurement, too, trying to be someplace between Ford’s Maverick and Ranger. This newly reworked model was simply launched this October in Thailand with new styling.

Crystal Benz SL Gold

This is the form of automotive we anticipate to see on the Dubai auto present, not the Japan Mobility Show, however we stumbled throughout this bejeweled Mercedes-Benz SL with white fake fur seats. The crystals are stated to be of the very best high quality, sourced from Austria, in an assortment of sizes and styles. Needless to say, an artisan needed to apply them by hand. Don’t velocity on this one: You will certainly stand out. And no fender benders, as we suspect the restore prices may very well be astronomical.– Alisa Priddle

Top Secret VR32 Stealth

When in Rome, er, Tokyo. It wouldn’t be a Tokyo present and not using a little little bit of Godzilla in your life, and this R32-spec Nissan GT-R suits the invoice completely. Although there doesn’t appear to be a lot stealth about it on the skin, beneath the hood is a tuned model of three.8-liter twin-turbo from the latest R35 GT-R. That’s simply the way in which we’d prefer it, thanks very a lot. This is a automotive you’d see sitting fairly on the Tokyo Auto Salon, SEMA, or one other present with an analogous aftermarket taste. It was a part of a particular supercar space at this present. It’s fairly tremendous, alright.

2026 Honda Prelude (In Black)

Here’s one in black! We figured since this can be the primary new Prelude we’ve seen in black, that we’d publish it up right here. Enjoy! You can learn all about Honda’s new coupe right here, and we are able to’t wait to get behind the wheel.

GRMN Century Sedan

For the unvitiated who could also be listening to about Toyota’s Century nameplate for the primary time within the wake of the large announcement that Century will tackle the Rolls-Royces of the world, the badge has been round since 1967. At current, it makes two autos, an SUV (naturally) and a sedan, the particular high-performance GRMN model of which you see right here. It’s powered by 5.0-liter V-8 and electrical motor combo pushing 425 horsepower and 376 lb-ft torque. Looking like a cross between a Chrysler 300C and a Bentley Mulsanne, that is one slick-looking govt sedan that we’d positively rock if given the prospect. In truth, we form of prefer it higher than the brand new Century idea.

Hino Motors Dakar Trophy Truck

It’s onerous to place into phrases how enormous this factor is. We had an opportunity to sit down in it, however first we needed to climb a set of stairs. It’s a testomony to industrial truck maker Hino Motors that it constructed up a model of its huge and succesful Hino 500 Series to make it throughout a few of the world’s most inhospitable terrain, with an 8.7-liter inline-six diesel engine offering the facility. This explicit truck took on the 2019 Dakar Rally with famed driver Yoshimasa Sugawara behind the wheel and marking his participation in an insane 36 consecutive Dakar occasions.

Toyota IMV Origin

This little runabout is about attending to fundamentals, the true naked bones. A automotive which you can actually wrench on out within the bush. Think of it because the FJ for the brand new technology, a car designed to fulfill any problem, any terrain, and be capable of deal with it, and if did occur to interrupt down you possibly can repair it proper then and there. It will also be assembled into all method of various configurations, the one you see right here is one thing of a single driver truck. But you can also make it multi-passenger, give it extra cargo carrying capacity, you title it. The IMV Origin is certainly a visionary idea. It stays to be seen although if prospects in creating nations will be capable of afford it, and it’s unclear in regards to the powertrain. But if it may be pulled off at a worth that’s as visionary because the idea, Toyota could also be on to one thing.