Tokyo Auto Salon: Wild and wacky cars on-show

TOKYO Auto Salon is Japan’s largest performance automotive show, akin to SEMA for Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) manufacturers and tuners, held across three days in Chiba City each year.

The event is known for turning out some of the wildest creations this side of Need for Speed Underground, since its inception in 1983 and the annual meet-up has driven JDM car culture in a serious way across that time.

Infamous sex-spec’ car styling culture, most prominent in the early 2000s and popularised by the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, was spawned out of the Tokyo Auto Salon trends of the era – to offer an example of just how influential the event is.

While we would love to highlight every modified tuner car, one-off build or bizarre creation on display at this year’s Auto Salon, we’ve stuck mostly to new cars here – not for lack of wanting to share more, though.

Here are our favourite vehicles from across the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, in no particular order.

Holy Gazoo

Toyota’s performance arm, Gazoo Racing, has turned everything it touches into gold recently, and yet somehow the tuner is continuing to push the envelope with its all-out creations.

The latest? A GR Yaris M concept with a larger 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s mid-mounted.

That’s right, gone are the rear seats and in their place sits a fire-breathing turbocharged four-pot that we can only assume sends delightful aural feedback directly into the ears of anyone crazy enough to pilot the manic Yaris.

For those of you who prefer your engine within the bay, Toyota Gazoo Racing also debuted an aero package for the road-going GR Yaris, featuring six parts in total. Among them are a variable rear-wing with ‘situation-responsive’ adjustability, and a vertical handbrake.

The GR86 got some love too, with Toyota announcing a software update that takes motorsport learnings and applies them to the production models.

Toyota says the software update hones the throttle characteristics in manual models, while the engine-speed tolerance range has been expanded for automatics, to improve acceleration response after downshifting.

This, we can only assume, will make the lively GR86 even more fun at the limit – for those who frequent the track or enjoy a spirited squirt through the mountains.

Silent Godzilla

Nissan blew up the internet with its EV-converted R32 GT-R recently, showing the silent Godzilla for the first time at Tokyo Auto Salon – complete with simulated RB26 sound effects.

The project was conceived by long-term Nissan EV powertrain engineer, Ryozo Hiraku, who owns an R32 Skyline himself and wanted to electrify, and in doing so eternalise, a car he revered.

"I wondered if 30 years from now — in 2055 or beyond — owners of this incredible machine could still buy gasoline and enjoy driving it. I saw merit in using electrical and digital technology to replicate the appeal of the R32 GT-R so future generations could experience it," Mr Hiraku said.

Refreshingly, the donor R32 GT-R has not been hacked-up or bastardised – at least visually – throughout the process of this conversion, but does rock an 18-inch version of the iconic forged 16-inch wheels fitted to the original model.

In replacing the motorsport-derived RB26 twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, known for its distinctive high-pitched scream, Nissan engineers fitted two 160kW electric motors for a combined 320kW/680Nm – near-on double the torque produced by the original engine.

Apparently, Nissan engineers tuned the electric powertrain’s output to match the original GT-R’s torque-to-weight ratio, no doubt using complex torque shaping to provide a similar bum-feel for the EV.

A Nismo sports suspension kit with Ohlins dampers takes care of handling and to stop the EV, which weights an inflated 1797kg (up 367kg on the original), Nissan fitted upgraded R35 GT-R callipers that grip ventilated rotors – hence the need for 18-inch wheels that clear the oversized brakes.

The interior has also been modernised, without detracting from the car’s heritage appeal, with custom Recaros that are period-suitable in their design, high-resolution digital screens in place of analogue gauges, and a digital dash that emulates the original dials.

Sadly, there are no plans to commercialise the R32 EV or offer a conversion kit, but the project showcases the potential to electrify classic cars without diminishing their soul.

Hot Hondas

Honda did not miss the opportunity to build some hype around the incoming 2026 Prelude, which will mark the return of the iconic model more than two decades after it dearly departed.

Announced last year, but shown again in ‘concept’ form at Tokyo Auto Salon, the Prelude marks the return of the ‘poor man’s NSX’ and there are rumours it’ll launch in the US before year’s end.

While specs are thin on the ground, which is clearly all part of the hype-building process, Honda has confirmed it will feature a hybrid powertrain – which many suspect could be lifted from the Accord Hybrid.

In any case, the concept on display is a certified stunner that looks set to take on driver-focused coupes like the GR86, MX-5 and even the Ford Mustang. We just hope it doesn’t get dealt a CVT.

Hopes and dreams aside, Honda also revealed a Racing Black Package for its sharp-as-a-tac Civic Type R hot hatch – but it isn’t an even more raw version of the track-happy steed, sadly.

The Racing Black Package adds trim and blacked-out interior features, with no performance bump or weight saving. It’s also only available in Japan, as far as we could gather.

Honda also had an array of its race cars on display, from World Championship-winning F1 Cars powered by its venerable engines, to GT racers, and what looked like its V12-powered RA271 historic F1 racer – the first Japanese car to win an F1 race back in the ‘60s, wheeled by Richie Ginther.

N-for-nuts

Hyundai just isn’t letting up lately, with N-car after N-car, and for Tokyo Auto Salon the Korean manufacturer sprinkled some extra spice on its stand with a couple of red-hot examples.

Firstly, the bonkers Ioniq 5 N will get even driftier, with a special DK (Drift King) edition revealed – developed alongside the godfather of the sport, Keiichi Tsuchiya, who is colloquially known as DK.

The model rides on tuned H&R springs that sit 15mm lower, it scores 21-inch forged wheels that offer a 10kg unsprung weight reduction, and it is fitted with an enormous 6P Monoblock Brake System offering 54 per cent more pad contact area.

Visually, the model features green ascents throughout that pay homage to DK’s signature race suit colour, as well as functional carbon fibre items like a front splitter, rear diffuser, side skirts and a massive rear wing.

The powertrain remains unchanged, punching out the same 478kW/780Nm, which is more than enough power – even for the Drift King.

Hyundai also brought its wild rally-derived RN24 concept to the party, which is a stripped-back, exoskeleton-equipped example of the Ioniq 5 N.

Basically, Hyundai took the Ioniq 5 N’s powertrain and placed it in a World Rally Championship (WRC) inspired chassis that features an exposed roll cage and enormous rear spoiler.

The result of having virtually no body panels beyond the wheel arches? A weight saving of around 400kg, tipping the scales at just 1880kg, and it’ll reach 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

Other motorsport-derived technology onboard the RN24 is a ‘Rally Mode’ motor torque control system that mimics the mechanical four-wheel drive system used on the i20 N Rally 1, which is technology that Hyundai says will trickle down to future production models.

It’s hard to believe this is the same brand that once punched out drab, eco-focused models like the Excel back in the early 90s, somehow transforming into a bonafide performance leader.