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Bak in Tokyo once again... Some highlights from yesterday. I expect today to be massively packed. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSNTGmBY2/

Let's go! https://carsnkopi.wordpress.com/2023/01/18/tokyo-auto-otaku-2023-hello-from-the-2023-tokyo-auto-salon/ Well, sort of, because technically I’m already back in Singapore. But with hundreds of photos to sift through, sort out and edit, it’s going to take a while before starting on my TAS highlights. Sadly, while I wish I could present to you extensive tales of my Tokyo automotive excursion, I was unfortunately hit with a pretty severe case of food poisoning the night before TAS was about to begin and tried as I might (I really did), I had to leave after just a few hours in the event halls. It was an agonising morning that severely crippled my ability to do anything which meant I had to make the difficult decision to head back to my hotel and leave TAS on media day. I essentially slept through the rest of the day and rested until the next morning feeling much better, Allowing me to return to Makuhari Messe once again. Whilst TAS may be back, things are still not back to how hectic and exuberant as it was before the days of Covid. Trends have also definitely changed, especially for those of us who have grown up back in the amazing 90s-00s JDM automotive glory days. It is a sad fact that I’ve heard not just from the exhibitors in Tokyo, but even from my travels to Germany, that youngsters are just no longer interested in cars anymore. Though how can we blame them? New cars have gotten crazy expensive and those fun-to-drive, inexpensive sports cars we grew up on and love have either been smashed up and scrapped or are now placed on a pedestal worth their weight in gold. Add to that a dearth of interesting autos when manufacturers initially pivoted to SUVs has meant a generation of would-be automotive enthusiasts now no longer have anything to get them into the hobby without breaking the bank. All this has thus led to what we are seeing this year at TAS, a ton more SUVs, more Camper-style vans, and more lifestyle-oriented builds. Catering to, perhaps, the same automotive enthusiasts who kick-started the JDM automotive culture in the first place but have now matured, have families, and just wish to explore a slower side of life. Though, while many speedfreaks out there would bemoan such a fact, the fact that so many are still enjoying car life albeit with a different style rather than giving up altogether on the hobby should be a silver lining indeed. What is hopeful though is that with manufacturers now (once again) realising that the automotive public STILL wants cars that are beautiful and fun to drive, maybe with a bit of luck, another sports car revolution could be coming again in the not-too-distant future. That said, apart from my horrendous bout of food poisoning, it’s nice to be back.

https://drivetribe.com/p/3-cars-to-watch-out-for-at-the-fuLyB3y3TfyxZ5memzcNeQ?iid=EhyBtvbFQ0-qgH8plXC67A The Tokyo Auto Salon, traditionally held in January at the Makuhari Messe, is basically the Japanese equivalent of the Sema show in America. This year (well, technically next year), as you'd expect, it is going to be packed with electric cars but there are also a few interesting things that might make the show worth your while. These are my favourite three cars, in random order. 1. HONDA CIVIC TYPE R The long-awaited 2023 Civic Type R will make its public debut at the show, even though Honda said it'll still be wearing a special camo wrap designed specifically for Type R. They also said this is going to be "the best-performing Civic Type R ever" and they say the final production version will be revealed next year. We just don't know when. Or where. We don't know even what type of engine it's going to be using, but some say (and hope) it will be powered by an upgraded version of the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that powers the current-gen Type R, which means it should deliver more than 306 hp and more than 295 lb-ft of torque. And the best part? There's a strong chance it will be equipped with a manual transmission. 2. JDM NISSAN FAIRLADY Z Nissan is going to show up with a bunch of interesting vehicles, including a surprisingly compelling (albeit the front end is a bit ugly, see pictures below) van, and the inevitable squad of EVs, but as ever, we want the sportscars, and what's better than combining the name 'Fairlady' and the acronym 'JDM' in the same sentence? We say it's the JDM version but the truth is the Fairlady (marketed as 400Z elsewhere) is only going to be available in Japan and the United States (+ other smaller markets), but not in Europe, because the 300-hp twin-turbo V6 that powers it is not green enough to be sold in the EU and Nissan therefore simply decided to ditch the European market (both in and outside the EU) altogether. 3. Nissan Z GT500 racecar Loosely based on the GT-R, the Z GT500 racer is going to take part in the 2022 SUPER GT, with a Granturismo-style livery and bodykit painted in matte black. The engine is a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-4, which doesn't sound like a lot but it actually delivers 650 hp.

Eventually the post and pictures will be wayyyyy too overwhelming for a thread so i hope it is OK to have links instead. I am doing this only as/when i have spare time, bz with work and new house stuff so just too many things to do elsewhere to keep updating on a daily basis. Apologies for that. With that out of the way, let's begin. Day 01 - Part 01: Liberty Walk »

Jpop fans rejoice. 16 members of Japan's number one girl group - AKB48 - will be performing at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013. An hour's live performance will occur at the performance stage on the 13th April at 06:00pm where the hit group will perform their hit singles like 'Heavy Rotation' and 'Aitakatta', among others! A meet and greet session will also be organised at the performance stage on the 12th April 2013 at 1515hrs and the 13th April 2013 at 1630hrs during the Tokyo Auto Salon Singapore 2013. Visitors who have purchased their tickets online can redeem limited first come, first served moshpit passes at the event and watch the performance up close. The 16 members from AKB48 are: 1. Maria Abe 2. Sayaka Akimoto 3. Rina Chikano 4. Nana Fujita 5. Rina Kawaei 6. Ayaka Kikuchi 7. Ami Maeda 8. Natsumi Matsubara 9. Sakiko Matsui 10. Tomomi Nakatsuka 11. Amina Sato 12. Sumire Sato 13. Haruka Shimada 14. Shihori Suzuki 15. Juri Takahashi 16. Yuuka Tano Do note the organiser reserves the rights to change the schedule and the list of members coming to the event.

The 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon is just around the corner. It will be held at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex in Chiba from 11 January 2013 to 13 January 2013. Many Japanese auto firms and aftermarket companies will display their wares or projects at the show and Honda has announced its line-up for the upcoming auto show. Modulo, Honda's aftermarket products division has a couple of cars that will be presented at the show. Firstly, it is the S2000 Modulo Climax. It is practically an S2000 which was given a new exterior styling and interior parts. Next up is Honda's latest Kei car model, the N-One. It also receives Modulo's styling treatment, both interior and exterior. Mugen, another aftermarket and tuning firm closely associated with Honda, will also display several of their cars. First up is the Honda CR-Z Mugen RZ. On top of the sporty looking exterior styling, the hybrid hatchback receives a supercharger which delivers around 174bhp which includes the supplemental 20bhp from the electric motor. The car also receives adjustable suspension, 17 inch forged wheels and larger front brakes. The car comes in only one body colour which Mugen calls Azure Blue Metallic and only 300 units will be made commercially. Mugen has also developed a couple of "Mugen treated" Honda N-Ones. The Mugen N-One did not receive any engine modifications, only exterior styling modifications and Mugen badged interior parts. The car comes in either red or white body colour. Honda will also display two cars from the Super GT racing series and they are the HSV-010 GT and the Mugen CRZ-GT. The Mugen CR-Z GT racing car won the 2012 Formula Nippon team championship under the Docomo Dandelion Racing team.

At the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota Motor Corporation is displaying a total of 15 vehicles and one of them is the GRMN iQ Supercharger Concept. Toyota has surprised everyone there with the announcement of the production of the abovementioned concept car. The iQ Supercharger was first showcased at the same show in 2011. Toyota jointly developed the car with Gazoo Racing and will feature a force induced 1.3 litre engine. Toyota hopes to spark an interest among people who enjoy owning, driving and discussing automobiles developed through GAZOO Racing activities. A second generation of GRMN

Auto shows or exhibitions are usually the place where auto manufacturers showcase their cars and technologies. In Japan, if you want to see new car models, you will have to visit the Tokyo Motor Show. But the Tokyo Auto Salon is where designers and engineers unleash their talents in customisation. At the upcoming 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon (13-15 January), Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase several of their customised vehicles. On top of this, Mazda will also display its SKYACTIV engines and transmissions. First of all is the new and recently released CX-5. This special edition CX-5 is based on a standard CX-5 model grade. It combines a red exterior body paint work with matte black alloy wheels and a slightly lowered body height. Next is the Mazda Demio (also known as the Mazda 2) SKYACTIV Smart Stylish. This model's low centre of gravity is expressed through M'z Custom aero parts including front under spoiler, side skirts, and rear underskirt. Next is the Mazda Axela (Mazda 3) SKYACTIV Sport. The Axela comes with a range of aero parts including front air dam skirt, rear bumper, and rear roof spoiler for the exterior. The interior gets black leather upholstery for the seats, centre console and door trims. The centre console, meter hood and door switch panel surfaces are finished in piano black. The Mazda Roadster (MX-5) Black Tuned integrates black-based features onto both the interior and exterior of the car. This tuned model offers a full range of exclusive aftermarket items which includes BBS lightweight alloy wheels, Bilstein height adjustable dampers, Brembo brake system (painted in gold for the front callipers) and RECARO seats. Next up is the Mazda RX-8 Spirit R 2012. Mazda states that this model is an expression of the further pursuit of superlative driving performance, a further evolution of the limited edition Mazda RX-8 Spirit R with 6-speed manual transmission. In addition to the base model's unique sporty design and dynamic performance, the model features BBS 20-inch alloy wheels, Brembo brakes and rotors, and vehicle height lowered by 20mm. And lastly the Mazda Roadster (MX-5) NR-A

The Tokyo Auto Salon is Japan's largest car tuning event. This is the event where we find plain looking vehicles getting dressed up to look more devilish than the leader of Decepticons. On the other hand, we also have a group of angelic looking girls who grace the occasion, and they certainly garner as much attention as those mean looking machines. I shall let the following videos do the talking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwT9JClm8-s How many litres of blood have you bleed ?

Nissan has unveiled a racing edition of the GT-R developed by its in house tuner NISMO at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Called the GT-R RC (Racing Competition), NISMO has tweaked the GT-R's set up for improved track performance with the incorporation of a tire-compatible suspension, lightweight parts and proper racing safety features. These features include an FIA-qualifying welded roll cage, air jacks and a 120 liter safety fuel tank. The engine remains unturned though (it doesn

This may be a rather messy name to remember, but I must say its one of the best looking Toyota's I've ever seen. Christened the FT-86 G Sports Concept, it is Toyota's first collaboration with Subaru. And this is what they've come up with so far. Its aggressive, bold, sharp and aerodynamic roof-line shouts out stunning coupe while that matte black vented bonnet and huge spoiler at the rear makes the 'Toyobaru' look like a serious track-day car. But what you are looking at is possibly the brand new Celica that Toyota has been planning to bring back from the dead. The side profile looks like it came from a blend between the Nissan 370Z and the GTR with bold and deep indentations to the side of the car. The part where Subaru comes in is under the bonnet where its 2.0litre Boxer engine lies and sources say that there's a turbo in the mix... Though no official figures are out on its power output, the FT-86 G features a six speed manual gearbox which will make classic stick-shift fans happy for sure. The best bit about this new car is its GPS system which is definitely a toy to die for in this car. It is a GPS Track Day ready system which is co-developed by the makers of Gran Turismo and automotive technology giant Denso. What this GPS system essentially does is, blast the car round a track a few times till you're happy with your time, remove a memory card from the car and stuff it into your PS3 and either watch a replay of your lap or race against yourself!!! The Japanese can never bore me.. its far too incredible for me to imagine just how cool that is... The best part, Toyota say they will offer this technology to more future models. If this is going to be the new Celica. I want one.