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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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How much could possibly be reported out of Toyota’s Tokyo Auto Salon booth? With G Sports and Gazoo Racing sharing the real estate it’s no surprise there’s plenty to see. Along with the FT-86 G-Sports Concept, Toyota displayed a pair of Gazoo Racing cars: the iQ-based FR Hot Hatch with a widebody and stylish flat black accents as well as a track-ready MR-S roadster. Toyota’s MR-S never got the cult following that its predecessor the MR2, but it was nice to see a tuned MR-S nonetheless.

Two additional concepts from G Sports were also present in the booth with the Mark X (aka, Lexus GS) being converted from a mundane commuter sedan to an aggressive street prowler while the G Sports Prius Concept took the car’s aerodynamics to the extreme, covering up the rear wheels in order to reduce drag as much as possible.

GALLERY: G Sports Prius Concept

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GALLERY: G Sports Mark X Concept

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GALLERY: Gazo Racing FR Hot Hatch and MR-S

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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We can still remember when European vehicles first started making their way over to the Tokyo Auto Salon. It raised a lot of eyebrows and had many people buzzing on how receptive the Japanese tuners and consumers would be. Fast forward a few years and now European vehicles have become a norm and it looks like American vehicles are now making their way to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Over at the Goodyear booth, we spotted this Chevy Camaro, kitted out, slammed and sporting a massive set of wheels. The Camaro, a large car even in America, looks simple enormous next to many of the subcompacts and MPVs at the Tokyo show.

The Camaro really helped to set the Goodyear booth apart, looking completely unique from the modified Japanese and European cars. It’s not exactly the best America has to offer, but it will be interesting to see if American cars continue to penetrate the Japanese market.

At last year’s SEMA Show, the Camaro was easily the car of choice, with practically ever tuner displaying a modified version of the muscle car. At TAS, the Camaros have been relaced with Priuses.

GALLERY: Goodyear Chevy Camaro

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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Damned if we report another body kit manufacturer but DAMD’s Styling Effect is highly worth mentioning. (Groan… we know). DAMD showed off a selection of its latest products at the Tokyo Auto Salon, with two new aero kits for Subaru products as well as one for, you guessed it, the Toyota Prius.

As the most popular car sold in Japan last year, the car’s style and hybrid efficiency have made it popular and now owners are looking to personalize their car to hel it stand out from the thousands of others on the street.

DAMD decided to take its Prius in a “VIP” luxury direction, slamming it low with glossy black paint and wheels. There’s also a beautiful custom tan leather interior.

As for the Subarus, we’re not huge fans of the “Oreo” themed WRX STI, but the new Legacy kit looks to be a perfect fit, especially for the North American market.

GALLERY: DAMD Modified Prius, WRX STI and Legacy

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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Not many aftermarket parts manufacturers have been in existence as long as Blitz. Continuing to uphold their reputation of high quality and groundbreaking performance products, Blitz kept things rolling as usual at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon. Much like many body kit manufacturers, Blitz has also expanded its line to include some European tuning, with a brand-new Volkswagen GTI on display.

In addition, the Blitz booth also features the prerequisite Mitsubishi EVO X and Skyline R35 GT-R, while notorious drifter Nomuken’s R34 Skyline marking the first time we’ve ever seen an anti-virus software company sponsor a race car.

GALLERY: Blitz Display at 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon

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Tokyo Auto Salon 2010: Toyota Displays Japanese-Market Mark X and Sai

Toyota-branded models sold as the Lexus GS and HS250h in North America

15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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With all the commotion surrounding the FT-86 G Sports Concept and the collection of G Sports vehicles at the Tokyo Auto Salon, it would have been easy not to notice several other Toyota models worth a mention. Eventually we did manage to tear our eyes off the FT-86, only to discover the Japanese-specific Mark X and Sai on display.

Essentially the Toyota-branded versions of two Lexus models, the Mark X is sold in the U.S. as the Lexus GS. In Japan its offered with either a base 203-hp 2.5-liter V6 or an optional 315-hp 3.5-liter V6, both with six-speed automatic transmissions. Only the 2.5-liter models are available with AWD, otherwise, both models come standard with a rear-drive setup.

As for the Sai, it’s the Japanese version of North America’s HS hybrid but with a much more “Toyota-friendly” front end.

GALLERY: Toyota Mark X and Sai

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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While not as well known in North America as VIP tuners like Wald International or Junction Produce, Branew is a Japanese tuning powerhouse specializing in various luxury and tuning markets including Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Nissan, Bentley, Hummer, Porsche and Land Rover. The big buzz leading up to the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon from Branew was the debut of their 370Z kit. Sadly, we don’t have a time machine to go back to before we saw this. We just feel so bad for the Z.

Branew should probably stick to designing aero kits for luxury cars. We took a close look at several of their luxury car designs and really took a liking to the modified HS250h on display.

GALLERY: Branew 370Z and Lexus Models

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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Standing out in stark contrast to all the Japanese cars, and even the other European models at the Tokyo Auto Salon, were two little toys from Fiat tuner/sub-brand Abarth, a 500 and Grande Punto. The hard-core Abarth 500 is a hoped-up version of the Fiat 500 and this particular Abarth is even more extreme thanks to an Esseesse kit.

What makes this car so special is that it has roughly double the output of the stock Fiat 500. The Abarth model already makes impressive power from its 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, but the Esseesse kit takes output from 170-hp all the way to 197-hp. As for torque, it’s rated at 170 ft-lbs, which is more than enough to make this pint-sized Fiat a pocket rocket.

Additional Esseesse package modifications include larger brakes, a lowered suspension and 17-inch wheels.

The perfect mix of style and performance, the Abarth 500 seems like the perfect car for Japan and we’re excited about yet-unconfirmed reports that it will be offed in North America soon. Make our Abarth 500 an Esseesse, please!

GALLERY: Abarth 500 Esseesse

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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As if the Nissan booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon wasn’t action packed enough with its NISMO offerings, Autech Factory Custom was present with its “Rider” series of vehicle enhancements.

Offsetting the high-horsepower and high-dollar NISMO offers, the Autech cars are more about personalization than power and are aimed at entry-level buyers.

On display in the Autech section are the Serena Rider, Note Rider and Cube Rider. All three vehicles come dressed in pristine white with styling accessories, chrome accents and various in car electronics goods. There’s no denying that these boxy MPVs play a major role in the Japanese tuning car culture.

GALLERY: Nissan Autech Factory Cars

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15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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It’s certainly not a household name, but Japanese tuner Varis is making headway modifying not only Japanese cars, but European models as well. The company does complete transformations, with everything from aesthetics to performance, with designs that are extreme, but not quite over-the-top.

On display at the Varis booth at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon were Japanese-market favorites like the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Mitsubishi EVO X and Nissan GT-R. Varis also showed off more subtle looks for the E92 BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG with penty of carbon fiber add-ons.

Take a look through the gallery of Japanese and European Varis-tuned cars below:

GALLERY: Varis Display at the Tokyo Auto Salon

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Tokyo Auto Salon 2010: ARK Design Butchers 370Z Converible

ARK fuses ultra-modern Z lines with some retro-inspired Mercedes SLS style

15/01/2010 | By: Jason Siu

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We’re not too sure what to think of this 370Z Convertible. Scratch that, we know exactly what we think of this butchered 370Z. When the newest Z debuted we immediately fell in love with its progressive lines and remarked how, unlike its predecessor, it looked purpose built to be a convertible.

As for the ARK Design vehicle, it just doesn’t seem to work at all. The complete aero kit looks somewhere between Nissan’s ulra-cool URGE Concept and the newly-released Mercedes-Benz SLS retro supercar. The modern and retro designs just don’t seem to work together at all.

But don’t listen to us. Tell us what you think.

GALLERY: ARK Design Nissan 370Z

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