A wise Speedhunter once told me: “He who starts in the last Tokyo Auto Salon hall will finish first.”
The credit for this obviously goes to our resident Dino-san. While he may not have used those exact words, he did explain that most Japanese guests at TAS tend to visit the halls in numerical order. So if you’re willing to be the first to go to Hall 11, you might find it empty.
I say this because – as you can see from the photos – half of them don’t have a single soul in sight, while the other half struggles to show a whole car without limbs and bags getting in the way. The moral of the story? If Dino gives you a hint, take it.
Since 1983, Japan has blessed the tuning world with the Tokyo Auto Salon. This three-day event takes over the Makuhari Messe convention center and every year manages to welcome more cars, exhibitors and visitors than ever before.
Last year’s show filled 11 halls with almost 900 cars and 4,300 stands, which sounds impressive until you realize that more than 230,000 people were in attendance. What’s even crazier is that Day 1 (Friday) is limited to morning media and premium ticket holders from 2pm. When we say TAS is busy, we mean it Real busy.
What is the atmosphere like in 2025? For the most part, business as usual – and that’s not a bad thing. There are no groundbreaking changes or new additions this year, but you are once again assured of an eclectic mix of cars from your favorite JDM tuners and more.
You can’t mention Tokyo Auto Salon without Liberty Walk. Love them or loathe them, this ‘widebody era’ is still hugely popular and the effort Kato-san and his team have put into their TAS display is unmatched by any other brand.
Furthermore, these kits are much more than just overfenders these days. The latest, an R32 Skyline inspired by the Kaido Racer era Kato-san grew up with, is a perfect example. It’s undeniably Liberty Walk, but who else would think that extending the R32’s hood to completely hide the headlights would work?
It’s not for everyone, but I love that it exists in a world where most people are obsessed with restoring every GT-R to stock.
And then there is the Liberty Walk centerpiece of TAS 2025: the LB-Silhouette Works GT Lamborghini Miura. Unlike the Miura that Kato-san debuted in 2018, this one is not a replica; it’s a real V12-powered Lamborghini worth several million dollars. Or at least before it became Liberty Walk’s latest performance art piece.
However, do you feel indignant? I don’t, and I’m not sure if that’s because we’re used to these high-profile, sometimes controversial builds of Liberty Walk, or if there’s something else going on…
That something different is digital artist Jonsibal, who played a key role in designing the LB-Silhouette Works GT body kit. Compared to previous Liberty Walk kits, this one fits much better with the Miura’s stock lines rather than fighting against them. Yes, it has deep dish wheels, canards galore and a gigantic rear wing. But it’s also littered with details reminiscent of Group 5 racing cars like the Zakspeed Capri.
It doesn’t quite have the ‘did you do what?!’ factor like Kato-san’s F40 or Countach builds, but it does elicit a “that’s actually pretty cool” response. My only complaint? Aside from the fact that Liberty Walk will take almost an hour to unveil the car, I’d love to see a ‘street’ edition without the huge wing and thousands of (sometimes obscure) sponsor stickers. But if you happen to have a Lamborghini Miura and feel like refurbishing it and installing air suspension, Kato-san and the team will be happy to paint it any color you like.
If the LB-Silhouette Works GT Miura gets you excited, brace yourself for the next car. Controversial constructions usually don’t come from manufacturers, but Nissan’s new R32 Skyline GT-R with electric powertrain is certainly one to stir the pot.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand why they did it. But it feels a little late to the party, especially since Toyota had already electrified an AE86 in 2023, along with a hydrogen-powered option for good measure. There are plenty of EV-converted classics on the market, but when your motorsport division Nismo is busy reproducing original R32 GT-R engine parts and iconic LM-GT wheels, it’s sending out mixed signals.
That said, there is one part of this R32 that absolutely needs to make it into production. The ‘standard’ wheels are not standard at all; they have grown from 16 inches to 18 inches while retaining the original design, allowing them to fit an R35 GT-R Brembo brake kit. That alone almost redeems the electric swap.
Speaking of Skyline GT-Rs, just look at this BNR34 on the HKS stand – a ‘complete’ build that you can spec yourself, provided you have more than half a million dollars. It’s been a while since I’ve seen new aero for a GT-R that didn’t look completely dog-dirty (or just an OEM part made from carbon), but HKS’s latest kit adds a ton of aggression.
The party piece is a gooseneck spoiler inspired by the 992 Porsche GT3 RS, with working DRS. Will it make a difference? Probably not on the highway, but considering how much money GT-R owners put into their cars, I can’t imagine it being a hard part to sell.
What about the themes at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025? An obvious example this year is Toyota’s new LC250 Land Cruiser.
It may not be an obvious choice Speed chasers, but this new generation – and the return of the mighty 70 Series – has generated huge global interest since its announcement. We’ll bring you a special Land Cruiser spotlight post later this month, but for now we’ll leave you with easily the coolest 70 Series at TAS.
UN specification white paint? Bill. Recaro-trimmed interior? Bill. Dish RAYS Volk Racing TE37XT wheels? Checkmate. I don’t care how old and simple these things are to drive; with the right upgrades they’re painfully cool.
Another trend that’s hard to miss at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon is the return of certain ‘OG’ Japanese cars. You could say that every TAS sees a decent mix of classics, but this time the focus is on restoring and future-proofing icons such as early Celicas, Datsuns and GT-Rs.
Exhaust manufacturer Fujitsubo has focused heavily on new (old) systems for classics such as the Celica and Sunny, while Trust/GReddy has a GZ10 Soarer that proudly shows off a traditional color scheme. Even Endless has a Maserati 228 on display, which might be the highlight of the show.
TOM’S – Toyota’s long-time racing partner – is now selling parts directly to customers for the first time. Do you see the AE86 shell? That’s now for sale directly from TOM’S as a newly refurbished item, and if you’re wondering which engine to pair with it, TOM’S will sell you a brand new 3S-GE, 4A-G or 2JZ.
These types of upgrades will be reserved for those with the deepest pockets, but the very fact that there is a demand for this level of upgrade shows how deeply revered these Japanese classics have become.
Speaking of money, Hyundai has teamed up with Keiichi Tsuchiya to unveil the Ionic 5 N DK (Drift King) Edition. Hyundai is one of the most exciting brands right now, pushing boundaries in technology and design while making EV powertrains truly fun to drive.
The Ionic 5 N is powerful in standard form, and having previously experimented with drift-only versions, the DK Edition will be a production model available in both Japan and South Korea. It is a collaboration that is far from obvious, because Hyundai rarely follows the ‘normal’ trend.
The same can be said for 326 Power. In a show full of lifted Land Cruisers determined to experience the maximum overland adventure, 326 Power has dropped a new LC 250 with the deepest and most flared wheels possible. It’s a little strange, but I’m all about entertainment.
And then there’s this incredible Toyota Sera – a phrase few people have used in the past. But this is Tokyo Auto Salon, and this particular Sera has an output of 1,050 hp…
It also has four-wheel drive and two engines: a Nissan ‘SR20VET’ producing 500 hp up front and a turbo K20A at the rear with 550 hp. Dubbed ‘The Twin Dragon,’ it’s from the same builder that previously broke the internet with its quad-turbo S14. Never, ever change.
Let’s play a game of Spot the Difference. One of these cars will cost around $40,000, while the other will cost you almost ten times as much – before you even start adding extras.
We wrap up our coverage of Day 1 of Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 at the Top Secret booth, which, as always, is packed with tuned GT-Rs from every generation.
In the past you’d see these in Top Secret gold or white, but Kazuhiko ‘Smoky’ Nagata and his team have changed things up with ‘Stealth’ editions, with Stealth Gray paint and matte black OZ Racing wheels.
Every build looks great, and feels like a modern take on Top Secret’s classic tuning philosophy. But I’d love to see the combination of gold and TE37 that we all grew up obsessed with make a comeback, even if it’s just a one-off.
With 11 construction halls to explore, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Tokyo Auto Salon 2025. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming in the coming days, but for now we’ll leave you with some more of our highlights from Friday .
Mark Riccioni
Instagram: mark_scenemedia
Twitter: markriccioni
mark@speedhunters.com
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