A wise Speedhunter once told me, “He who starts at the last Tokyo Auto Salon hall shall finish first.”
Of course, credit for that 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 prepared to hit Hall 11 first, you might just find it empty.
I say this because – as you’ll see from the photos – half of them feature not a single soul in sight, while the other half struggle 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 centre and every year manages to fit more cars, exhibitors, and visitors than ever before.
Last year’s show filled 11 halls with nearly 900 cars and 4,300 booths, which sounds impressive until you realize over 230,000 people attended. What’s even more bonkers, is that Day 1 (Friday) is limited to media in the morning and premium ticket holders from 2:00pm. When we say TAS gets busy, we mean really busy.
What’s the vibe 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’re once again guaranteed an eclectic mix of cars from your favourite JDM tuners and more.
You can’t mention Tokyo Auto Salon without Liberty Walk. Love them or loathe them, this ‘widebody era’ is still massively popular and the effort Kato-san and his team put into their TAS display is unmatched by any other brand.
Plus, these kits are far more than just overfenders now. The latest, an R32 Skyline inspired by the Kaido Racer era Kato-san grew up with, is a perfect example. It’s unmistakably Liberty Walk, yet who else would think that extending the R32’s bonnet to completely obscure its 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’s the Liberty Walk centrepiece of TAS 2025: the LB-Silhouette Works GT Lamborghini Miura. Unlike the Miura that Kato-san debuted in 2018, this one isn’t a replica; it’s a real, V12-powered, multi-million-dollar Lamborghini. Or at least it was before it became the latest performance art piece from Liberty Walk.
Do you feel outraged, though? I don’t, and I’m not sure if that’s because we’ve come to expect these high-profile, sometimes controversial builds from Liberty Walk, or if there’s something else at play…
That something else is digital artist Jonsibal, who played a key role in designing the LB-Silhouette Works GT body kit. Compared to earlier Liberty Walk kits, this one flows much better with the Miura’s stock lines rather than fighting them. Yes, it has deep-dish wheels, canards galore, and a gigantic rear wing. But it’s also littered with details that bring to mind Group 5 race cars like the Zakspeed Capri.
It doesn’t quite have the ‘you did what?!’ factor like Kato-san’s F40 or Countach builds, but it does elicit a ‘that’s actually pretty cool’ response. My only gripe? Aside from Liberty Walk taking nearly 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 own a Lamborghini Miura and fancy hacking it up and fitting air suspension, Kato-san and the team will be more than happy to paint it any colour you wish.
If the LB-Silhouette Works GT Miura has you riled up, brace yourself for the next car too. Controversial builds don’t usually come from manufacturers, but Nissan’s new R32 Skyline GT-R with an electric powertrain is certainly one to stir the pot.
Don’t get me wrong, I get why they did it. But it feels a little late to the party, especially when Toyota already electrified an AE86 back in 2023, along with a hydrogen-powered option for good measure. There are plenty of EV-converted classics out there, but when your motorsport arm Nismo is busy reproducing original R32 GT-R engine components and iconic LM-GT wheels, it does send mixed signals.
That said, there’s one part of this R32 that absolutely must make it into production. The ‘stock’ wheels aren’t stock at all; they’ve grown from 16 inches to 18 inches while keeping the original design, which allows an R35 GT-R Brembo brake kit to fit. That alone almost redeems the electric swap.
While we’re on the subject of Skyline GT-Rs, feast your eyes on this BNR34 at the HKS stand – a ‘complete’ build you can spec yourself providing you’ve got in excess of half a million dollars. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any new aero for a GT-R that hasn’t looked completely dog dirt (or is just an OEM part made in carbon), but HKS’s latest kit adds a ton of aggression.
The party piece is a swan-neck spoiler inspired by the 992 Porsche GT3 RS, with working DRS. Will it make a difference? Probably not on the highway, but given how much money GT-R owners pour into their cars, I can’t imagine it being a difficult part to sell.
What about any themes at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025? An obvious one this year is Toyota’s new LC250 Land Cruiser.
It may not be an obvious choice for Speedhunters, but this new generation – and the return of the mighty 70-Series – has generated massive global interest ever since it was announced. We’ll bring you a dedicated Land Cruiser spotlight post later in the month, but for now, we’ll leave you with easily the coolest 70-Series at TAS.
UN-spec white paint? Check. Recaro-trimmed interior? Check. Dished RAYS Volk Racing TE37XT wheels? Checkmate. I don’t care how old and basic these things are to drive; with the right upgrades, they’re achingly 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 argue every TAS sees a decent mix of classics, but this time around, the focus is on restoring and future-proofing icons like early Celicas, Datsuns, and GT-Rs.
Exhaust maker Fujitsubo has focused heavily on new (old) systems for classics like the Celica and Sunny, while Trust/GReddy has a GZ10 Soarer proudly sporting a traditional livery. Even Endless has a Maserati 228 on display, which might just be the curveball of the show.
TOM’S – Toyota’s long-time racing partner – is now selling parts directly to customers for the first time. The AE86 shell you see? That’s now available to buy directly from TOM’S as a newly refurbished item, and if you’re wondering what engine to pair with it, TOM’S will sell you a brand-new 3S-GE, 4A-G, or 2JZ.
This kind of upgrade will be reserved for those with the deepest pockets, but the very fact there’s 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 out there right now, pushing boundaries in both tech and design while making EV powertrains genuinely fun to drive.
The Ionic 5 N is mighty in standard trim, and having previously experimented with drift-only versions the DK Edition will become a production model available in both Japan and South Korea. It’s a partnership that’s far from obvious because rarely do Hyundai ever follow the ‘normal’ trend.
The same could be said for 326 Power. In a show full of lifted Land Cruisers hell-bent on achieving the maximum overland adventure, 326 Power has dropped a new LC 250 onto the ground with the deepest, most cambered wheels possible. It’s a bit odd, but I’m all in for the entertainment.
And then there’s this incredible Toyota Sera – a phrase very few people can claim to have used in the past. But this is Tokyo Auto Salon, and this particular Sera packs a 1,050hp punch…
It also has four-wheel drive and two engines – a Nissan ‘SR20VET’ upfront producing 500hp and a turbo K20A out back with 550hp. Dubbed ‘The Twin Dragon,’ it’s from the same builder who previously broke the internet with his quad-turbo S14. Never, ever change.
Let’s play a game of ‘Spot the Difference.’ One of these cars costs around $40,000, while the other will set you back almost 10 times that – before you even start adding extras.
We’ll wrap up our Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 Day 1 coverage at the Top Secret stand, 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 switched things up with ‘Stealth’ editions, featuring Stealth Grey paint and matte black OZ Racing wheels.
Each build looks awesome, and it feels like a modern take on Top Secret’s classic tuning philosophy. But I’d love to see the gold and TE37 combo we all grew up obsessing over make a comeback, even if it’s just a one-off.
With 11 halls of builds to explore, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Tokyo Auto Salon 2025. Stay tuned for Part 2 dropping in the coming days, but for now, we’ll leave you with some more of our Friday highlights.
Mark Riccioni
Instagram: mark_scenemedia
Twitter: markriccioni
mark@speedhunters.com
