Another year of Tokyo Auto Salon means another round of scouring the depths of the Makuhari Messe car parks – the unofficial TAS car meet.
TAS reigns supreme as the pinnacle event of Japanese car culture, drawing over 200,000 visitors to the Chiba convention centre every year. With that kind of foot traffic, it’s no surprise that the car parks hide some real gems. So, let’s take a look at what I found during my Friday visit to Tokyo Auto Salon 2025.
Right near the entrance, I was greeted by this – guerrilla marketing at its finest. And it worked. Someone has taken it upon themselves to ‘fix’ the G87 M2, addressing the overly adventurous front grille design with a more traditional BMW look. If I had to guess who’s behind this, it would be ADRO, a Korean-based body kit company making waves in the BMW aftermarket world. They had a sizable booth inside TAS, so dropping another car in the car park just makes sense. I’m interested to see if I’m correct, and if so, hopefully, a rear bumper redesign is in the works too.
A bit further along, Dino and I parked our cars, sandwiching this FL5 Honda Civic Type R.
One further spot along, another blue FL5 sat next to what you could consider its European rival, an Audi RS 3 in a similar shade.
Much like the show, there was no shortage of stance in the car parks, with everything from vans to GT-Rs sitting on the pavement.
It’s also worth noting that stance here in Japan doesn’t just mean a set of wheels and bags. Owners always go the extra mile to build a complete car. Check out the massive Brembo brakes on this Lexus, for example.
It was hard to miss this Mitsuoka Orochi, taking up two parking spots. The Orochi is one of those quirky early-2000s Japanese creations that are often overlooked. Powered by a 3.3L Toyota V6, you could call it an alternative take on the Honda NSX formula.
Next to it, occupying just one space, was a pristine Nissan Sil80 (Silvia-faced 180SX), sitting on SSR mesh wheels and sporting a classic B-Wave wing – an authentic nod to ’90s Japanese street drift culture.
Mazda RX-7s seemed to dominate the car park, with FCs and FDs pretty much everywhere you looked. Here are just a few of the ones I spotted.
There were plenty of Porsche scattered around the place too, including this beautiful blue 993.
AE86s came in all shapes and forms. It was great to see an FK’s Factory Trueno hatch out in the wild. FK is well known for its unique builds and liveries, and this one is no exception.
Nissan’s presence in the car parks was almost stronger than at its booth inside the Makuhari Messe. GT-Rs and Silvias from every generation filled the spaces, with no shortage of variety.
Front and centre – and likely one of the first cars to arrive at TAS – was this beautiful Datsun 510 1600 SSS on Hayashi Racing wheels.
There were a few Honda NSXs that retained their factory aesthetic – for the most part.
RE Amemiya made its presence felt both inside the show and outside in the car parks with this Mazda RX-8.
It was nice to see a perfectly finished 180SX Type-X sitting pretty on RAYS Gram Lights wheels.
Staying on the Nissan theme, this C10 Skyline GT-X was attracting plenty of attention as crowds ushered by.
Then, there was this JZ-powered Toyota duo. Seeing a Toyota Chaser and a Supra side by side highlighted just how similar their sizes and proportions are – the ‘four-door Supra’ nickname seems pretty spot on.
Many readers will recognise John’s Toyota Corona GT. After a year of drifting, he’s has treated his AT141 to some new bodywork and paint, and it’s really looking the part.
Joining John was an NA2 Honda NSX-R – a rare sight out in the wild. That’s no surprise given their exorbitant price tags these days.
One attendee was so eager to start tinkering with the parts he’d picked up inside the show that he couldn’t even wait until he got home to begin fitting them!
Here’s a polarising combo for you: a track-focused FD Mazda RX-7 paired with a Fabulous-built Honda StepWagon. I’ve seen this van before, and it’s as wild as they come with scissor doors and a huge sound system.
Liberty Walk made its mark on the car parks, too. A full-kitted Lamborghini Aventador, along with Huracán and a Lexus LC, all wearing Liberty Walk branding, turned heads and stopped traffic.
I wasn’t the only one admiring the treasures of the car parks. Any seasoned TAS attendee knows that the show truly begins before you even enter the gates.
Much like any other Japanese automotive event, the car parks offer a genuine insight into Japanese car culture. While TAS showcases the glitz and glamour of Japanese car life, you can’t have one without the other. For that reason, if you ever attend Tokyo Auto Salon, I highly recommend dedicating at least half your day to cruising around the various car parks. You never know what you’ll find.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
