2010 will mark the beginning of a new era of racing. GT racing goes global with 20 races spanning nine countries across four continents on ten of the world’s leading circuits. Only six manufacturers will compete in the inaugural season of the FIA GT1 World Championship with Nissan being the sole representative from the Land...
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While most of the popular aftermarket manufacturers in Japan are welcoming the hybrid craze with open arms, Spoon Sports has been quiet as of late. This can mostly be attributed to the fact that Spoon focuses and specializes with the Honda platform, and quite honestly, Honda hasn’t had an attractive enough hybrid platform in the...
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Famed Honda tuner Mugen has just released a full line of aesthetic and “performance” accessories for the new CR-Z. While in stock form the CR-Z doesn’t seem overly sporty with just 122-hp, Mugen is hoping to improve on that with a new stainless steel exhaust system which will be good for maybe a pony or...
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Nissan displayed the Stillen GT-R at its exhibit at the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show. Built in 2009 by Steve Millen and the rest of the Stillen team, the one-off GT-R competed at the Targa Newfoundland race. The Stillen GT-R was clocked a 0-60 run in 2.9 seconds, quicker than the stock version’s 3.5 seconds....
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Nissan Canada announced it will present the Stillen GT-R at the 2010 Toronto Auto Show. Race car driver Steve Millen and the Stillen team built their version of the GT-R “Godzilla” in 2009 for the Targa Newfoundland race. The Stillen crew lightened the GT-R by 172 lbs. and tweaked throttle response and suspension. The result:...
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After covering all the major tuner and manufacturer booths located inside the Makuhari Messe’s Convention Center, we decided to wander the Tokyo Auto Salon’s floor to see if we could spot anything that interested us. It didn’t take long before this Abflug “Pink Spider” FD3S Mazda RX-7 really caught our eye. Easily considered extreme by...
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While Subaru-fans in North America love the STI-tuned Impreza WRX, they are deprived of other STI cars offered in Suby’s home-market of Japan. One such model is the STI-tuned Legacy Wagon, sold as the Exiga 2.0 GT STI in Japan. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer engine, the Exiga 2.0 GT STI makes 221-hp and...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Honda is hoping to build a following with its line of Modulo parts in Japan, in a bid to replicate the the success that Mugen has had. On display at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Honda showcased three different Modulo-equipped versions of its Insight hybrid. First up is a mostly stock looking Touring Modulo Insight, featuring...
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Even though Nissan’s readily available market vehicles were the center of attention at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, the company’s flagship GT-R also had an offering from NISMO: a Club Sports Package. The Club Sports Package doesn’t overhaul the exterior of the GT-R, but rather includes a new data logger for track use and a...
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Custom paint has always been a staple of modifying a car. Over the years trends have come and gone, many of them debuting from Tokyo such as Maziora or “color changing” paint. We ran across this pair of cars with a paint style we have yet to see. The car above is called the Toban...
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HKS Kansai Service, a workshop in Japan that is part of the HKS group, had an impressive display of vehicles and products showing off their tuning prowess. Included among them were a previous-generation Skyline R34, a brand new R35 GT-R and EVO X. And let’s not forget the least of the cars on display, a...
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Not to be left behind with all the other Japanese aftermarket manufacturers that have taken to the trend of modifying hybrid/green cars, Tommy Kaira not only impressed with its GT-R at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, but with its Prius and Insight offerings too. Earlier this month both vehicles were released to the public and...
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Passing by the Junction Produce booth at TAS 2010, nothing groundbreaking was on display; rather they stuck to their tradition of clean styling on luxury sedans. Several Lexus (Toyotas) were on display carrying what we’ve come to expect over the years from JP. Unfortunately there wasn’t much new to report from them, but their display...
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Over the years Wald International has solidified itself as one of the premiere tuners of luxury vehicles in Japan. Recently the company has expanded its line of styling products to include European vehicles, most noticeably those from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. A trio of Lexus vehicles, a Nissan GT-R, a pair of Mercedes and a BMW...
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While many Japanese aftermarket tuners are taking on the newest models including many of them turning towards European applications, J’s Racing has stuck to what they know best: Hondas. The company’s booth wasn’t overwhelmingly large, but it was clear that J’s Racing is aware of the new Hybrid-tuning craze, displaying its own version of a...
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There is no doubt that the Toyota Prius is the heavy favorite at TAS 2010. Literally every single booth has one and it’s hard to take 20 steps without spotting another tuned Prius. Toyota had their own to impress with the Prius Custom Plus Concept taking a very futuristic hold to the Prius design. The...
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Nissan never fails to impress at Tokyo Auto Salon and 2010 was no exception to the rule. In-house tuning company NISMO showed off its offerings for the brand’s most popular performance platforms, the FairladyZ, Skyline Coupe and Skyline Sedan, or as they’re known in North America: the Nissan 370Z, Infiniti G37 Coupe and G37 Sedan....
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