Japan’s carmakers get creative, funky at Tokyo Auto Salon

TOKYO — The Tokyo Auto Salon started on Friday in full force with souped-up roadsters, super-tuned hot rods and far-out race demons all on display.

The event has eclipsed the Tokyo Motor Show in recent years in buzz and pulse. So it is little wonder that Japan’s automakers have gone all out for 2023 with funky new concepts and reimagined road cars.

Here’s a look at what is going down at Japan’s annual motorhead event.

Honda: Japan’s No. 2 automaker unwrapped a tricked-out version of its new ZR-V compact crossover, replete with a Mugen tuner sub-brand treatment. The Civic Type R-GT concept, a circuit car foreshadowing the next generation of the brand’s 500GT racer, is also making its debut.

Lexus: Japan’s top luxury brand is showing that it’s comfortable out in nature with a pair of rugged camping crossovers — the RX Outdoor concept and the GX Outdoor concept. The brand is also showing its ROV Concept 2, a spunky little open-cockpit all-terrain vehicle equipped with a hydrogen engine, not a fuel cell. The RZ Sport concept, an aero-finned wonder that gets two 150-kilowatt motors, front and back, previews a future of high-performance electric vehicles.

Mazda: Green and mean encapsulates the mission of Mazda at Tokyo Auto Salon. The Hiroshima carmaker is showing the Mazda3 Bio concept, a race-spec version of its hatchback powered by next-generation environmentally friendly biodiesel. Mazda entered the car in a Japan endurance race circuit last year and will do so again for 2023.

Mitsubishi: Rough and ready DNA is the theme Mitsubishi has created with a host of off-road vehicles designed for adventure. These include the Delica Mini, a minivan positioned as a pint-sized sibling of the flagship Delica D:5. One vision for the Delica Mini is a partnership with camping gear specialist Coleman. Mitsubishi’s small Delica and D:5 feature a white-and-black “Snow Survivor” makeover for those headed up to the mountains.

Nissan: The progenitor of the legendary GT-R is previewing its 2024 model year update of Godzilla, which dials up the performance with a rounded front fascia, stiffer rigidity, stronger downforce and new carbon fiber seats. Keeping it sporty, Nissan is also unveiling the mass-market version of the Fairlady Z customized edition. A roomy concept of the Roox mini-vehicle and a retro rehab of the iconic Cube compact hatchback round out the Nissan exhibit. The brand’s newest EVs, the Ariya crossover and Sakura minicar, also appear as entries for its car-sharing service in Japan.

Subaru: Subaru Tecnica International is carrying the day for Subaru. Both the redesigned Impreza, shown at the Los Angeles auto show last year, and the Japan-market Levorg wagon are decked out with STI equipment and parts that evoke the motorsports heritage of the all-wheel-drive brand.

Toyota: The world’s biggest automaker envisions what enviro-retrofitting might entail by deploying a hydrogen-burning combustion engine and all-electric powertrain in vintage editions of the AE86 sporty hatchback. The overhaul aims to show how the push for carbon neutrality can be applied to existing gasoline vehicles — making them clean but still with a traditional engine rumble. In the utility field, Toyota reimagines the redesigned Crown as a weekend warrior, decked out with copious spotlights, wheel cladding and oversized tires.