Check Out Honda's Strangest Concepts From The Tokyo Auto Salon

May 8, 2022

Every year in January ordinary people and celebrities alike flock to take part in Japan’s Tokyo auto salon. The Tokyo auto salon is a car show famous worldwide and it is usually held at the Makuhari Messe, one of Japan’s largest convention centers located just outside Tokyo in the city of Chiba. The line-up for the show includes custom cars, as well as globally famous singers and entertainers. There are many celebrities making appearances every year as guests and entertainers.

S660 Neo Classic

The S660 Neo Classic would look great on North American roads. If you are wondering what the Tokyo auto salon experience would be like, consider the SEMA Show (Speciality Equipment Market Association), which is held in Los Angeles every year. Similarly, the SEMA Show deals with customization and auto parts. At the Tokyo auto salon in 2017, Honda’s accessory division (Honda Access) rolled out some of the most intriguing designs yet. Even the most stylish Hondas seen on the roads of North America seem tame in comparison.

To start, the S660 Neo Classic prototype has a more retro appearance than its predecessor, the S660 Roadster, which is the successor to the Honda Beat. An interesting fact: The Honda Beat was the last car the founder of Honda, Soichiro Honda, approved before his death in 1991. The S660 Neo Classic prototype is being considered for mass production in Japan.

Honda T880

Honda's T880 may be the perfect retro minitruck for minitruck enthusiasts. The T880 has a smooth box-like appearance, and here it is painted a plain but eye-catching glossy beige color, which is reminiscent of kitchen appliances in the 1950’s. Its wheels appear dominated by the pickup’s body. The Honda T880 is part of Honda’s kei truck (or minitruck) series.

Honda’s kei trucks are smaller, practical trucks built for city driving, and intended for small cargo deliveries over short distances. Popular minitrucks in North America include Ford Ranger, Nissan pickups, Mitsubishi Triton, etc. In North America, mini-trucking is the popular hobby of modifying trucks to decrease their size. For example, a popular modification is to make adaptations that bring the truck as low to the ground as possible. Mini-trucking is a trend that began in the 1980’s and continues today.

Honda HR-V

The rugged version of the Honda HR-V looks like it can take on any terrain. The Honda Access team presented a customized version of the Honda HR-V (originally named Honda Vezel), a sporty, budget-friendly family vehicle popular in North America. The vehicle was manufactured for the Japanese market beginning in 2013, and then in 2014 for the North American market.

This customized HR-V displayed at the Tokyo auto salon is taller, stronger, and more vibrant than its predecessor. Its larger off-road wheels offer substantial height and bounce, which make the vehicle appear as though it can take on any terrain. Its bright yellow exterior and interior yellow accents give the vehicle a jaunty beach vibe, and the front end of the customized HR-V is completely transformed, making it appear rugged and aggressive while remaining sleek and stylish.

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