Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Tuners, Japan, Nissan, Suzuki, Tokyo Auto Salon
Tokyo Auto Salon 2009: The best from TAS, but first...
Click above for a gallery of the NATS GT-K
With the Detroit Auto Show finally winding down, we can turn our attention to the east (or west, depending on your continental perspective) to take in the motoring madness and engineering wizardry coming out of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon.
Each year, Japan's top tuners descend on the Makuhari Messe to show their wares to the public and press, and with over a year to develop, modify and produce components for the Mitsubishi Evolution X, Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the new darling of the aftermarket scene – the Nissan GT-R – this year's show had the potential to trump anything we've seen out of Tokyo in the last decade. By many accounts, it did, and with the help of Autoblog Chinese and some of our favorite JDM-obsessed sites, we'll be bringing you the best TAS has to offer.
Since we'll be focusing almost exclusively on the products that make you go faster and stick harder, we'll get the weird out of the way right now. Behold the NATS GT-K. Captured by our friends at LeBlogAuto, the GT-K is based on the Suzuki Cappuccino, and aside from the GT-R duds, the Kei car features a modified version of the 657cc DOHC inline-three equipped with a larger turbo and intercooler, along with a coilover suspension, upgraded brakes and a set of gloriously hideous 18-inch chrome wheels. We were able to keep our dinner down long enough to look at NATS' 911-inspired Cappuccino, at which point we grabbed the nearest trash can and heaved away. Ambition: 1. Execution: 0. More to follow. Stay tuned...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Torrent 7:37PM (1/12/2009)
omg I would totally...
puke if I saw that in real life.
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Kumail 7:45PM (1/12/2009)
no one needs to say more, that thing is amazingly hideous.
never thought that a copy of one of the most beautiful cars could look so ugly.
Ress 11:36PM (1/12/2009)
man they ripped it apart and it looks like a martha stewart version of the original GTR, it supposed to go faster but it looks slow as hell. Whats up with the big mouth?
http://www.jobstaxi.com
Berto 12:18AM (1/13/2009)
Pass along the trash can
JDMlover 7:48PM (1/12/2009)
The GTR is not pretty to begin with.....dont think this would be any better...
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Mr. Luke 10:54PM (1/12/2009)
Ugly Betty just got uglier!
Jake B 7:49PM (1/12/2009)
I would rather have the Cappuccino.
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Epyx 7:52PM (1/12/2009)
Are these cars meant for the street or are they like go-carts? Kinda ugly but it would be fun to mess around with...in a Shriners kind of way.
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arturo 8:19PM (1/12/2009)
the car would have look much better if the headlights, taillights were to be smaller to fit the smaller car they were "playing" with. still the GTR looks better stay on the GTR. I saw one the other day and I thought it was a 4 door sedan with a tail.
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Joce03 8:30PM (1/12/2009)
Is this shameful plagiarism or some sort of misplaced "homage"?
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Randy 8:35PM (1/12/2009)
Simply looks like some of the po-man basterdizing I've seen on Neon's and Cavalier's around town - only on a $100,000 car.
And to think some have the nerve to diss a stock R8... Give me a break.
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Pokey 8:35PM (1/12/2009)
It's almost as ugly as a real GTR, almost.
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StickShift 8:45PM (1/12/2009)
What is more amazing to me than the looks is the fact that someone, somewhere, thinks this is awesome and wants to buy it. And they will. Amazing, isn't it?
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Mr. Luke 10:54PM (1/12/2009)
Yeah, seriously WTF!
gt-racer 8:45PM (1/12/2009)
Poor s2000 had to be donated for this sacrilegious act. This annoys me.
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gt-racer 8:46PM (1/12/2009)
^edit. I meant suzuki, I was thinking honda s2k
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exkart 9:02PM (1/12/2009)
I dunno it's not that bad, kind of better looking than some kit cars.
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J 9:22PM (1/12/2009)
Nats is the automotive college for Autobody if you guys are wondering. I dont ever think that this kit will be sold to the public. It was just a concept to show their craftmanship and their imagination.
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Red 9:34PM (1/12/2009)
This was the big trend this year. The Lambo and Ferrari were far better executed.
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SPF 9:45PM (1/12/2009)
That scared the crap out of me, d@mn. Almost gave me a heart attack.
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