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Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors.

The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn.

Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.

Toyota dominated the show with its factory-tuned cars, spearheaded by the turbocharged G's FT-86 G Sports concept. Joining it was a carbon-clad Club Sport version of the Lexus IS-F with carbon brakes and a 400-hp sports-car hybrid concept based on the MR2, which could see production in the next two years.

1. TOYOTA GR MN IQ SUPERCHARGER CONCEPT

Toyota's sports-car craze--at least in Japan--has reached down the company's lineup to the tiny iQ city car. This GR MN concept not only injects some serious aggression into the looks of the pocket-sized Toyota, but it also boosts performance of its 1.3-liter motor thanks to a bolt-on supercharger. Brabus Smart, look out.



Dino Dalle Carbonare

2. G'S TOYOTA FT-86 G SPORTS CONCEPT

Toyota's in-house tuner G's stole the show with this turbocharged version of the FT-86 concept. This iteration of the joint Toyota-Subaru project gains a sharper front end with a large central opening to feed the intercooler efficiently. Carbon touches such as the front lip spoiler, vented hood and side mirrors are great for enticing the younger sports-car buyer, but it's the rear wing that really stands out, sporting an almost identical design to a Toyota Formula One race car's front spoiler.



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3. VALUE PROGRESS DRAGSTAR F1

The DragStar F1 might look like a wild street-going F1 racer, but underneath all that custom bodywork is a highly modified Toyota MR2 chassis. Value Progress grabbed third place in the Salon's concept-car category with this creation.



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4. BRANEW TOYOTA PRIUS

With the evident shift toward the eco-friendly hybrid, premium body-kit manufacturer Branew designed a series of parts that help give a subtle yet aggressive tone to the Prius. The kit features a sculpted front spoiler and side skirts, a substantial drop in ride height and large wheels.



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5. CUSTOM PLUS CONCEPT TOYOTA PRIUS

Want your Prius to look like a Lamborghini Revent


By Dino Dalle Carbonare