Japan's burgeoning automotive industry is gearing up for
another show: the Tokyo Auto Salon, set to take place the second weekend of the
new year. And Daihatsu, for its part, isn't just bringing one concept car to
showcase – it's bringing eleven.
The Tokyo Auto Salon is a tuner expo –
Japan's equivalent, in short, to the SEMA show in Las Vegas or the Essen Motor
Show in Germany. So like any other JDM automaker, Daihatsu's lineup is based on
existing production models. Only each has been thoroughly modified along one of
four lines.
The largest and potentially most exciting of the
displays that Toyota's little brother has in store is dubbed Sporza. It
includes versions of the Copen roadster, Boon hatchback, and the Thor and Move
Canbus mini-wagons – all done up in red and black with gold wheels.
The Grand Custom takes a more refined approach to
customizing the Thor, Tanto, and Move – each of the three tall boxes rendered
in dark shades of black and grey, with blue wheels, trim, and accent lighting.
Fans of retro styling will be more enticed by the Beach Cruising series that
takes the Canbus and Boon back to another time, with light blue paint, wood
trim, and chrome wheels.
Finally the Cross Field versons of the Cast Activa
and Wake take a more outdoorsy approach, with their green paintjobs and orange
accents that would make any fan of the Subaru Crosstrek feel right at home –
albeit in much smaller form.
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