The journey to our industry's mecca will cost you nearly $600 for a roundtrip air ticket and almost 10 restless hours, most of which you'll spend staring at the seatback in front of you or trying to get the headphone jack working while Kirstin Dunst's worst theatrical effort (that's Wimbledon, in case you felt like making it a Blockbuster night) plays on the projector screen just 100 feet away. But such is the price to pay if you're to set foot into the convention halls of the Makuhari Messe, home to the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan's premiere aftermarket specialty show, consequently the place where the hottest trends are born and made famous. While TAS showed signs of disappointment in '04, this year's event stayed true to the idea of quality over quantity.
Before we even stepped out of the Narita International Airport, the biggest buzz for the Tokyo Auto Salon was Top Secret Japan's Skyline CV35 infused with a Nissan Cima VK45 4.5L V-8 powertrain instead of the original VQ35DE. (Story alert! See our cover feature elsewhere this issue.) Although that type of engine conversion sounds a bit outlandish, it's just what we've come to expect from Nagata-san, particularly since he feels the next generation Skyline GT-R may come with such an engine platform. Top Secret's efforts netted them the Top Award for the Tuner Car category (for all the euro trash fans, Top Secret also built an BMW E36 for the D1GP). Other hot Nissan Skyline V35s included the second Top Secret widebody in the Rays Engineering booth and Signal Auto's, whose radically painted looks and SR20DET power drew plenty of attention all weekend long. Signal assures us that we'll be seeing that car here shortly for a few drift events.
C-West, who until recently had only enjoyed underground success from a select few U.S. sources, announced that it will now open a U.S. office this year. It also has plans to have its carbon-fiber S2000 circuit car and Super Taikyu Fairlady Z compete at a couple stateside races, including our next Time Attack. Though plenty of cars stuck with the proven J-style graphics schemes (colorful and chrome is huge!) or bright paint jobs, we found the wildest examples to be Weld Racing's carbon-fiber body Prelude and Falken Tires' chrome-painted S15 Silvia convertible. The Weld Racing Prelude is covered completely from front to back with a fresh, bright-silver carbon skin, and underneath its suicide hood is an H22 fitted with individual throttle bodies. With a near stock SR20DET, the S15 Silvia showcased in the Falken booth had been converted to drop-top status along with a full chrome paint job, custom audio/interior work, and vertical doors.
Continuing with its dynamic motorsports legacy was M-TEC, better known as Mugen, which last time placed its efforts into the K20, R-powered Honda Fit Dynamite. This year, along with the release of more performance products for the K-series, Mugen unveiled its LM Legend Max concept vehicle, a Le Mans-inspired creation that focuses around the "potential of a racing engine" as a "future racing dream car" design study model, according to Mugen. Using the MF408S Le Mans engine as its power source, this 90-inch, 4,000cc V-8 delivers a roundhouse kick to your balls with 590 hp at 9,500rpm and 383 lb-ft at 7,500rpm utilizing its 33.4mm (two) or 46.8mm (one) restrictors as well as a carbon, four-plate clutch to transfer power to the 18x9.5 alloy wheels. The interior houses custom Mugen driving seats (prototype as of now), foot pedals, and steering wheel, while on the rear trunk sits a carbon spoiler. Mugen's LM Legend Max, our top pick of the show, also took home top honors at the Tokyo Auto Salon awards ceremony.