No coverage of Tokyo Auto Salon would be complete without a look at one of the most popular parts of the show, the vans. These fixed-up people movers are becoming even more popular in Japan as people grow families and move into more practical vehicles. The number of vans or van-like vehicles on sale here is staggering, with most makers offering several different vans. You can check my old 101 post for more on Japan's vanning movement. These customized vans might be overlooked by a lot of the foreign visitors to Auto Salon, but a closer look will reveal some really cool stuff.For example, take the turbocharged RB1 Honda Odyssey seen above. This is thing is just as cool as anything else at the show. Besides the turbocharged motor, this Odyssey is equipped with Tein suspension, Brembo brakes, 19" Prodrive GC-05K wheels, Mugen aero parts plus a carbon hood and front fenders from Takero's. Interior modifications include standard vanning goods like custom leather Recaros and a full in-car entertainment system playing Namie Amuro music videos on and endless loop. The build was done by Style Cockpit Hachioji and displayed in the Bridgestone booth.
One of the popular models at TAS '09 was the Mazda Biante, a JDM-only van that debuted last year. Mazda had a few customized examples in their booth, including this version done by Wagonist Magazine. It's sad that stuff like this will probably never make it outside of the Japanese market. Check out how cool the Biante's stock headlights look.
The new JDM Odyssey hasn't been on sale for long, but a few customized examples are already turning up. This one is from H-Style. Honda didn't want to mess with success, so the styling of the new Odyssey isn't a huge change from the old model. Good choice.
