3 Cars You Can’t Miss From the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon

While the Detroit Motor Show rages on in the US (we’ll be back next week with more coverage), the Tokyo Auto Salon is quickly drawing to a close, and we haven’t yet had an opportunity to share our favorite finds from the show. Yesterday we showcased some really neat aftermarket concepts from Subaru, but there’s oh so much more to see.

As you continue reading, you’ll get a look at three of our favorite Japanese cars from this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.

Honda Vezel Mugen Concept

This Vezel-based concept is a semi-quirky racer customized by M-TEC (aka. Mugen) in celebration of their performance in the SUPER GT 300 class in the last Super Formula series. It’s a conventional JDM Vezel fit with Mugen parts, including an off-the-wall bodykit, upgraded brakes and suspension, sleek 20-inch alloys and a sporty interior.

Toyota Mark X GRMN

What we have here is a conventional Toyota Mark X that’s been modified by Toyota-affiliated racing firm GAZOO Racing, known by the acronym GRMN. The firm made a number of aesthetic improvements, including a subtle body kit with a rear spoiler and 19-inch alloys, a revised interior with sport seats and steering wheel, plus plenty of carbon fiber trim. But the truly noteworthy improvement here is the new powertrain, which GRMN borrowed from the current Lexus IS 350. So, you get a 3.5L V6 paired with a 6-speed manual, which delivers a full 316hp and 280 lb-ft of torque.

Only 100 units of the Toyota Mark X GRMN will be sold, and they’ll start at about $45,000.

Toyota brought a total of 34 concepts to the Tokyo Auto Salon from a number of different tuning firms. Our other favorite would have to be the GRMN GT86 Concept, seen above.

Nissan GT-R Nismo N Attack Package

Much like Toyota, Nissan brought multiple NISMO-tuned models to the Tokyo Auto Salon, but none more eye-catching than the Nissan GT-R NISMO N Attack Package. This is the exact same car that achieved a record lap time for volume production cars of 7 minutes and 8.679 seconds on the Nürburgring last year.

NISMO showcased two versions of the GT-R kit; the N Attack Package A – an identical model to the Nurburgring record-setter – and the N Attack Package B – which is toned down a bit for daily driving.

Japanese Car Auction Find – 2015 Honda Vezel

Since we’ve already showcased multiple Nissan GT-R and Toyota GT86 Japanese car auction finds (even a Toyota Mark X), we thought today would be a good time to showcase the new Honda Vezel crossover. What you see here is a brand-new 2015MY with near zero miles on the odometer.

The Vezel has been a huge hit in Japan, and for good reason. It’s a reliable Honda with above-average styling for the stereotypically plain-looking automaker. The Vezel is well-primed to take the place of the CR-V as Honda drivers’ go-to crossover, and you’ll find several models in various colors up for auction in Japan. When  you log into our Integrity Exports database, all you have to do is select Honda as the manufacturer and Vezel as the model, and within seconds you’ll have a list of over 20 models (at time of writing) to choose from.

For more information about this particular model, keep reading below the auction sheet for a translation of this car’s specs.

“Grade S, interior A, first registered January 2015, Hybrid Z Navi S Package, original alloy wheels, power steering, power windows, airbags, cruise control, smart key, rear view reversing camera, AT, AC, service book, spare key, hole where stereo has been removed, marks as per map”