Tokyo Auto Salon 2009: The best from TAS, but first...

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Tuners, Japan, Nissan, Suzuki, Tokyo Auto Salon

Click above for a gallery of the NATS GT-K

With the Detroit Auto Show finally winding down, we can turn our attention to the east (or west, depending on your continental perspective) to take in the motoring madness and engineering wizardry coming out of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Each year, Japan's top tuners descend on the Makuhari Messe to show their wares to the public and press, and with over a year to develop, modify and produce components for the Mitsubishi Evolution X, Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the new darling of the aftermarket scene - the Nissan GT-R - this year's show had the potential to trump anything we've seen out of Tokyo in the last decade. By many accounts, it did, and with the help of Autoblog Chinese and some of our favorite JDM-obsessed sites, we'll be bringing you the best TAS has to offer.

Since we'll be focusing almost exclusively on the products that make you go faster and stick harder, we'll get the weird out of the way right now. Behold the NATS GT-K. Captured by our friends at LeBlogAuto, the GT-K is based on the Suzuki Cappuccino, and aside from the GT-R duds, the Kei car features a modified version of the 657cc DOHC inline-three equipped with a larger turbo and intercooler, along with a coilover suspension, upgraded brakes and a set of gloriously hideous 18-inch chrome wheels. We were able to keep our dinner down long enough to look at NATS' 911-inspired Cappuccino, at which point we grabbed the nearest trash can and heaved away. Ambition: 1. Execution: 0. More to follow. Stay tuned...

Gallery: NATS GT-K

Tokyo Auto Salon 2009: The best from TAS, but first... originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Superchargers

A supercharger with part of the inside exposed

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Turbochargers

A turbocharger with the inside exposed

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The exterior has only two main aesthetic issues, namely the lack of rocker trim (we have it, he couldn't figure out how to reinstall it after taking it off) and the peeling of the black tape below the window. The interior has the typical crack on the dash but is in surprisingly fresh condition. The fake leather seating is soft, not crackly, and gives an impression of being kept in a garage and well-treated most of its life. In all of the seats there's only one tiny puncture we've seen. There's a small bit of rust near the back window inside below the gasket that needs to be corrected and repainted, but it's the only area of visible rust we've seen on the car.

Mechanically, it seems in great condition (we'll learn more when we take it apart). The condenser seized so the a/c doesn't work, but that's a problem we're going to remedy come springtime. The engine runs without complaint. Shifts are smooth. The suspension handles bumps like a car of 8 years not 22.

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