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Japan has established a reputation for being the most prominent country in the world for technological innovation. From smart devices to unusual vending machines, Japanese companies are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the game. When it comes to the automotive industry, it’s no different.
Huge car manufacturers like Toyota have been working tirelessly over the years, producing some very interesting vehicles. Some concept cars from decades ago even predict the future with astonishing accuracy – while other custom whips are so mind-blowing it’s almost impossible. One thing is for sure – Japan’s highways are never dull.
1. Suzuki EVe-Survivor
Year Made: 2017
Estimated Cost: Unknown
This innovative SUV is, as the name suggests, electric. It has an electric motor in each of the four wheels, making it a four-wheel drive. It’s compact and convertible and has full off-road capabilities.
Suzuki EV e-Survivor @motor1com / Pinterest
The car boasts futuristic car entertainment with screens built into the steering wheel as well as the lower part of the windscreen (sounds dangerous!). It even has speakers and air conditioners built into the seats. The design was created with the future in mind, and it certainly reflects an interesting future!
2. Toyota Concept-i
Year Made: 2017
Estimated Cost: $*
The concept I-ride was developed with car sharing in mind. Automated, this car allows for safe and secure driving. Just like at the game arcade, this car is operated by a joystick rather than a steering wheel and pedals. So all that time playing video games is about to finally pay off!
Toyota Concept-i @JohnFritman / Twitter.com
The joystick controls to ensure that this car is also wheelchair friendly, featuring gull-wing doors to make it easy to enter and exit. The seat moves to allow seamless transfer from seat to wheelchair and there is ample room for the wheelchair itself.
3. Flesby II
Year Made: 2017
Estimated Cost: Undisclosed
Car and Driver described this concept car as the “undulating airbag car,” which looks like it came straight out of a “Teletubby nightmare.” They have a point, as the Flesby II is certainly unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The Flesby II, despite its strange appearance, is perhaps one of the safest concept cars out there.
Flesby II @KarlSmithStudio / Twitter.com
The rubbery exterior is made of a proprietary polymer called “e-rubber,” according to Toyoda Gosei. The skin of the car is “activated” when the driver is in a collision. The interior of the car is almost cocoon-like, with a soft lining. Electrical currents run through the exterior, and it’s assumed the car will run on electricity as well. Gosei imagines it will be on lots by 2030.
4. Daihatsu Wake
Year Made: 2014-Present
Estimated Cost: $12,853-$18,046* (New)
This Kei car has been produced since 2014, and it is still in production today. The Daihatsu Wake, which is also called the Pixis Mega and Hijet Caddie, depending on where you live, is based on the Deca Deca, a concept car show at the Tokyo Motor Shows in 2009 and 2013. It has the highest interior cabin height in the Kei class.
Daihatsu Wake @importrev / Facebook.com
The Wake gets 72/60 miles to the gallon according to its makers, which is astounding. The van version of the Wake, called the Hijet Caddie, can carry 331 pounds of weight. Auto Evolution called the Wake’s unique appearance “ultra-cute,” and we have to agree.
5. Honda PUYO
Year Made: 2007
Estimated Cost: Undisclosed
Honda unveiled the PUYO, which it described as a “seamless soft box,” at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2008. This fuel-cell concept vehicle glowed in the dark, and, even when it was daylight, it was still an unmistakable neon green. The propulsion came from a fuel cell that kept with the Honda theme of “endless joy…on our earth.”
Honda PUYO @UltimativCars / Twitter.com
The PUYO, which got its name from a Japanese onomatopoeia, was part of a series of Honda tech designed to reduce CO2 emissions and “address environmental issues.” The unique-looking vehicle did not get a production version, but there’s no denying that the eco-friendly tech behind it had an impact in later, more conventional Hondas.
6. Yanki Race Car
Year Made: 1980s-Present
Estimated Cost: Varies
This one isn’t a specific model so much as it is a class of cars. “Yanki” cars are race cars that have gone through some pretty wacky stylistic modifications, including bright paint, huge exhaust pipes, and weird front bumpers. These Yanki Race Cars might sound like they’re based on “Yankee,” but they’re not.
Yanki Race Car @deathhill2000 / Pinterest
They’re actually based on “Yanki” subculture, which was popular in the eighties and nineties in Japan. Yanki was the style of students considered “delinquents.” They’d shave their eyebrows, alter their uniforms, and wear pompadours or punch perms. Yankis were similar to the West’s punk rock movement. Though Yankis have died down, the Yanki Race Cars have not.
7. Toyota HiAce
Year Made: 1967-Present
Estimated Cost: $53,442*
The Toyota HiAce (which is pronounced “High Ace”) is a commercial van that is designed for light-duty. It has been around since the 1960s, and it entered into its sixth generation in 2019. It’s sold in Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, and Thailand. The HiAce has been available in pretty much any body configuration you can think of.
Toyota Hiace @scotttouponse / Pinterest
Toyota has released the HiAce as an ambulance, taxi, pickup truck, crew van, panel van, minivan, and even a minibus. In Japan, you can only find HiAce at Toyopet Stores. The van has come a long way since its early iteration as a tiny van designed as a one-box.
8. Toyota Publica Sport
Year Made: 1961-1978
Estimated Cost: $8,625*
The Toyota Publica is a small car that was made in the sixties and seventies before Toyota pulled it. It was a family car designed to fit the Japanese Government’s requirement of a “national car concept.” At the time, it was the smallest car that Toyota had ever designed until the Starlet was released.
Toyota Publica Sports @CarsCafePage / Twitter.com
The Publica was a two-door vehicle, and it came in a selection of body styles, including a pickup, coupe, convertible, and station wagon. The Toyota Publica Sport, which is now marketed as the Toyota Sports 800, was the first sports car to reach production from the Japanese automaker.
9. Toyota EX-III
Year Made: 1969
Estimated Cost: Undisclosed
Old concept cars from the past are always interesting to look at, as they were often representations of how people in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s thought today’s times would look. The Toyota EX III was such a concept car. It debuted in 1969 at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota EX-III @DaytonToyotaNJ / Twitter.com
The EX III has two predecessors. The EX III was essentially the big brother to those earlier versions, with an even larger, more aerodynamic body that was low-slung with no bumper. The long bonnet, tapered rear, and sharply-sloped sides were even more enhanced. The huge exhaust pipes hint at a gas turbine, but Toyota never released details on the engine.
10. Batman Van
Year Made: Unknown
Estimated Cost: Unknown*
Given how immensely customized this van is, it’s impossible to tell what once lay underneath it. In many ways, that’s the genius behind Japan’s thriving custom car scene. Normal models are taken and transformed to the nth degree, making them unrecognizable.
Batman Van @DecorHoMEDotcom / Youtube.com
In this case, the inspiration for the design was taken from Batman, combining the purple and yellow trademark colors of the Joker to create something out of this world. It’s difficult to fathom that this car is even driveable, but it is. It certainly wouldn’t look out of place in a AT&T Batman feature.