Photo: NATS
We've learned something really important this year. If you want any cool car to be butchered and still be interesting, you've got to call on the help of NATS, the Nihon Automotive College.
Among other things, they've made a Urus pickup out of a Toyota GT 86, turned the RX-8 into a wacky concept and are also doing Hanibal Lector things to the Suzuki Jimny. On second thought, the Supra convertible looks to be rendered the same way, so it's probably their work too.
In any case, this is a safari-inspired Suzuki Jimny that's being put together for next month's Tokyo Auto Salon. And the first thing you need to know about it is that it's not actually a Suzuki Jimny.
Instead, the crossover choppers started their work with an old Lapin kei car from the same brand. This might be the reason it looks so small, not that the JDM Jimny is big.
With rugged looks, a removable rear body and no door, the project is an obvious tribute to another classic off-roader, the Land Cruiser Defender. However, there's obviously something weird going on with the suspension. A low-rider obviously wouldn't work when running from a bunch of angry elephants, but it wouldn't be Japanese tuning without the hellaflush look.
As you can see from the preview photos, the old Lapin was chopped up at the front pillar and most of the bodywork from the Jimny was grafted on. Right now, it looks like a convertible, which makes you wonder where the top will come from.
For the wheels, NATS chose 15-inch off-road ones from Dean Cross Country and wrapped them in 165/50 R15 rubber. That sounds pretty small, but with only about 50 horsepower from a 0.66-liter engine, traction really isn't an issue. Stay tuned for more projects like this.
In any case, this is a safari-inspired Suzuki Jimny that's being put together for next month's Tokyo Auto Salon. And the first thing you need to know about it is that it's not actually a Suzuki Jimny.
Instead, the crossover choppers started their work with an old Lapin kei car from the same brand. This might be the reason it looks so small, not that the JDM Jimny is big.
With rugged looks, a removable rear body and no door, the project is an obvious tribute to another classic off-roader, the Land Cruiser Defender. However, there's obviously something weird going on with the suspension. A low-rider obviously wouldn't work when running from a bunch of angry elephants, but it wouldn't be Japanese tuning without the hellaflush look.
As you can see from the preview photos, the old Lapin was chopped up at the front pillar and most of the bodywork from the Jimny was grafted on. Right now, it looks like a convertible, which makes you wonder where the top will come from.
For the wheels, NATS chose 15-inch off-road ones from Dean Cross Country and wrapped them in 165/50 R15 rubber. That sounds pretty small, but with only about 50 horsepower from a 0.66-liter engine, traction really isn't an issue. Stay tuned for more projects like this.
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