1993 Daihatsu Hijet W A/c on 2040-cars

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Daihatsu bringing retro Copen roadster, van-boat to Tokyo Auto Salon

Though its products are almost universally small (aside from its rebadged Toyota offerings), Daihatsu seems as though it'll have a fairly large presence at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon. It's highlighting eight main models with a few of them sporting some pretty extensive and cool modifications. The more interesting models are likely just concepts, but occasionally some of these customs result in production variants, such as a wild retro Honda S660 concept from a couple years ago. Copen Clubsport Daihatsu's sportiest offering of late is the Copen roadster. And it's celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The kei-class roadster (shown at top) with its turbocharged 660cc engine has received drastic styling changes that put it more inline with the original. Those changes include round, retro headlights front and rear, and a much cuter round front grille. The cuter appearance is bolstered by racier appointments such as a roll bar, side skirts, rear diffuser and red-tipped exhaust outlets. As with the current Copen and the original, it still appears to have a retractable hardtop. Performance details haven't been announced, but we wouldn't be surprised if some suspension changes have been made at the least, if not any power improvements. This is also the car that had us thinking of the aforementioned Honda S660 retro model that reached production. We'd love to see it happen, as I'm sure would enthusiasts in Japan. Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo Extend View 4 Photos Hijet Jumbo Extend Designed as a hypothetical support truck for parts and more is the Hijet Jumbo Extend. It's based on the Hijet Jumbo, the extended-cab version of the Hijet kei truck. It's been fitted with a custom van box that can be extended for housing more stuff and maybe even people. The render also indicates that it will have an easily accessible fire extinguisher in a custom mount on the outside. Matching paint and a set of Volk TE37 wheels help it have the same racing-inspired look as the Copen Clubsport. Daihatsu Atrai Wildranger View 2 Photos Atrai Wildranger The third of the highly customized Daihatsu Atrai Wildranger. The company added chunky all-terrain tires and bedliner along the bottom half of its Atrai kei van. It also has suitably outdoorsy green paint. But the big attraction is what's on the roof. While looking like the van's roof, what's actually up there is a pop-off boat. That's why there are oars on either side. So this will get you both to the river, and down it.

Daihatsu unveils 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon lineup

The Tokyo Auto Salon has been canceled for 2021 because of — you guessed it, COVID-19 — but that hasn't stopped Japan's carmakers from building some wild concepts for the event. First to reveal their lineup is Daihatsu, who brings a five-pack of whimsical kei cars to the party. For driving enthusiasts, perhaps the most compelling is the Copen Spyder Ver. The most notable thing about the standard Daihatsu Copen is the fact it utilizes a spaceframe structure that lets you easily swap out body panels to create different looks and colors for your compact roadster. This look mixes the retro look of the Copen Cero with a speedster-style half-windshield, headrest fairings, and Volk Racing TE37 wheels. However, it's not the only race-themed kei car here. The Hijet Sporza Ver. takes the same speedster concept and applies it to an otherwise mundane delivery van. It receives a chopped roof, half-windshield, and headrest nacelles too. But, Daihatsu also keeps a sense of humor about the van. The kanji on the door says "Laguna Fruits and Vegetables," a reference to Laguna Seca Raceway and the fact that these types of trucks are most often seen on the farms of rural Japan. Overlanding has been the hot topic at recent SEMA shows, so it only makes sense that Daihatsu would capitalize on the trend with a Hijet Jumbo Camper Ver. The retro design is a tribute to the second-generation Hijet, but upgraded with LED lighting, a safari rack, and bed canopy. Who's the boxy SUV that's a hit with all the outdoorsy lifestyle millennials? Taft. Who's the Daihatsu mini-crossover outfitted with rugged off-road tires? The Taft Crossfield Ver., you're damn right. Who's the kei car with a safari rack, light bar, winch and recovery points? You know I'm talkin' about Taft. Apologies to Issac Hayes. Lastly, the Daihatsu Thor Premium Ver. D-Sport is a more traditional custom. Based on the Thor kei car, it gets blingy wheels, a roof spoiler, suspension job, and a snazzy aero kit. It probably doesn't get much in the performance department due to the kei class's horsepower restrictions to 63 horsepower, but its superb space maximization and vaguely VIP-ish look would help you cruise crowded cities in comfort and style. It's not clear when the public will be able to see these cars in person but Daihatsu plans to show them at the Virtual Auto Salon in early January. Featured Gallery Daihatsu Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon Daihatsu

A Daihatsu kei fire truck is making friends all over San Francisco

We have some bad news. Those of you rocking your imported Nissan Skylines and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions have been doing it all wrong. If you want to actually make friends and influence people, the JDM car to drive is a 1990 Daihatsu Hijet fire truck. Todd Lappin already has a Skyline, but if Instagram accounts are any measure of success, it's his tiny red kei-class emergency vehicle that gets all the attention. Strangers want to take photos with it, kids want to play with it, and it stands out at any car show. He imported it last year from a small Japanese ski resort town to San Francisco. "The best analogy is walking down the street with a puppy," Lappin told the San Francisco Chronicle, "in the way that everybody becomes their nicest, sweetest, best-behaved self. Doesn’t matter — men, women, young, old. They stop and laugh and have kind of a confused look on their faces." The truck is named Kiri, after its original home of Kirigamine, located in Nagano Prefecture. According to Lappin, the whole town's population is only a couple hundred people. The fire department there was all volunteer, and the truck has only accumulated about 4,000 miles on it since new. After it was decommissioned, Lappin bought it at auction for "almost nothing." Vehicles are federally eligible for import if they 25 years old, a vestige of when Mercedes-Benz lobbied the U.S. government to restrict European imports of its cheaper models.  Because it was built to meet kei specifications, the truck has a 660cc engine churning out 63 horsepower. However, it was never meant for freeway cruising, just around-town hustling. Lappin told the SF Chronicle the Hijet tops out at around 60 mph on the highway, but "it sprints up San Francisco hills like you wouldnÂ’t believe." The truck arrived stripped of its fire equipment, but Lappin reassembled what it needed to become a functioning firefighting tool again. The truck doesn't carry its own water tank. Instead, its onboard pump allows the hose to be plopped into any water source, using an old-school wicker filter to strain out any debris. When asked whether the truck could put out a fire, Lappin mentions that it will live in Somona part-time. Located about an hour north of the city, it's an area that has seen its share of wildfires in recent years.