15 images: The heavily (but tastefully) modified cars of Tokyo Auto Salon 2016

Japan is truly a car lover’s paradise. And that’s not just because many of today’s best automakers are from the Land of the Rising Sun, but more so because this country has the most vibrant car culture on the face of the earth. And this motoring passion is celebrated yearly via Tokyo Auto Salon, a car show dedicated to the aftermarket industry and its myriad of new products and technologies.

If we had a choice, we’d attend this event instead of the relatively pedestrian Tokyo Motor Show, which features stock production vehicles. But unless an aftermarket client of ours brings us along, we won’t get to visit the annual aftermarket exhibit.

Thankfully, friends or readers sometimes get to go, and they’re kind enough to share their photos with us. For the Tokyo Auto Salon 2016–held this past weekend (January 15-17) at Makuhari Messe–we know someone who went to Japan just for the show. Struan Wallace, Ian King’s partner and videographer at Car Porn Racing, took these drool-worthy images at the three-day event.

What can we say? The Japanese really know how to mod their cars. You could say they’re over-the-top, but that’s the point: They leave no stones unturned in transforming their rides. They set trends, not follow them. They innovate, not copy. And you can bet many of the things they introduced in this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon will make their way into the garages of tuners around the world.

Enjoy the photos!

Photos by Struan Wallace