Tag Archives: Toyota

Tuning

Suzuki Jimny Gets a Toyota Makeover—Sort Of

Suzuki’s pint-sized adventurer, the Jimny, has always marched to the beat of its own drum. Despite Suzuki’s long-standing partnership with Toyota—which has spawned a handful of rebadged models—the little off-roader has remained proudly independent. Until now.

Enter ill Garage, a Japanese tuner with a mischievous sense of humor and an eye for design mashups. Their latest project, dubbed the CH:AMP conversion, takes the Jimny and gives it a front-end transplant inspired by Toyota’s utilitarian Hilux Champ pickup—also known as the Rangga, Stout, or Tamaraw, depending on the market. And if you squint just right, you might even catch a hint of Toyota’s new baby Land Cruiser FJ in the mix.

What’s in a Face?

Up front, the CH:AMP swaps out the Jimny’s familiar round-eyed stare for rectangular headlights, a chunky two-piece bumper, and a simple, boxy grille. The result looks equal parts rugged and retro—more budget Toyota than boutique Suzuki. Every element is finished in black to play nice with the contrasting roof and widened fenders of the demo car, which also sits slightly lower thanks to a set of 1.5-inch (38 mm) lowering springs.

Adding to the show-truck flair are dummy towing hooks, chunky all-terrain tires, and aftermarket wheels. It’s the kind of visual trickery that might make you look twice in a Tokyo parking lot—only to realize that, legally speaking, it’s not quite a Toyota. To make that crystal clear, the tuner stamped “CH:AMP” in big red letters across the grille. A tongue-in-cheek move, perhaps, but also a smart one to keep Toyota’s legal team at bay.

Retro Inside, Too

Inside, ill Garage offers a pair of retro seat cover options in Cognac Brown or Charcoal Black, mixing leather and braided inserts for an old-school vibe. Rear seatback pockets add a touch of practical charm—something any small SUV owner can appreciate.

Two (and a Half) Jimnys Walk into a Garage…

The CH:AMP treatment fits both the three-door Jimny Sierra and the stretched five-door Jimny Nomad, but the narrower kei-spec Jimny sold in Japan doesn’t make the cut. Customers can order individual parts à la carte or go all-in with a factory-style pre-converted Jimny, new or used, delivered straight from ill Garage.

How Much for the Fun?

Pricing starts at ¥360,800 ($2,300) for the base setup with halogen lights, or ¥386,100 ($2,500) if you want LEDs. Paint and installation are extra. From there, the options list reads like a candy shop for modders:

  • Lowering springs: ¥55,000 ($350)
  • Dummy towing hooks: ¥49,000 ($320)
  • Real towing hooks: ¥98,000 ($640)
  • Baja-style fog lights: ¥165,000 ($1,100)
  • Rugged rear bumper: ¥132,000 ($860)
  • Sport muffler: ¥66,000 ($430)
  • Seat covers: ¥85,800 ($560)

Add it all up and you’re still looking at less than the cost of a mild Wrangler option package—but with ten times the personality.

Not a Toyota Fan? No Problem.

If Toyota styling isn’t your flavor, ill Garage also offers a Ford Bronco–inspired Jimny conversion. Either way, it’s proof that the aftermarket hasn’t lost its sense of humor—or creativity.

The CH:AMP might not make your Jimny faster, but it definitely makes it harder to ignore. And in a world where individuality is often crushed by badge engineering, a face-swap like this feels refreshingly cheeky.

Source: ill Garage

NEW CARS

Toyota Kids Mobi: The EV That Lets Your Kid “Drive” Before You Hand Over the Keys

Toyota’s booth at this year’s Japan Mobility Show felt more like a Pixar movie set than an auto expo. Between spider-like delivery bots and a six-wheeled Lexus minivan, the automaker’s lineup brimmed with ideas that could’ve rolled straight out of an animated future. But among all the robotics and rolling oddities, one little pod stole the spotlight — and plenty of hearts.

Meet the Toyota Kids Mobi, a self-driving, bubble-shaped EV designed exclusively for children. Framed as “safe and secure AI-powered personal mobility for kids,” it’s equal parts toy, tech showcase, and sci-fi fantasy brought to life.

The design looks like it was dreamt up by a team of engineers and preschoolers in equal measure. The smooth, pod-like body hides its wheels inside rounded fenders, and the front end wears animated LED “eyes” that blink and smile. Even the roof-mounted sensors are shaped like ears, giving the whole thing the charm of a cartoon sidekick.

Lift the upward-swinging canopy, and inside sits a snug single seat tailored for children up to 130 cm tall (about 4 feet 3 inches). Once your future commuter climbs in, the canopy seals shut and the car’s built-in AI companion — adorably dubbed the UX Friend — springs to life. The assistant chats, tells stories, and plays games during the ride, turning every trip into something between a lesson in autonomy and a Pixar short.

Despite being fully autonomous, the Kids Mobi still lets kids “participate” in the drive — a subtle way of giving them a sense of control without actually handing over any. “It’s not just adults who want to drive and enjoy some time to themselves,” Toyota explains. “Kids also want freedom of mobility. And just as adults have cars, kids deserve a trusty sidekick.”

Letting a child roll off solo in an AI-powered pod might sound like a Black Mirror episode waiting to happen, but Toyota insists the system’s goal is safety. In fact, the company argues that, one day, autonomous pods like this could be safer than a traditional school bus.

Of course, the Kids Mobi remains very much a concept — part of what Toyota calls the “ultimate goal” of its AI x Robotics Data Center. Translation: this is a research platform, not a production promise. But that doesn’t make it any less fascinating.

And the fun doesn’t stop there. Just a few feet away on the show floor, Toyota also unveiled Chibibo, a four-legged delivery robot with all the personality of a mechanical puppy. Designed to trot alongside people or vehicles, it can carry small parcels — or even a kid’s backpack — up stairs and through narrow alleys. When it’s not hauling, it crouches down in a resting pose like a loyal robotic pet.

If Toyota’s vision pans out, the next generation of school drop-offs could look a lot different: your kid zipping off in a bubble EV with their robot companion trailing behind. Until then, Kids Mobi is parked firmly in the concept zone — though show visitors can climb inside for a photo op and take home an exclusive keychain.

For now, it’s equal parts whimsical and weird, but unmistakably Toyota: always a few steps (and wheels, and legs) ahead in imagining how mobility might look when even the kids get their own ride.

Source: Toyota

News

Toyota’s Homecoming Showdown: Rally Japan Set to Crown a Champion

Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team returns home this week with everything to play for and everything to celebrate. Rally Japan (November 6–9) isn’t just the final act of another long, bruising World Rally Championship season—it’s a victory lap for the team that’s already clinched its fifth straight manufacturers’ title, and a pressure cooker for the three drivers still locked in a knife-edge battle for the ultimate prize.

A Championship on a Razor’s Edge

Elfyn Evans arrives in Toyota City with a 13-point lead over his two heavyweight teammates: eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier and the prodigiously quick Kalle Rovanperä. The pair are tied for second after Rovanperä’s slick performance on the asphalt of Central Europe, setting up a finale that feels like a championship-deciding kart race in rally-sized chaos.

Evans has history on his side. He’s won the last two editions of Rally Japan, leading a Toyota 1-2-3 last year and a one-two finish the year before. But the Welshman knows better than anyone that Japanese tarmac is no playground. The stages—twisting, claustrophobic, hemmed in by dense forest—leave little room for error. “It’s not an easy rally,” Evans said. “Even when it’s dry, the margin for error is tiny. You just have to stay clean and keep your focus through what feels like an endless stream of corners.”

Ogier, ever the methodical tactician, is chasing one last push after a frustrating Central European round. “These roads are incredibly demanding,” he noted. “Narrow, technical, and with weather that can turn everything upside down. But we still have the speed—and the motivation—to fight for this one.”

Rovanperä, meanwhile, is approaching Japan with his trademark cool confidence. “The fans here are amazing,” he said. “I’m feeling really good with the car on asphalt, and hopefully we can keep that momentum. It’s going to be a fight to the finish.”

A Rally with Heart—and History

Since its return to the WRC calendar in 2022, Rally Japan has developed a reputation for being beautiful and brutal in equal measure. The event snakes through the mountain roads of Aichi and Gifu prefectures, near Nagoya, with stages so tight that the co-drivers’ pacenotes sometimes sound like medical instructions.

The service park, once again set at Toyota Stadium, will be the beating heart of the weekend. Thursday’s shakedown at Kuragaike Park opens the action before a full-blown welcome show in Toyota City. From there, the rally dives deep into the forest stages—Inabu/Shitara, Shinshiro, and Isegami’s Tunnel—before new sections like Obara and a Toyota City super special keep things unpredictable.

It’s a layout that tests precision as much as bravery. Crews who survive the narrow asphalt ribbons will end the rally near Okazaki on Sunday, with the championship still possibly hanging in the balance.

Home Heroes and Rising Stars

For local hero Takamoto Katsuta, Rally Japan is personal. The 32-year-old has carried the hopes of Japanese fans since Toyota’s return to the WRC, and he’s already shown his capability with a podium finish in 2022. “It’s my home rally—it means everything,” Katsuta said. “After our result in Central Europe, I’m confident we can push for something special here.”

He’ll be joined by Sami Pajari, stepping up to Rally1 machinery for the first time after taking the WRC2 title last year on these very roads. “These stages demand precision,” Pajari said. “They’re narrow, twisty, and unlike anywhere else in the championship.”

And then there’s the army of GR Yaris Rally2 entries—eight in total—making up more than half of the Rally2 field. Leading that charge is this year’s WRC2 champion, Oliver Solberg, alongside Spanish squad Teo Martín Motorsport and Japanese regulars including national champion Heikki Kovalainen, proving again that Toyota’s rally roots run deep, from global stars to grassroots icons.

A Celebration in Motion

Deputy Team Principal Juha Kankkunen, a rally legend himself, summed up the mood: “Rally Japan is always special for us. This year we go there with the manufacturers’ title already secured, but the fight between our drivers is still wide open. Any of them could win—and that’s exactly how we like it.”

In other words: don’t expect anyone to take it easy. With Toyota already crowned champion, Rally Japan isn’t about protecting points anymore—it’s about pride, precision, and maybe a little payback between teammates. On the slippery mountain roads outside Nagoya, every corner could write the next chapter of WRC history.

Source: Toyota