The 100+ Weirdest and Most Wonderful Japanese Cars Ever Produced

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.com

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! 

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. 

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. 

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.    

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.  

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.com

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.   

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.com

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.     

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. 

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.

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. 

Year Made: 1989
Estimated Cost: Unknown*

When most of us think of the ‘80s, we think of style decisions that should never have seen the light of day. However, Nissan was busy creating a new concept car in 1989 that looks like it should’ve been born in 2017. The Nissan Boga debuted at the Tokyo Auto Show, much to the delight of attendees.

Nissan Boga @Only9built / Twitter.com

In many ways, the Boga was way ahead of its time. Not only was the silhouette purposely designed to give passengers extra space, but the car even came with fingerprint sensors to allow easy access. Sensors like this are prevalent now, but 30 years ago this was a mind-altering feature. Sadly, the Boga never went into mass production.

Year Made: 2014
Estimated Cost: $13,000*

Hello Kitty has a long history, first popping up onto the scene in 1974. The small cartoon cat has managed to maintain a huge fan base as the decades have ticked by. Some supporters love the character so much that they’ve even dedicated their cars to it. This particular motor looks more like a moving shrine than a vehicle. 

Hello Kitty Car @ILUVDOGS4LIFE / Pinterest.com

You can buy Hello Kitty merch on tons of websites, including Amazon, but it looks like this car owner has even reupholstered the seats to match. While we’re not sure exactly what model this particular cruiser is, Mitsubishi released a special edition Hello Kitty car in 2014 for $13,400 per unit. 

Year Made: 1996-2001
Estimated Cost: $5,600*

Some cars stumble onto the scene and leave jaws agape thanks to their sleek appeal and high specs, while others come and leave a decidedly smaller, yet still palpable, impression. The Daihatsu Midget first hit the market back in the ‘50s, sticking around until production ended in the ‘70s. 

Daihatsu Midget II ©Mytho88 / Pinterest.com

Thankfully for fans of the low-cost three-wheeler, mark II was released in 1996. This time, the Midget was still tiny, but had four wheels and was more van-shaped. For a small car the design proved popular, especially in the densely populated urban areas where parking is often difficult. 

Year Made: Unknown
Estimated Cost: Unknown*

Deciding what color to paint your van can be a laborious process, but there’s one shade that never goes out of style: pink. The owner of this tricked-out transporter clearly got the memo, but they didn’t stop at a little pop of fuschia. 

Pink Van @buzzfeed / Pinterest.com

The oddly-shaped pointed bonnet, the modified wheels, and the pipes all create a truly eye-catching spectacle that won’t be missed at any car meet. Wallflowers wouldn’t want to get behind the wheel of this, but a Jetson might. Don’t be surprised if you see a flying alien tailing just behind.