We love a badass VIP build. Fancy luxury saloons dropped on big rims, what’s not to like?
Known domestically as ‘bippu’ (Japanese for ‘very important person’), VIP-style originated with the Yakuza: the bosses of organised crime syndicates wanted big flashy cars.
However, they knew that rival gangs and the police would be immediately suspicious to see them in European luxury cruisers, so instead of rolling in top-flight BMWs, Mercedes or Rolls-Royces, they set about up-speccing JDM cars like the Toyota Crown and the Nissan Gloria.
It’s become a real cult thing, and aftermarket tuners are just as on it with brand new models as they are with old-school limos… just check out what Wald International has been up to with the new Toyota Century!
Those fat 22-inch rims sit in the arches with absolutely zero gap, and the bodykit features a deeper chin spoiler, rear diffuser and sideskirts all wearing classy stainless steel trim. And with that 5.0-litre V8 with twin electric motors, you won’t have any trouble haring away from the throwing stars…
Words Dan Bevis