Things don’t get much more practical than a large minivan retrofitted with an extended rear bed
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by Thanos Pappas
2 hours ago
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by Thanos Pappas
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Over the years we have seen many wild pickup conversions but the latest project from Nihon Automobile College in Japan is easily among the top five. The NATS Alphard Super Dually Truck is based on the popular Toyota minivan, adding the extra practicality of a pickup bed.
The official debut of the one-off model is scheduled to take place at the Tokyo Auto Salon on January 13, but NATS has shared with us a collection of photos allowing us a behind-the-scenes look at its development. The goal of the students was to discover what would a Japanese family car would look like if it was customized by an American tuner.
The crazy build started with a facelifted third-gen Toyota Alphard that got chopped at the back. The bed is sourced from the Toyota Hilux but it has been extended in combination with a stretched wheelbase. Other modifications include a taller tailgate and a deeper bumper. The dual-cab pickup bodystyle has also affected the rear doors of the Alphard which have been converted from sliding to rear-hinged. This means that the NATS Alphard Super Dually Truck will have suicide doors, similar to a Rolls-Royce. The interior is not finished yet but it will receive a louder audio system by Diecock while the exterior will be finished in blue.
The vehicle has been slammed to the ground thanks to the Air Force Super Performance suspension kit. It will ride on a new set of 20-inch Work Equip E10 alloy wheels shod in mixed performance tires by Toyo, measuring 245/35ZR20 at the front and 345/25ZR20 at the rear. The “dually” on the name suggests that the Alphard will receive an extra pair of tires at the back, probably by widening the rear fenders even further. We can also see a new pair of larger mirrors likely sourced from a full-size truck.
NATS Japan Automobile College
Under the bonnet lies the Alphard’s stock 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 hp (134 kW / 182 PS) and 235 Nm (173.6 lb-ft) of torque, although we would prefer if the team based their build on a V6-powered variant. The minivan is exclusively offered with an automatic gearbox although is not clear if power is transmitted to the front or to all four wheels since both options are available in Japan.
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We will be keeping an eye out for photos of the finished product when they become available, as the NATS Alphard Super Dually Truck is shaping up to become one of our most interesting builds from this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. Until then, check out the gallery below including the official teaser sketch.
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