Toyota Tacoma wins Best of Show at WEKFEST JAPAN 2024
The WEKFEST JAPAN event, which originated in the U.S., is a high-level custom car show where only vehicles that have passed a rigorous judging process are allowed to participate. 2024’s Best of Show was awarded to Anna Sakamoto The winner of the Best of Show award in 2024 was Anna Sakamoto’s 1998 Toyota Tacoma. The slammed air suspension styling is impressive, but as we talked to her, we learned that every inch of the car has been customized to the point where it is difficult to find any part of the car that is in stock.
As the saying goes, it is fully customized
Anna Sakamoto’s 1998 Toyota Tacoma appears to be a single cab, but in fact, the extended cab that originally came with the rear seats has been cut to create the original styling, which is 2 inches (about 51mm) longer than the normal single cab.
In addition, the roof was chopped by about 15mm because the hump in the high-mount area was in the way. The rear was a full one-off made from the frame, with a narrow differential and 4-link suspension.
The front end was given a custom bumper and original grille, and the body was dropped 3 inches (about 76mm) to create a lower form, and the floor (underbody) was also painted.
“The engine was overhauled from the original and repainted and re-chromed. Almost all of the bolts were also chromed. The transmission was changed from an AT to a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine would normally stick out of the hood because of the lowered girth, so I lowered the engine position as much as possible and lowered it with a custom intake.
The engine itself is said to be stock, but the exhaust system is said to be fully original. The diff, air suspension, and fuel tank are all exposed, and the bed is upholstered in red leather. The interior is also fully custom and was designed and fabricated with Dakota Digital gauges. Like the smoothed body, the interior has been shaped to eliminate unnecessary items, a polished custom steering wheel has been selected, and the audio system, including a Kicker subwoofer, has been modified.
The paint job also retains a girlish look
Anna is a member of the Japanese chapter of the American car club “Relaxed Atmosphere,” and was happy to have won an award at the WEKFEST JAPAN event from the US. When we asked her about her future customization plans, she said that this was the end for this car. So why did she choose a pickup truck and a Tacoma as the base for her customization?
“I like trucks, and the Tacoma was my favorite. 1998 Tacoma with a current style, and the interior was made with a bit of a luxury car in mind. The paint and graphics were done to match the eye makeup and other colors while keeping a girlish feel.”
translated by DeepL
