This Luxury Toyota Minivan Was Never Meant to Go Off-Road
Although we saw many tastefully and not-so-tastefully done builds at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, we never assumed someone would turn up in an Alphard minivan straight out of a Mad Max movie. The family hauler in question looks to be a third-generation model that’s now fitted with TRD skid plates and beadlock rims. What was once an unassuming minivan is dialed up to eleven with tons of off-road hardware, albeit neatly presented.
Tomstyle auto/Instagram
Information about the build is limited, but visually, like this Mitsubishi, we can see the minivan has gone through a trail-ready makeover. At the front, a bull bar is introduced along with LED lights and a couple of tow hooks. Moving to the sides reveals the Toyo Open Country R/T tires and a stepboard for easy ingress and egress. The bolt-on fenders and flared arches also seem to enhance the Alphard’s visual appeal. You can probably tell by now that this Toyota minivan is not in its stock ride height, although it’s worth pointing out that specifications of the suspension mods remain unclear. Shocks and springs should be off-road spec, as is the case with most builds of this nature.
There’s a massive roof rack up top fitted with auxiliary lights for enhanced visibility during its off-road escapades. Considering that the Alphard/Velfire is already a spacious luxury minivan, the roof rack seems a bit overkill, although there’s ambiguity surrounding the interior mods. Should the Alphard offer interior amenities that are out of the ordinary, the addition of a roof rack may not seem unwise after all.
Tomstyle auto/Instagram
Around back, things are unlike a luxury minivan, with a swing-out spare wheel holder and recovery boards finished in a bright teal color, which complements the grey-black theme overall. The teal finish is not just limited to the rear, but is tastefully incorporated into the brake caliper, springs, tow hooks, and even the TRD logo.
Although the Toyota Alphard comes with AWD, we’re unsure if the build has actually undergone any mechanical changes. While Toyota never intended the luxury minivan to venture off the beaten path, this Alphard sure looks like it can handle a bit of the rough stuff.
