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Vroom-vroom, meow-meow! Driver mods his taillights into awesome “Toro” cat patterns

 

In Japan, all cars have to undergo a vehicle inspection called shaken every two years. The ostensible reason is to make sure each part of the car is in safe, working condition, but some motorists suspect the real reasons are to bilk additional streams of revenue from owners, as well as encourage them to trade in their current cars for new models, which can go three years before their first shaken.

The system does have one upside for enthusiasts. Since cars get officially inspected every other year, traffic cops in Japan aren’t nearly as zealous as their U.S. counterparts about issuing fix-up tickets for questionable modifications they spot on the street. This means that during the two-year period between shaken checks, you have a decent chance of getting away with illegal engine mods, non-compliant body kits, or awesome grey-area cat tail lights.

Suzuki’s Cappuccino, which the automaker sold from 1991 to 1997, has a pretty sporty look to it, thanks to its removable hardtop, long hood, and low-slung chassis.

 

It’s also undeniably tiny. At just 3,295 millimeters (129.7 inches) long, the three-cylinder Cappuccino falls into Japan’s super-compact kei , or “light,” class of cars, and given its minute dimensions, we suppose you could call it cute.

Just don’t call it very cute, unless you’ve modded the stock brake lights to shine as adorable kitty cats.

 

Long-time PlayStation fans may recognize the cat in question as Toro, Sony’s on-again, off-again mascot who debuted with Doko de mo Issho on Sony’s first console back in 1999.

 

The light-emitting cuteness isn’t limited to Toro’s smiling face, either, as the bright green Cappuccino’s rear turn signals have also been changed to cat paw patterns.

 

We’re not sure if these cosmetic changes hamper or enhance the safety of the car’s lights. On the one hand, their unique design would definitely get our attention, which all else equal would help to quickly communicate that the driver in front of us is slowing down and that we should follow suit. On the other hand, we can also see ourselves being irresistibly drawn in by Toro’s inviting smile, and in our desire to get as up close and personal as possible to the Sony character, we have to admit we might forget to hit our own brakes.

In the end, we’ll have to leave the judgment to the shaken officials, but in the meantime, drivers probably have at least a year or two left in which to keep an eye out for the Toro Cappuccino.

Source: Labaq

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