If there were any justice in the world, this concept Daihatsu transporter—dubbed, kitted out as it is for off-roading, the Mudmaster-C—would be something I could go out any buy today.
Let’s just soak that in: Mudmaster-C.
While none of the pictures at Jalopnik give me any real sense of scale, I imagine its about the size of all the other Japanese kei vans, which might be cramped for my proud Viking frame, but would make up for it by being light enough to carry on my back to my second-floor apartment.
Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Daihatsu Mudmaster-C Concept [Jalopnik]
My childhood micromachines fantasy made real. It’ll never make it to the sates. sigh.
VW Westy Syncro MK2
Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/10/tokyo-2007-preview-daihatsu-mud-master-c/) has some more pics of the MudMaster. It’s apparently big enough to contain a couple of mountain bikes.
O M Gosh!
I just finished driving a very similar (but far inferior) 1997 993cc Daihatsu HiJet from London to Mongolia with the Mongol Rally this summer. Yep, we drove about 10,000 miles … and the car actually finished almost in one piece (we lost struts, shocks, odometer, had the engine held in place with scraps, etc). The Daihatsu is really one of the greatest vehicles I have ever driven; ran terribly but would not die no matter how hard I pushed it (including over a grassy mountain in 1st gear).
This car looks like it would have been far too perfect for the Rally; true these beasts are like cruising around in a shoe box but they also have incredible turning radii, fuel economy, and resilience because of their small size – and somehow great clearance too . . . really helps when you’re dodging camel skulls out on the range!
Please feel free to Google up “Team Shadowboat” for more information on our adventure. Thanks,
Long live the DAIHATSU!!!
Cute!
Unstable! 
The hard part is finding enough room behind it to pull it back prior to letting it go!
Very very cool.
As a Daihatsu kei owner, I have to say, these are nice little cars. But, then again, Daihatsu is just Toyota, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.
This car looks like it’s standing on its tiptoes. I like it.
Wow. I love this. Hopefully the car gods start making these. It’s time somebody re-invent the minivan, and this is what legends are made of.
I’d like mine orange, and with seating for a family of four and heavy duty roof-rack.