Cal’s Motor Built A Jimny That Looks Like A Classic American SUV

American SUVs used to be iconic. Masses of steel and chrome, rugged lines, and the ability to go anywhere. They were also affordable. Today, they’re plastic, complicated, and have monthly payments that challenge a mortgage. That’s why we love modern creations like the Beas+L from Cal’s Motor. It takes the uncomplicated, unassuming, and unassailable Suzuki Jimny and cloaks it in a pastiche of some of the best American SUV designs.

Is it an old Ford Bronco II? An early Chevrolet S10? A K5 Blazer, or even an old Wagoneer? It feels like there’s a bit of each one in the Beas+L, a vehicle that is very cool, though it desperately needs a new name.

Custom Jimny Captures An Idealized America

Coachbuilding is alive and well in Japan. Multiple companies there will take an existing car, often a tiny one like the Jimny, and give it way cooler styling that relies heavily on American, and especially Californian, influences. Mitsuoka and Damd are two of the big ones, but they’re not alone.

The Beas+L upgrades the Jimny with new chrome bumpers front and rear. The new bumpers have a very 1970s look, back when bumpers could actually bump things without splitting. The front gets integrated lower driving lights, while the back bumper is a little less smash-ready thanks to the built-in tail lamps.

It also comes with a new front grille and LED lamps that look like classic sealed-beam halogens. Once again, it’s a mashup of various older models that come together to make this Jimny look super cool.

Slap some taller steel wheels on the SUV and some Toyo all-terrain tires, and you’ve got a very cool, very fun, and very small new off-roader. You can get interior upgrades too, including leather-look seat covers, a better stereo, and new floor mats.

Big Conversions On Small SUVs Are Delightfully Cheap

Converting a Jimny into a Beas+L is shockingly inexpensive. The kit starts from 3,740,000 yen (about $25,200) including bodywork and paint. It also includes the entire Jimny Nomade, which starts from 2,651,000 yen ($17,900) on its own. The tough part might be finding a Jimny, though. The little SUV is incredibly popular in Japan, but sadly, it’s not sold in America.

The Jimny already replicated the classic American SUV experience in plenty of ways. Its cramped, noisy body includes a manual transfer case that can help it go almost anywhere. With 105 horsepower from its 1.5-liter four-cylinder or 84 hp from a tiny 658-cc turbocharged three-cylinder, it’s at least quicker than a lot of the models it tries to replicate.

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Really? Yes, really. Lots of those old K5 Blazers had base engines that barely topped 100 hp, saddled in vehicles that weighed twice as much as the plucky Jimny. The early Bronco II came with a whopping 115 horsepower, and there were plenty of years when the Wagoneer packed a punch that even a Nissan Versa could take.

Oh, about that weird name. Cal’s launched this line with the Beas, which is based on the 660cc kei version of the Jimny. It also makes the Beas+ which is based on the slightly longer non-kei model. So this Beas+L is a Long Beas+, based on the five-door Jimny Nomade. Everyone with us on that? You know what, it doesn’t matter. Just scroll up to the photo gallery and enjoy.

Source: Cal’s Motor