• NATS students built a sedan using Toyota Vellfire styling parts.
  • The Lexus LS base keeps its V8 engine and rear-drive layout.
  • The mashup blends minivan styling with Lexus sedan luxury.

Update: Following the unveiling of the Toyota Vellfire Sedan concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon, we’ve added photos of the final build and more information about the modifications.

What if a familiar minivan took on a sedan form? That’s the question students at NATS (Nihon Automobile College) are exploring by turning a Lexus into something inspired by the Toyota Vellfire. Rather than relying on digital renderings, the team has taken a hands-on approach, building the vehicle from the ground up.

The project arrives, somewhat amusingly, just as Lexus has been toying with the idea of turning the next-generation LS into a six-wheeled minivan, even going so far as to present a concept model.

More: Akio Toyoda Teased A Mid-Engine Surprise And Absolutely Meant It Literally

The Vellfire Sedan isn’t the only head-turning project NATS brought to the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon. It shared floor space with a revived Nissan Gloria lowrider and a baby Supra-inspired roadster built from a Daihatsu Copen. But among these, the Vellfire-bodied sedan may be the most visually unexpected.

A Lexus Base with a Vellfire Twist

Built from a 2011 Lexus LS460, this one-off sedan carries the bones of a fourth-generation LS, produced between 2006 and 2017. That means it starts with a full-size luxury platform, which the students then wrapped in styling cues borrowed from the Toyota Vellfire.

Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan

NATS

The LED headlights and the sporty front bumper are sourced from the Toyota Vellfire, although the latter had to be shortened. The face swap wasn’t an easy job, but the students nailed it. The profile is largely unchanged, but it still go wider front and rear fenders and deeper side skirts.

More: Toyota Alphard Minivan Converted Into A Dually Pickup For Tokyo

The sedan rides on a new set of 21-inch wheels from WORKS, and has been slammed with the hep of air suspension. Around back, the LED taillights are also sourced from the Vellfire, joined by a subtle ducktail spoiler and a revised bumper with chrome inserts.

Inside, the car has been given a modest refresh. New upholstery and Eltide seat covers update the surfaces, while suede dash accents and wood trim on the steering wheel round out the cabin tweaks.

Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan
Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan

NATS

Mechanically, the Vellfire Sedan sticks to its LS roots. The original 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 remains untouched, delivering 365 hp (272 kW / 370 PS) and 477 Nm (352 lb-ft) of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

As with all NATS creations, this sedan is a one-off. And while Toyota’s actual plans may be veering in a completely different direction with its next-generation six-wheeled Lexus minivan, this student build manages to flip the narrative entirely, if only for fun