Liberty Walk Turned An Autozam AZ-1 Into A Tasteful Mini Ferrari F40 Homage

This mini replica of the wide-bodied and slammed Ferrari F40 by Liberty Walk is based on the Autozam AZ-1 Kei-class sportscar.

At the recently concluded Tokyo Auto Salon 2024 (TAS 2024) show held earlier this month, renowned Japanese tuners Liberty Walk caused quite the stir – yet again – when it unveiled its redux of Lamborghini Countach.

Whilst the firm’s take on said iconic 1970s/190s classic supercar didn’t sit well with many purists, perhaps the smaller build unveiled alongside said Lamborghini perhaps did soften things a little. Perhaps this is proof yet again that amazing things do come in small packages.

Christened as the LB Works LB40 AZ-1, this build actually began life as an Autozam AZ-1 Kei-class sportscar. Aptly, Liberty Walk pulled out all the stops to convert said miniature gullwing-doored and mid-engined sports coupe  into a replica of its wild – and equally controversial – wide-bodied Ferrari F40 build from last year.

Apart from its original gullwing doors, greenhouse, roof, and upper deck, much of the Autozam AZ-1's exterior panels were redesigned fully to mirror Liberty Walk's wide-bodied and slammed Ferrari F40 from last year.

Liberty Walk redesigning the bulk of the Autozam’s body panels, with only the gullwing doors mentioned, greenhouse, roof, and upper rear deck from the original car retained. The front fascia’s redesign is probably the most successful as it features a clamshell-opening hood plus fixed headlights inspired by the Ferrari F40 LM racecar.

The tuner also added boxy rear fender extensions, which leads into a vertically-cut tail with the iconic wing of the F40. Also mimicking the F40 here are the quad round taillights and the triple exhaust. As a finishing touch, Liberty Walk opted to fit a new set of 16-inch (front) and 17-inch (rear) forged alloy wheel, all shod in Toyo tires.

Besides the obvious difference in size, what this Autozam-based build lacks from the original is a manic twin-turbo V8 heart. Instead, the Autozam AZ-1’s original Suzuki-sourced 657cc turbocharged in-line -3-cyl heart is retained. In stock form at least, the mill delivered up to 63 HP and 85 NM to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission.

Liberty Walk also showed its controversial wide-bodied and slammed Lamborghini Countach build at this year's TAS 2024 show.

We’re certain may of you will agree that this is perhaps a much tastier build compared to the wide-bodied and slammed Lamborghini Countach that Liberty Walk also unveiled at TAS 2024. This build follows up from the wide-bodied and slammed Ferrari F40 build mentioned that the tuner unveiled at last year’s edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon.

The shape of the air intakes atop of each rear quarter suggests that the donor car for this build was the 25th Anniversary model. Liberty Walk again went all out into priming this vintage classic with both a massive rear wing and intricate rear diffuser element. The tuner also swapped the front bumper for a new and more squared one that appears to be inspired by the later Diablo GT model.

Next comes the addition of aerodynamic fins and canards on each side of the front bumper and side skirts. Liberty Walk also the bolted-on wheel arch extension that widen the Countach even further, but the fact that later 1970s versions of the Countach having something similar, said wheel arches don’t look too out of place to say the least.

Like the Ferrari F40 the firm showed the previous year, this build based on the Countach didn't sit too well amongst many purists.

Those parts are all available separately, meaning buyers can pick and choose elements from the demo car. However, Liberty Walk’s website doesn’t indicate prices for any of which other simply telling interested parties to get in touch for more information. This likely suggests that this kit is made-to-order.

So which is a more impressive built then? Share your take in the comments below, as well as our social media pages…