But Joe, couldn't the sketch have been made and proposed but then the car was never actually manufactured in the year suggested?
Plus maybe that sketch did make it into a show car (the first picture in this thread), but then the actual S4's came out without the show car body mods. Just like the original SVX prototype came out in 1989, but didn't show up in showrooms until 1991, also altered from it's prototypes.
Who really knows?
I do tend to agree though that the bumper seems aftermarket, especially looking at the famous Pearl picture we've seen the most. But if it was aftermarket, why have we never seen it for sale or even mentioned on any Japanese web sites like all of the others? And certainly by now at least one Japanese owner would pass through here or we'd see a picture of a meet over there or something with at least one car having this aftermarket part?
For that matter all the JDM cars our members in other countries own, or are for sale through the importers sites, etc, etc.
And the green SVX on the beach definitely looks like an official car manufacturer type photo, not so much an aftermarket company's photo (since it doesn't even focus on the part). Could be one of these elusive owners with the aftermarket bumper took the shot, but pretty professional looking with that location and everything.
The car in the show also looks beyond just an aftermarket company's display. It has the official "Alcyone SVX" license plate in place, the modified interior colors Mike mentioned, and to my eye the headlights even look like they may have 100% clear (as in Smallcar style) lenses.
I could go either way on this still.
