Search Results for: "seibu keisatsu"

Seibu Keisatsu!

In the 1970s it must have been awfully tough to be a criminal. In the 1970s, cops had flared pants, suits with wide lapels, big guns and equally big hair. In the 1970s cops could not walk out onto the … Continue reading

Posted in Japan Stuff, nissan | 5 Comments

The Nissan Fairlady Z stunt driver almost didn’t survive one of Japanese TV’s most insane automotive leaps

Over its five-year run Seibu Keisatsu was known for its share of crazy car chases, but there was one stunt that stood out from all the rest. Episode 104, “Rush to Glory”, is remembered for an insane jump in which … Continue reading

Posted in News | 7 Comments

Toyota 86 coupes drift through new Japanese cop show

A new Japanese police series promises a throwback to classic shows chock full of shootouts and car chases. Farewell, Gun: Metropolitan Police SGU is an 8-episode streamer that harkens back to old school standards of the genre like Seibu Keisatsu … Continue reading

Posted in Film/TV | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

A Subaru 360 joins the super detailed subscription model club

  The 1/8 scale subscription models are among the most expensive and time consuming kits available in Japan. It takes serious commitment to complete them, and because of their complexity only a couple get produced per year. Only the most … Continue reading

Posted in Model Kits | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

This huge Toyota AE86 model will cost $1,600 and take two years to complete

The Toyota AE86 is finally getting immortalized in a highly detailed 1:8-scale model kit. Specifically, it’s a weekly subscription kit by DeAgostini in which parts will be mailed to the subscriber every seven days for over two years. At the … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

This Toyota 2000GT model in 1/8 scale will cost $1,700 and take two years to complete

The latest classic from Japan to get the 1:8 treatment is the Toyota 2000GT. Issued by Hachette Collections Japan, the subscription kit will consist of 100 installments received weekly by mail with a retail price of ¥1999 ($17.25 USD) each. … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2021

Outside of genre-specific gatherings like JCCS or All Toyotafest, the automotive event that’s most embraced classic Japanese cars is Radwood. While cars from all countries of origin are welcome at the series of 80s and 90s-themed shows, rather than being … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged | 6 Comments

Nissan’s new spokesperson is Japan’s Brad Pitt, and he’s driving a Hakosuka Skyline

Nissan has a new flagship commercial in Japan, and it’s kind of a big deal. Not only does it star several greatest-hit classics from Nissan’s past, but the leading man is actor Takuya Kimura. The significance of this team-up can’t … Continue reading

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RIP Tetsuya Watari, 1941 — 2020

Tetsuya Watari, one of Japan’s most famous crime drama stars, died from pneumonia on August 10. His death was announced on Friday after a private funeral with family members. Watari played the leading man in several movies and television programs … Continue reading

Posted in Legends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

QotW: Do you have any fond memories of the Lexus GS?

We learned Friday that Lexus has killed off the GS name. It had been rumored for a while, and at the same time models like the ES are getting big enough to step on the GS’s toes. Plus, there’s that … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels Japan Historics 3

For 2020, the Japan Historics series returns to Hot Wheels’ premium line with three all-new castings and metal-base versions of two popular models. The beautiful five-car series continues to fill in the gaps of Japan’s automotive history with a distinctively … Continue reading

Posted in Hot Wheels, minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

QotW: What car would Japanese Knight Rider drive?

The arrival last week of the Seibu Keisatsu cars at Nissan’s Zama warehouse got us thinking about cheesy 80s TV shows and their vehicular stars. Perhaps the most famous of these was Knight Rider, a “shadowy flight into the dangerous world … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — Seventies and Eighties

Our first two installments of the 2018 New Year Meeting featured cars from 1960s Japan. Those beautifully crafted machines from the early days of country’s motorization served a specific purpose, but the 1970s is when the modification culture became truly widespread. 

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Consider the Following: Datsun 280ZX

In the world of collector JNCs, there is a hierarchy. Ultra-rare, highly sought after blue chips include the Toyota 2000GT, Mazda Cosmo Sport and Hakosuka Skyline GT-R. Continuing down through “affordable” classics like the Celica, RX-7 and 240Z, somewhere towards the … Continue reading

Posted in Consider the Following | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

SEMA 2017: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As the largest trade event for custom cars in the US, possibly the world, SEMA can serve as a showcase for innovation and creativity, sometimes giving a spotlight for bloody knuckled backyard builds to shine. The flip side, though, is that SEMA’s high profile pressures talented craftsmen into pouring cash into cars whose sole purpose … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels Honda City and DR30 Skyline revealed at Tokyo Toy Show

Our friend Jun Imai is in Japan for the Tokyo Toy Show right now, and brought along some new goodies to reveal at the event. Both are turbocharged JDM cars from the 80s that were never sold in the States. The first … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 02 — Tuning Houses

For our second installment of the 2016 Nostalgic 2 Days event coverage, we’ll take a look at some of Japan’s kyusha tuning houses, beginning with our friends at Star Road. The Tokyo-based specialists of classic Skylines and Fairlady Zs typically holds court … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 02

While Part 01 of our Old Car Heaven coverage concluded with a mob of rare Mitsubishis, we begin this installment along the perimeter of the show and a bevy of box vans. The Nissan Caravans were part of the Nissan Commercial Car … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: The superdeformed model kits of Ryu Asada

Most of you know the name Ryu Asada from his work at Mattel designing hit diecast cars. The talented and creative veteran of both the Matchbox and Hot Wheels brands as penned some truly memorable castings, including JNC favorites like the Honda CRX, EF Civic, ’90 Acura NSX, and ’72 … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the greatest forced-induction JNC?

The Skyline Japan GT-EX kicked off the Age of the Turbo when it debuted in April 1980. Not only was it the first Skyline to rock a snail, it was deemed so important by Nissan that it was positioned successor to the mighty … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 17 Comments