_________________
The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

the rear tire is flat on that refridgerator..

I dont care for all these new throw away cars, but I guess if I look at the bright side, more electric cars means more power plants.. More job security for me...

the car industry for me has been going downhill for quite some time. Go from the 80s with lot of awesome cars, to the 90s with lesser craziness, more power, the 2000s, very little awesome, now... They also started getting fat in the late 90s, then in the 2000 era they got really fat and ugly. Now its like well I want this big tall bubbly shape with hard lines. MUst match all the guys wearing tighter pants than their girlfriends...

Damn im getting old


As for the picture, I see some dude running around a angry devil prius with a flat tire grabbing tonys pizza

_________________
31 3000gt vr4
88 starion x2, 83 starion
88 cordia turbo
87 Montero swb turbo, 1987 Minicab van Supercharged
86 mighty max 4x4
84, 85, and 86 lancer ex1800 turbo
78 lancer
73 galant coupe
65 Debonair Deluxe
80's Hero

Even if hybrid/electric car trends which are currently the focus ultimately go nowhere, I'm always happy to see the Japanese companies maintain at least the perception of being on the cutting edge.

I agree that the 2000s haven't been good to Japanese cars in particular; no more sports cars, an abundance bloated sedans and SUVs, etc.... I miss the days of being able to buy a awd, 4ws, turbocharged machine with active aero, and for a while in the 90s all of the Japanese manufacturers offered something insane, advanced, and accessible.

I don't mind hybrids in and of themselves; I just want to see a twin-charged hybrid with an engine at each wheel, 4ws, active aero and all the technology you'd expect in an Evangelion; cars like the GTO, z32 tt, Supra, NSX and etc. give us precedent for those expectations. Instead, we get merely acceptable, boring products of late, that rest on the laurels of Japan's previous engineering achievements.

...So at least, for the sake of the Japanese auto industry, the Leaf, insight, and Prius are regarded as advanced and competent, if boring. I hope for something more to my tastes to come in the future, but I also worry that nothing will match the days when having four sportscar platforms in your lineup wasn't considered redundant.

_________________

Your talking about the 3000GT VR4 I just purchased. Don't leave out active exhaust

The FT86 and BRZ are a hope for the future. Lets hope it sells like crazy so every other Japanese company develops similar cars.

I've been surprised just how fast they are popping up on expressway. A few SAs this last week in Fukushima already have them installed. It did occur to me though, with only one at each SA, you would have to wait for more than a ramen and omiyage stop to get a top-up...


Then this taxi-uriba will make you feel queasy then:


Dead-end technology. Neko.

_________________
The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

Dachshund, i couldnt agree more.

_________________
-84 Celica GT

Yeah I agree the whole hybrid/electric car thing is cool for normal people or commuters..but for enthusiasts I find it dull and boring. The race leaf is kinda cool..but until u see some consumer performance hybrids/electrics (seems like sooner than you think)...meh

_________________
'71 S30 - '90 S13x2 - '01 Grocery Getter AKA IS300 - '02 954RR

The Tesla Roadster is a sporty ride. Would like to see more done on that platform.

_________________
Money Pits:
- 1980 Corolla Hatchback - Power project
- 1988 Celica Alltrac - Snow fun project

I live about a block from Fisker's headquarters in CA, and as a result probably see them more often than just about anyone else in the US, maybe twice a month?

...They're gorgeous

_________________

I have driven the Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera, the Nissan Leaf and a full electric New Mini Cooper (too bad I didn't used the opportunity there to also drive the Mitsubishi I-miEV). What I can say about these cars: The Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf drive nice and quiet, but there is nothing interesting at all for the real car fanatics. The New Mini Cooper is a bit better, (because that car has 150 kw (204 HP) on the front wheels and because the torque is almost immediately ready) it is very easy the get the front wheel spinning. Problem with those New Mini Coopers is that the batteries use most of the rear space, so the car is for two persons and you don't have much loading space left.

_________________
'83 Mitsubishi Galant 1600 GLX

I personally don't see how coal powered electric energy is any better than dino petrol in the long haul.
I'd like to see more in the way of alternative bio fuels like such as algae etc.

The electric cars other than the Tesla are exceedingly ugly & boring, not to mention all the idiotic 'safety' features every new car comes with now.
I'll stick to used japanese cars only, none newer than the 90s *thanks*

_________________
86 RN66 Hilux Turbo 4x4 Xtra Cab - 22RTE hauler
87 AW11 MR2 Hardtop - full restoration, 4agze swap & more
90 ST185 Celica Turbo Alltrac - AWD weekend fun
99 SXV20 Camry - TRD Grocery Getter
89 AW11 MR2 Hardtop - SOLD

Yesterday on the Tomei just out of Nagoya... Seven charges from Tokyo they said. They rented it, so they had a choice? They did enjoy the attention though. Range anxiety be damned...



and just to make you gag even more, along with the Pious wagon, they also seem to be preparing for a response to Carlos Ghosn's racing Leaf challenge:





Neko.

_________________
The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

A true car enthusiast will never be hindered by modern technology.

If in the near future gasoline runs out. We'll simply pull out the combustion motor and replace it with racing electric motors and hi tech batteries.

Its like building a remote controlled tamiya car.....getting a tamiya black or techno color motor to upgrade the car.


Maybe someday with tamiya's experience with toys they'll built large after-market electric motors and batteries to power our retro cars.

We simply embrace new technology without giving up driving our cars.

Here's a 10 sec electric car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9psoOXNbx2k



Below :
I took pictures from Retro Car magazine ( #99 ) features from Nostalgic Car show 2006.
Corolla KE-30 built by NATS its electric powered .







NATS even built a S14/ GC10 facelift Hybrid Pick up also featured at the show.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/auto-otaku ... 279069849/

http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2011/11 ... -sr311-ev/

Talked to a guy who did a RB26DETT into a S30, who was planning on converting a modern mini to electric. Adds a lot of weight, unfortunately. But torque on tap!

Hmmm... If/when that happens (prolly not in my lifetime) I think I would try to figure out how to convert it to run on natural gas/propane/hydrogen/biodiesel/pulverized coal before I considered electricity...

Why did I read the rental car sign as Janperson?

...There might be a time when I'm ok with buying and enjoying a new(ish) sports car with an electric motor, but you'd be removing a lot of the appeal of an older car by removing the gasoline engine, if we were in an age where that was a rarity... It'd be sort of like replacing the engine in a Stanley Steamer with a small block to keep up with the times, and then like, who cares? You just sort of wind up with a car that betrays itself, and isn't modern anyway.

I'm assuming there would be a choice though. If it came down to having to choose between ditching the L28E or mothballing the car, I'd reluctantly switch.

I'll cross my fingers and at least figure that demand for whatever synthesized non-dairy low sodium gasoline replacement they've developed by that time will be low enough, and thus emissions concerns negligible enough, that it will still be possible to fill up at least once a week.

_________________

My plan is in the future convert an older import to electric, unless a better tech comes up. My biggest hinderance right now is battery costs is huge, but the EV car forum has alot of builds on converting cars.

I am all for decreasing oil usage, but I think we should be improving the efficiency of the ICE over going electric and losing range. Plus I think hybrids are throw away cars cause later they will cost so much to fix, they will just get tossed.

_________________
Money Pits:
- 1980 Corolla Hatchback - Power project
- 1988 Celica Alltrac - Snow fun project