Tag Archives: gurachan

MINICARS: A beginner’s guide to JNC Legos, Part 03

In the final installment of our beginner’s guide to Lego JNCs, we are going to focus on the prevailing style of builds in Japan. In Part 01 we admired highly complex creations comprised of hundreds of pieces where the sky’s the … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

MINICARS: Apparently you can get kaido racers from a vending machine in Japan

You can get almost anything in a vending machine in Japan, and now that apparently includes toy kaido racers. Just drop in ¥1,000 (approximately $10 USD) and out comes your 1:64-scale bosozoku-style minicars. 

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

50 YEAR CLUB: Fuji Speedway

In a year of momentous anniversaries for Japanese automotive institutions, one stands above all others in shaping the cars we love. Fuji Speedway, which opened in 1966 and turned 50 this year, has been the birthplace of countless legends, whether … Continue reading

Posted in 50 Year Club | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

EVENTS: Sagamiko Forest Skyline & Kyusha Meeting, Part 02

Our coverage of the Sagamiko Forest Skyline and Kyusha Meeting continues with even more Skylines (and other Nissans too, but mostly Skylines). Approaching the event, a cardboard sign warned attendees “Do Not Blip Your Throttle”, a favorite activity of kaido racers. Having good … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — This is Japan

A life-size Gundam robot towers above the trees. Giant windowless shopping centers operate like small cities. In this snapshot of a hyper-futuristic metropolis floating on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, tradition comes in the form of a parking lot teeming … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

MINICARS: 2013 Hot Wheels Mad Manga now in Blue, Yellow and Pink

Hot Wheels just revealed a new color and paint scheme for everyone’s favorite bosozoku diecast, the Mad Manga.

Posted in bosozoku, minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

The beautiful Box Art and history of Aoshima model kits

Step inside any Japanese hobby store and you’re bound to be dazzled by both the beauty and abundance of Aoshima box art. Their highly detailed plastic model kits have been around for decades, and in many cases have done a … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Friday Video: Kamikaze Road V

And now for something completely different, one of the many home-grown videos of Japan’s car culture from the age of VHS. This one’s called Kamikaze Road V, and shows of the somewhat unrefined side of 1980s bosozoku style, when people … Continue reading

Posted in Friday Video, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

MINICARS: Hot Wheels bosozoku-style Mad Manga

Holy effing crap. If you had told us a year ago that one day Hot Wheels, the most red-blooded American toy there is, would have a takeyari-equipped bubble-flared shark-nosed zokusha in its lineup, we would have called you baka. And … Continue reading

Posted in bosozoku, minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

EVENTS: AE86 Nights 5th Anniversary

SoCal may have its drawbacks, but there aren’t many places where you can put the call out for a hachiroku party and have over 100 cars show up. AE86 Nights has been doing this almost every Saturday night since April of 2007, … Continue reading

Posted in events, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Aoshima Gurachan Collection Nissan Fairlady 240ZG

Yesterday we showed you some Aoshima 1/6 models of vintage Japanese racing barrels. On the opposite end of the scale scale Aoshima offers these bosozoku sleds from the 1/64 Gurachan Collection. The series has been out for a while, but … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Bosozoku Toyota 2000GT answers the question no one asked

The Toyota 2000GT was a little too early for the golden age of the Fuji GC series, and for that we are thankful. But in an alternate universe here’s what a gurachan MF10 might look like.

Posted in minicars, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Gurachan Mazda Luce RX-4

Bosozoku-style C210 Skylines and Toyota Mark IIs are a dime a dozen, much to the delight (or repulsion, depending on your taste) of Nissan nuts and Toyotaku alike. For Mazdafarians there’s the occasional Cosmo AP, but here’s an even rarer beast … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Friday Video: Bosozoku Crackdown!

Why are we so fascinated with the bosozoku lifestyle? Is it the outrageous rides, the demented hoonage, or the don’t-give-a-crap attitude? Here’s someone who is not fascinated: the police. In this footage from 1993, the Japanese constabulary put up an … Continue reading

Posted in bosozoku | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Mazdas at Fuji Speedway, October 10, 1972

This video comes courtesy of oldschool.co.nz via Retro-Classics. It’s from the heyday of the Fuji touring car championships and is unique in that the narration is in English! No more picking handfuls of syllables out of rapid-fire Japanese commentary that … Continue reading

Posted in mazda, motorsports, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Aoshima Radio Control Gurachan Cars

You would never graft a sharknose onto a real kenmeri Skyline GT-R, would you? Instead, live the gurachan life vicariously with Aoshima Gurachan Series R/C cars. There are two cars so far in the series, the other one being a … Continue reading

Posted in datsun, minicars, nissan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Friday Video: Shakotan Boogie, The Movie

Don your headbands, hang your friends out your side windows and get ready for Shakotan Boogie. In 1987 Japan apparently made a movie out of the manga that celebrates the bosozoku lyfe. Plot points include cross-cultural drag racing that ends … Continue reading

Posted in honda, nissan, toyota, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Fuji Speedway Frozen in Time, 1977-80

The action that took place at Fuji Speedway in the 70s is the stuff of legend. Back then it was known as FISCO (Fuji International Speedway Co., Ltd.) and was host to epic battles in Group 5, Touring Sedan, and … Continue reading

Posted in datsun, mazda, motorsports, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mazda RX-3 Savannas Take to the Circuit

Here are some actual gurachan – as in Grand Champion, not gurachan-style – Mazda RX-3 Savanna race cars from the mid- to late-70s. In this photo driver Naoki Nagasaka hits the 1978 Fuji GC and Super Touring series. Note the … Continue reading

Posted in mazda | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Bosozoku Style Fo' Lyfe

Remember that Shako Hako we posted a while back? Reader Zeb found the source of the pic, which revealed a whole gallery of bosozoku style machines from way back in the day. How far back? Before the age of digital … Continue reading

Posted in bosozoku, datsun, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments