Author Archives: Steve Chang
Car & Driver‘s twin-engined Honda CRX rides again, with Jay Leno behind the wheel
We don’t normally we don’t pay much attention to crazy Frankenstein builds. They might be impressive feats of engineering and construction, but they usually exist to show off the owner’s insane wrenching skills or satisfy some performance metric at the … Continue reading
This Lego Toyota Supra looks absolutely terrible
Images of an upcoming Lego set depicting an A80 Supra have been leaked, and the model looks really, really bad. Even more shockingly, none of the badness has to do with the fact that it’s a Fast & Furious car. … Continue reading
Toyota AE86 drifts into Diet Coke commercial
We think the fake sweetener in Diet Coke makes it taste horrible, but we don’t mind the soft drink’s latest ad, which includes a surprise appearance by a Toyota AE86. In the spot the two-tone light pink/dark pink Corolla slides … Continue reading
QotW: What indispensable items are in your toolbox?
It’s the holidays and we need some gift ideas. So tell us the things that have made your automotive wrenching easier, saved your butts, or are simply so satisfying to use that you want to spread the joy. They can … Continue reading
QotW: What automotive things are you thankful for this year?
It’s almost Thanksgiving (here in America, at least), a time when we reflect on the things we’re grateful for in life. In an automotive landscape that can often look bleak, what are some of the silver linings and rays of … Continue reading
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QotW: What’s your favorite feat of civil engineering?
Cars wouldn’t be any fun if there were no roads to drive them on. Today, November 18, is Civil Engineering Day in Japan, and it honors those who built the highways, bridges, and tunnels that help us get where we’re … Continue reading
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QotW: Which marque would you never recommend?
Earlier this year we asked which marque you most often recommend. We presume that, as car enthusiasts, friends and family will ask you about what car they should buy. But what about the cars they shouldn’t buy? What are the … Continue reading
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Official Toyota anime probably not hinting at next-gen Celica, MR2 and Supra
In February Toyota debuted a new anime series, Grip, that was all about fun cars like the GR Corolla, 86 and Supra battling against a world of boring, autonomous cars. The second season is out now, and people have been … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite animated JNC?
October 28 is International Animation Day, and what better day could there be to ask about your favorite animated cars? We’ve always had a soft spot for a certain white FC RX-7. Among the legendary Takahashi brothers, the older Ryosuke … Continue reading
A Honda T360 helps you build a vending machine empire in Honcho video game
Honcho is a new video game that is ostensibly about resource management, but in fact maintaining a Honda T360 seems like a major part of the draw. The game takes place in 1980s Japan, and appropriate cars of the era … Continue reading
Bose’s jumping “Magic Carpet” Lexus LS400 is now a parts donor
Remember the “leaping Lexus” developed by Bose? Back in 2004 the audio electronics company revealed an active suspension system and installed it on a first-gen Lexus LS400. The results were extraordinary. The car exhibited zero body roll, even under heavy … Continue reading
That time Pop Tarts went hard with tuner culture
The tuner scene had been flourishing for years by the time Y2K rolled around, but it still wasn’t mainstream. Even after the success of the The Fast and the Furious in 2001, non-car people didn’t get why you’d tune a … Continue reading
Nissan Cedric taxis sure can take a beating, but the door hinges could use work
The Nissan Cedric taxi was once a staple of Japanese streets. It was also once a staple of Japanese car chases, where cheap 230s and 330s were sacrificed to to gods of Showa Era police dramas. To be fair, Toyota … Continue reading
Toyota Castrol livery appears on Mustang race car in Australia
Toyota’s Castrol livery is getting resurrected once again, this time in Australia. Earlier this year the livery was worn on the NASCAR Mustang of Brad Keselowski during Darlington Raceway’s Throwback Weekend. The Aussie one does it better by putting the … Continue reading
QotW: How would you make a Mazda ad?
It’s hard to make a car commercial stand out. Beautiful people, beautiful landscapes, the promise of adventure. Every company portrays their wares as thrilling to drive, even when they’re duller than dry dirt. What happens when you have cars that … Continue reading
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QotW: Have you ever seen Japanese government vehicles outside of Japan?
In the US government vehicles tend to be American. It probably makes politicians look bad if they buy foreign cars, but some slip through. We’ve heard some states have Subaru police cars though we’ve never seen one. The Pentagon used … Continue reading
QotW: Which once-derided Japanese car will make a comeback?
History is filled with flops, but even some of the worst cars get a second chance at glory after some time has passed. There are owners who now love Chrysler K-cars, Pontiac Azteks, Trabants, and other forms of automotive awfulness. … Continue reading
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Tokyo Xtreme Racer is coming back. Let’s rejoice!
Get ready to flash your high beams because a teaser for a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer has just dropped. It’s been 20 years since the last console installment of the beloved racing game. But developer Genki has just dropped a … Continue reading
‘Pink Subaru’ movie is full of Subarus, but is about life on the Israel-Palestine border
In the 1970s Japanese carmakers were fanning out across the globe, looking for markets that might be interested in their unique takes on the automobile. However, political tensions in the Middle East forced carmakers into a difficult choice. If they … Continue reading
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