Author Archives: Steve Chang
Gran Turismo 7’s May update brings back original GT era classics
Gran Turismo 7‘s latest update is a real treat for those of us who grew up with the franchise. It introduces three iconic Japanese cars that were modern when the original game came out in 1997, and it’s almost hard … Continue reading
NSX, multiple Type R Integras, and an original Honda Cub — an engineer’s car collection
Bryan Hourt is a chief engineer who has worked at Honda for 27 years. He’s worked on projects like the Acura TLX, Honda’s safety systems, and others. But one peek in his garage and you’ll see where his passions lie. … Continue reading
QotW: What Japanese racing livery should be revived?
We were pleasantly shocked last week when Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing revealed that they’d be bringing back Toyota’s WRC and JGTC Castrol livery — on a Ford Mustang, no less. It got us thinking about what other famous Japanese racing … Continue reading
Netflix’s ‘Senna’ trailer: Brace your eyes for glorious McLaren-Honda MP4 action
Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming miniseries about celebrated Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna. Considered one of the greatest drivers of all time, Senna won three world championships while driving for McLaren-Honda, an era of dominance that is … Continue reading
Castrol TOM’s Supra livery rides again — in NASCAR
The iconic red, green, and white livery from the JGTC Castrol TOM’s Supra is making a comeback, but not on a Supra, Toyota, or even in Super GT. The reincarnated colors will instead be emblazoned on the No.6 Ford Mustang … Continue reading
Bosch to launch classic car service workshops in Japan
Bosch Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of German parts supplier Bosch, has announced the Bosch Classic Car Service program t0 help keep older cars on the road. BCCS targets cars that are 15 years or older, an age at which many … Continue reading
‘Initial D’ Mazda RX-7 computer mouse slides across your desk with ease
If your computer mouse isn’t the fastest downhill peripheral on Mt Desktop, perhaps you need to upgrade to this Initial D one. Modeled after Ryosuke Takahashi’s FC Mazda RX-7, the mouse is a dead ringer for the White Comet of … Continue reading
Toyota Corona ads like this helped establish the brand in the US
Toyota’s entry into the US market was famously disastrous. The Toyopet Crown was built for crowded Japanese alleys, not wide American highways, and its troubled launch almost sent Toyota back to Japan entirely. What redeemed the company was the introduction … Continue reading
Mitsubishi restored the Lancer Evolution III that won the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1996
If you were to ask which Japanese carmaker was least likely to drop some coin on their heritage collection, we doubt Mitsubishi would be at the top of anyone’s list. It hasn’t been a good couple of decades for them, … Continue reading
A first look inside the remodeled Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi
If you’re a Hot Wheels collector, sometimes you just have to pull everything out of storage and go through it. Honda has been doing a similar thing, except with its entire car collection. It recently opened a new Racing Gallery … Continue reading
QotW: What advice or stories do you have about tires?
Today, April 8, is Tire Day in Japan. The day was established by the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association to remind people to inspect their tires, and in fact JATMA holds free tire inspections at popular expressway rest stops throughout … Continue reading
Here’s what Initial D would look like if it took place in America
The web has countless works of art inspired by Initial D, but here’s a completely original take on the seminal anime. A “what if” short imagines what the touge racing tale would look like if it took place in America. … Continue reading
Toyota GT-One arrives in Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7‘s latest update packs some serious horsepower. Notably, it marks the return of the Toyota GT-One, among the most beautiful and the most tragic Le Mans racers of the last 25 years. The 780-horsepower monster was a force … Continue reading
QotW: Which Nissan model is the most Nissan?
This is going to be a tough one. Not only has Nissan has built a wide variety of enthusiast cars over its 90 years in business, it has created icons over and over again. From the Datsun 510 to the … Continue reading
Life-size Nissan Silvia S14 recreated for car lover’s wedding
A Japanese couple recently went viral on social media for having a Nissan Silvia S14 displayed at their wedding. The car in the photo above isn’t just any S14, though. The groom’s beloved Silvia proved impossible to get into the … Continue reading
Japanese detailers clean up a Toyota TE27 Corolla Levin
After seeing several detailers work their magic on classic Nihon steel, we wondered how such things are done in Japan. We weren’t able to unearth a video of anyone cleaning a full-on rat poop-infested husk, but we were able to … Continue reading
Mitsubishi Starion getting first wash in 12 years is extremely satisfying
It’s not clear why someone would let a built Mitsubishi Starquest sit unused in a barn for 12 years, but that’s what happened. It gets even more curious when the builder is your father and one of the longest-serving experts … Continue reading
QotW: How do you tell a “car enthusiast” from a car enthusiast?
Many people claim to be car enthusiasts, but are only superficially interested in things that go vroom-vroom. Sometimes what really appeals to “car enthusiasts” is the perceived status that owning a loud, flashy, expensive thing confers on them. Many go … Continue reading