Author Archives: Steve Chang
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
Mitsuoka announces production of “M55” Honda-based Kenmeri Skyline
Mitsuoka announced on February 29 that it will put the M55, shown last November as a concept, into production. The M55 was built to mark Mitsuoka’s 55th anniversary and is based on a modern Honda Civic, but the body has … Continue reading
Toyota GR cars fight off boring autonomous vehicles in anime series GRip
Toyota has launched an anime miniseries to promote its Gazoo Racing lineup of sports cars. It’s called GRip: A Toyota Story, and its first two letters cleverly match the prefix in the series’ three star cars, the GR Corolla, GR … Continue reading
QotW: What should be the last purely gasoline-powered car ever produced?
If the rumors are true, the upcoming and very limited MR2 will likely be the last Toyota powered solely by gasoline. All future models will either be a gasoline-electric hybrid, electric only, or hydrogen-powered (either fuel cell or hydrogen fuel). … Continue reading
Toyota MR2 revival reportedly mulling single or double decklids
According to reports from Japan Toyota’s upcoming MR2 is progressing nicely. The question apparently isn’t whether they should pursue an MR2 at all, but whether it should have one or two decklids. On the one hand, a single rear door … Continue reading
Enkei Dish II brings back old school style for newer vehicles
The original Enkei Dish was an old school slot mag-style wheel sized for Japanese cars. They were released way back in 1968, and has been revived in several permutations since. On February 8 Enkei announced that they’re back again under … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC should be made into a Lego set?
Lego are insanely popular right now, but there isn’t much in the way of JNCs. They have licenses from Nissan, Toyota, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and maybe Honda, but they barely do anything with them. There’s a lot of potential in those … Continue reading
O.G. Nissan Skyline GT-Rs go for a relaxing afternoon drive
There isn’t much to this video, just a couple of O.G. Skyline GT-Rs at the track. Nissan calls the video a relaxing afternoon drive and the pace certainly appears leisurely. But pristine specimens of S20s on steelies snaking through bends … Continue reading
QotW: If you could magically merge the body of one car with the hardware of another, what would you choose?
One of the coolest things about the FJ40/J70 Franken-Cruiser from the Tokyo Auto Salon was how it looked. It was indistinguishable from a classic FJ40 to all but the most dedicated Land Cruiser enthusiasts. Yet it rode on a modern … Continue reading
Restored S13 Silvia, Nissan Bluebird Cube, Toyota S-FR roadster: Incredible creations by Japan’s tech school students
NATS always has a big presence at the Tokyo Auto Salon but it’s not the only school with cars to display. There are many technical colleges across Japan that all get to display their projects at the country’s biggest custom … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC is perfect for any occasion?
Life circumstances have made it so that you can have only one car that needs to do it all. It has to take you to work every day, look dignified enough as to not embarrass your boss/date/HOA, and be fun … Continue reading