Author Archives: Steve Chang
Mugen celebrates 50th anniversary with Casio watch
In 1973 Mugen was founded to build race and aftermarket parts for Honda motorcycles and cars. Its racing engines, composites, and tuning parts have powered everything from Formula 1 cars to hooptie Civics over the decades. This year marks its … Continue reading
QotW: What are your favorite cars as emoji?
Today, July 17, is World Emoji Day. The digital pictograms that have proliferated ants were invented in 1999 in Japan. However, the date of July 17 originated from the day Apple launched iCal application in 2002. When emoji were added … Continue reading
Nissan is getting ready to throw a 90th anniversary bash
Nissan is about to throw a big birthday party for itself as it readies itself for its 90th birthday. In the coming months, the carmaker will roll out a series of initiatives to celebrate its heritage and DNA. This includes … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your oil change routine for your car(s)?
There’s the old joke about a wrenching noob that goes into an auto parts store to ask for a 710 cap. Well, in Japan they’ve gone and made an entire day out of it. Today, July 10, is officially Lubrication … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most “American” JNC?
These days if you look at a Japanese car company’s US lineup and the hometown Japanese lineup, there isn’t much overlap. Almost all the US models have been engineered for the US market, built in the US, and sold here … Continue reading
Honda CRX Si returned to family and restored to Tuner Era glory after 20 years
Anthony Pedatella’s 1990 Honda CRX Si was his pride and joy when he and his wife-to-be Marisa began dating in midst of the Tuner Era. It epitomized the style of the times, with a ZC twin-cam, Clarion stereo, and a … Continue reading
QotW: Do friends and family actually take your car advice?
Like it or not, as car enthusiasts we often serve as the go-to people among our normie friends and family for advice on cars. Some people do follow our recommendations, but others, after picking our brains for hours and asking … Continue reading
Is Kanye West a closet JDM car enthusiast?
Kanye West’s lyrics have not been kind to Japanese cars. Not only are they jammed with references to typical rapper fare like Mercedes-Benzes and Lamborghinis, he often rips on cars like Nissans and Toyotas. But a recent spate of West … Continue reading
Forza Motorsport promises 80s Group 5 vs IMSA crossover
The official trailer for Forza Motorsport has dropped, giving us a glimpse of the racing action contained within. What’s most compelling is that the game seems to lean heavily into actual racing machines, which leads to some interesting match ups, … Continue reading
Posted in Video Games
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The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter turns 60 years old
Among the oldest nameplates in Japan’s auto industry is the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter. Though perhaps not as exciting as Nissan’s Skyline or Toyota’s Crown, the Canter has been a staple of Japanese roads for 60 years. The cabover light-duty truck … Continue reading
RIP Tina Turner, singer, actor, DSM spokesperson
Japan is known for poaching American celebrities for car commercials, and at first glance this spot for a DSM starring 12-time Grammy winner Tina Turner could easily be mistaken for that. But no, it’s a home-grown all-American ad for the … Continue reading
Overtake, a new racing anime, is coming this fall
The world is still waiting for the next Initial D, the last racing anime to really take the globe by storm. Could a new series about open wheel racing take the mantle? Titled Overtake, the series focuses on Formula 4, … Continue reading
The Toyota MR2 strikes again in Eurovision 2023 and synth-laden music video
The AW11 Toyota MR2 has long been the car of choice for electronica-influenced bands. Maybe it’s something about the angular wedge shape and flip-up headlights that make it the go-to. Last week we posted about one of the most memorable … Continue reading
Toyota Camry vs Mazda 626 in 1983: History keeps on repeating
Motorweek was just two years old in 1983 when it decided to do a four-way test of five-door family hatchbacks. It’s not a format that stuck around — we’re talking about both the show’s comparo and the body style — … Continue reading
QotW: Who taught you about cars?
Teacher Appreciation Week starts today, May 8, but these unsung heroes aren’t just found in the classroom. Many of us had a relative, friend, or internet resource who fed our curiosity about cars, automotive history, or wrenching. Or perhaps you’re … Continue reading
Fight 1/8 scale crime with this gull-winged Nissan Fairlady 280Z from Seibu Keisatsu
Last year Hachette released an ultra-detailed model of the DR30 Nissan Skyline from Seibu Keisatsu, Japan’s most popular 80s cop show. Now they’ve followed up with the only logical move, a 1/8 scale model of the show’s Super Z, based … Continue reading
Posted in bosozoku, Model Kits, News
Tagged fairlady z, model kits, nissan, s130, seibu keisatsu
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The Honda Legend is Han Solo’s preferred transport on this remote backwater planet
The Millennium Falcon might be a fast ship, but when Han Solo visits a primitive Outer Rim world that has yet to develop repulsor technology the galactic smuggler needs to blend in with the locals. That’s why he chooses the … Continue reading
