Category Archives: Culture
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 Love Story’ ad spans the decades with iconic cars
A new Japanese-market Nissan commercial tells a decades-long love story through classic cars. The spot is part of Nissan’s year-long 90th anniversary celebration, which began in December 2023. The ad features Nissan’s greatest hits in fast succession, promising a little … Continue reading
‘Toyota’s Child’ is a novel in which Akio Toyoda time travels to meet his grandfather
A new book about Akio Toyoda has been published in Japan, but it’s not your typical biography. Eri Yoshikawa’s Toyota no Ko, which translates to “Toyota’s Child”, is a science fiction novel in which the current Toyota chairman travels back … 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
Honda Super Cub art from around the world celebrates the iconic bike
At what point does a mass-produced consumer product become art? The Honda Super Cub has been in production since 1958 and proliferated the landscape of humanity by selling over 100 million units. There’s no arguing that the Super Cub is … Continue reading
Honda S500, S600, and S800 explored with no stone unturned: The First Honda Automobiles 1958-1970
In the volumes of information available on Hondas, most of it centers on cars of the 1980s and newer. There hasn’t been a whole lot written about the earliest models that paved the way for the Civics and Accords we … Continue reading
Toyota GR86 meets its Initial D and MF Ghost predecessors in new ad
Toyota has teamed up with the creator of Initial D and MF Ghost again in a new ad. The spot features the new GR86, the old 86, and the really old AE86 on a late night touge run while a … Continue reading
Nissan Z haunted by ghosts of Z-cars past on a sleepless night
We’ve seen the formula before. A commercial for the Nissan Z brings out generations of older Z-cars to support the new one. Not a single word is uttered in the whole ad and the narrative couldn’t be simpler. A man … Continue reading
1970 KE10 chases Toyota GR Corolla in new ad that is cringe
In Toyota’s latest ad for the raucous GR Corolla, a cameo by a 1970 KE10 almost threatens to steal the show. Not only that, but there are several references to past Toyota commercials, some obscure enough that only Toyota nerds … Continue reading
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
The Acura Integra Type S will take anime to Pikes Peak
It seems stupid, but it took Japanese manufacturers until 2022 to embrace anime as an advertising tool. It’s only been the most influential Japanese medium for about, oh, the last 30 years. Ironically it’s Acura, the first brand created for … Continue reading
The digital cars of Chris Labrooy are still fanciful fun
You might have noticed photos of some weird swan car built out of a Porsche 996 circulating on social media this week. Porsche is currently showing the art car in their display at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, … Continue reading
Posted in Art Corner
Tagged A80, datsun, fairlady z, gt-r, nissan, r34, r35, S30Z, skyline, supra, toyota
3 Comments
Initial D Toyota AE86 gets schooled by GR86 again, with a different master behind the wheel
In January a series of commercials for the 2022 Toyota GR86 reunited it with the famous Initial D AE86. In those commercials tofu delivery boy Takumi is defeated by none other than the Drift King himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya (or at … Continue reading
Toyota GR Corolla joins the family — Rate This Ad
The Toyota GR Corolla is hitting the showrooms soon, so it’s time for some new ads. For Americans, the 300-horsepower AWD hot hatch is probably the most anticipated Toyota in decades, especially if you count only the cars fully developed … Continue reading
Posted in cm
Tagged a20, A80, A90, ae86, celica, GR Corolla, GR86, sports 800, st205, supra, toyota
4 Comments
Japan’s first railway began operating 150 years ago today
One hundred and fifty years ago today, Japan’s first railway opened. The line connected Shimbashi, Tokyo to nearby Yokohama, a distance of just 18 miles. Pulled by a British-built steam locomotive, the trip took 53 minutes non-stop. The train made … Continue reading
Rate This Ad: Nissan off-roads through the decades
A new Nissan commercial takes viewers on a ride through the decades. Titled “60 Years in 30 Seconds”, it features spokeswoman Brie Larson time-jumping from the 1959 to present day in various Nissans. If you think that sounds familiar, it’s … Continue reading
Posted in cm
Tagged 240z, Armada, Baja 1000, d21, datsun, hardbody, nissan, pathfinder, S30Z, safari rally
8 Comments
Rate This Ad: Multi-generational Toyota family
Normally “national sales events” ads are pretty boring. You have the latest models zipping along a city street while APR financing options are recited at Micro Machine Man speed. For this summer’s Toyotathon, however, Toyota is pulling out the classics … Continue reading
After 30 years Honda finally acknowledges “tuners”
One of the biggest mysteries of the universe will always be why Honda never capitalized on the whole “tuner” phenomenon of the 90s. Back in the era of front-wheel drag racing and underglow, car enthusiasts in the 18-34 age range … Continue reading
