Category Archives: events
LA Auto Show: Honda resurrects two 90s nameplates
Honda has brought back two iconic names from the 1990s, but sorry, it’s not what you think. Unveiled ahead of the LA Auto Show today are a pair of new models for 2019,the Honda Talon and the Honda Passport. Neither … Continue reading
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Tagged eclipse, honda, isuzu, LA Auto Show, mitsubishi, Passport, talon
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SEMA 2018: Demand for resto-modded Land Cruisers continues to grow
SEMA has a reputation for being a circus of cars modified to the brink of absurdity and then some. But among American cars, especially the muscle favorites of the 1960s and 70s, money-no-object yet tasteful resto-mods abound. Among J-tin, there … Continue reading
SEMA 2018: The Zs of SEMA, offered without comment
Ever since Sung Kang’s “Fugu Z” won Best of Show, Datsuns have been increasingly prevalent at SEMA, the biggest aftermarket trade show in the world. In fact, the number of classic Zs handily outnumber new ones, and Nissan even brought … Continue reading
SEMA 2018: The winner of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour will be made into a toy car
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Hot Wheels went on a 15-city tour of the USA this year, in search of one car they would make into an actual toy car. At each stop, the gang from Mattel held a car … Continue reading
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Tagged 240z, b120, datsun, escudo, Geo Tracker, Hakotora, hot wheels, nissan, s30 z, sema, sunny truck, suzuki
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SEMA 2018: All five generations of Toyota Supra
As you might have heard, Toyota is coming out with a new Supra. It makes sense that they would use the aftermarket extravaganza that is SEMA to build some excitement for the model’s long-awaited return. What we didn’t expect was … Continue reading
EVENTS: Nisei Week Car Show, 2018
The annual Nisei Festival in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles is a celebration of Japanese American culture. Nisei means “second generation” in Japanese, but with its 84 years since the inaugural festival, the event has already been passed … Continue reading
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Tagged 240sx, 240z, 280zx, a60, A80, abunai deka, acura, ae86, celica, century, civic, Civic EG, corolla, corona, crown, datsun, e70, f31, fairlady roadster, fd3s, G50, hilux, honda, infiniti, integra, Integra DA, itasha, lancer, lancer evolution, Lancer Evolution VI, Lancer Evolution X, Lancer Turbo, legend, Lexus LS, m30, mazda, miata, Miata NA, mitsubishi, mustang, mx-5, N80, Nisei Week, nissan, Q45, rx-7, s13, s130, s14, s2000, s30 z, s50, silvia, supra, T180, t80, toyota, vip
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EVENTS: Petersen Museum Cruise-in, Part 02
The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles puts on many events throughout the year, each with a theme ranging from hot rods to Porsches. Recently, they hosted their annual cruise-in for Japanese cars, inviting Nihon Steel both old and new to … Continue reading
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Tagged 240sx, 240z, 350z, 4runner, 510, 626, a60, a70, acty, acura, ae86, bluebird, bosozoku, celica, civic, Civic EF, Civic EG, corolla, cressida, crx, datsun, datsun 521, datsun 720, F30, f31, fairlady roadster, gloria, gt-r, hilux, honda, infiniti, integra, Integra Type R, kaido racer, kei, leopard, Lexus GS, m30, M45, mark II, mazda, Mazda B-Series, minitrucks, nissan, nsx, Petersen Museum, r32, r35, s14, S160, s30 z, skyline, supra, te27, toyota, vip, wagons, x30, x70, Y34, z32, z33
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EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2018, the Greatest Hits
Among the many examples of 80s and 90s Japanese cars that populated Radwood NorCal this year, there were a few that really stood out to us. We hesitate to call them the best; except for the actual “Best Of” voted … Continue reading
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Tagged 240sx, 323 GTX, accord, Accord 1G, b13, camry, cressida, cultus, Dodge D50, Eagle Talon, eclipse, f31, fd3s, forte, geo, honda, infiniti, leopard, m30, mazda, metro, miata, Miata NA, Mighty Max, mitsubishi, mx-5, nissan, prelude, Prelude 3g, Radwood, rx-7, s13, sa22, sentra, silvia, suzuki, swift, tacoma, toyota, v10, x70
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One of the few Toyota Sports 800s sold new on US soil
These days, it’s easy, but also not terribly difficult to see a Toyota Sports 800 in the US. Though Toyota never offered them in the US, they’ve been part of numerous car shows and museum exhibits. And with their build … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2018, Part 06 — Trucks & Vans
We’ve arrived at the final dispatch from Toyotafest, and in this installment we look at the trucks, SUVs, and vans that graced the show. Everyone loves Celicas and Supras but these unsung heroes are an undeniable part of Toyota’s success (and perhaps just … Continue reading
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Tagged 4runner, back to the future, fj40, fj60, hilux, honda, J70, J80, land cruiser, motocompo, N20, N40, N50, stout, toyota, Toyota Van, toyotafest
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EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2018, Part 05 — A whole lot of RWD
Toyota still makes large sedans, economical cars with transversely mounted engines, and powerful sports cars (at least in V8 form), but the once plentiful species of lightweight, rear-wheel-drive compact has dwindled to just one model. Toyotafest might be the last place in the … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2018, Part 04 — RWD Celicas
With a new Supra on the way and Toyota’s increased focus on more powerful and likely very expensive sports cars, let us not forget the humble Celica. For seven generations it was Aichi’s entry level sports car, and long before the zippy front-drivers and AWD … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2018, Part 03 — Transversely Mounted
Though many enthusiasts bemoan Toyota’s transition, starting in the mid-1980s, to a mostly front-wheel-drive lineup, this shouldn’t be the case. Sure, the Cressidas and Supras carried the RWD torch, but Toyota built many fun-to-drive models with transversely mounted engines too, and those … Continue reading
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Tagged A80, A90, aw11, celica, Celica All-Trac, Corolla FX-16, gt-four, mr2, st165, st185, st205, sw20, T160, T180, T200, toyota, toyotafest, ZZW30
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Toyotafest Spotlight: A true kaido racer on American soil
“We used to do this with hot rods,” said Shige Suganuma, president of Mooneyes, as I pointed out the unmissable Mark II kaido racer in the Cressida section at Toyotafest. We were walking the grounds, and he recalled how, during the Bubble Era, his … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2018, Part 01 — Sedans
If there’s one thing Toyota is known for, it’s sedans. Yes, the Camry is basically the default car that pops into most brains when the word “sedan” is uttered, but Toyota also has a mean portfolio of old school, rear-wheel-drive mobbers. From Cressida … Continue reading
EVENTS: Get a discount code to The Petersen Automotive Museum’s unprecedented Japanese car exhibit
This week the Petersen Automotive Museum is opening three unprecedented exhibits featuring classic Japanese cars. Although the Petersen has exhibited classic J-tin in the past, this is the first time nostalgics have taken such a prominent position in the museum’s … Continue reading
