Category Archives: events
Tokyo Auto Salon: A woman-run tuning house’s ultra-Japanese custom creations
The car world is still, unfortunately, very male dominated, with few woman-run shops anywhere on the planet. At the Tokyo Auto Salon this year, however, one of the most striking booths was that of L-Tide, a woman-led shop located in western Tokyo, and its … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 430, bosozoku, cedric, cresta, L-Tide, nissan, tokyo auto salon, toyota, vip, x60
16 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon: Nissan, Mitsubishi show cars with American roots
We’ve seen how Japanese tuners glean inspiration from vintage American styles, but it’s interesting when actual automakers do the same. Though Nissan and Mitsubishi are of the same family now, their branding is still very separate. Coincidentally, both showed cars whose … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 370z, 370Z Heritage Edition, Delica D:5, Eclipse Cross, fairlady z, gt-r, mitsubishi, NISMO, nissan, r35, SuperGT, z34
3 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon: Banzai Sports SSS-face Sunny Truck
If there is one thing people will seemingly never get tired of it’s putting other Nissan noses on a Sunny Truck. The latest example, shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon recently, was by Banzai Sports and features a Bluebird SSS face on the evergreen … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 510, b210, bluebird, datsun, nissan, sunny truck, tokyo auto salon
3 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon: The championship-winning TOM’s KP47 Starlet was rebuilt around its original engine
Toyotaku know the name TOM’s well. Tachi Oiwa Motorsport is the has been Japan’s premier tuner of Toyota and Lexus cars for decades, serving as something of an unofficial performance arm for the Big T. For the Tokyo Auto Salon this year, they brought out … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Maybe it’s time to stop calling Toyota boring
Modern Toyota often gets a bad rap for not indulging enough in its fun side. At the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s carnival of car customization and tuning, the Big T reminded us that few other Japanese automakers willing to commit this level of far-out … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged crown, lexus, Lexus LC, nurburgring, S220, tokyo auto salon, toyota, toyota 86, vitz, wrc, yaris
5 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon: Alaska-to-Chile Land Cruiser restored
On March 29, 1960 a Toyota Land Cruiser embarked on a record-breaking north-to-south journey from Fairbanks, Alaska to Puerto Montt, Chile. The Land Cruiser covered 20,015 miles, took 117 days, and recorded the first time the trip had been completed without accidents. Also, it was bright … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Endless brakes make this Hino Contessa a show stopper
One of the benefits of the growing interest in Japanese classics is that aftermarket companies are producing an increasing number of parts for the cars we know and love. One of the leaders of this movement is Endless Advance, the Japanese maker of … Continue reading
Posted in events, Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged contessa, Endless brakes, hino, tokyo auto salon
4 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon: Toyota reveals Gazoo Racing Super Sport Concept
Toyota has stubbornly refused to show the next Supra at major international motor shows even though prototypes have been photographed countless times. Instead, as enthusiasts cry, Toyota been quietly working on sleek new supercar concept, which it has just unveiled at the tuner-fest known as … Continue reading
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Tagged Gazoo Racing, Gazoo Racing Super Sports Concept, le mans, tokyo auto salon, toyota
7 Comments
EVENTS: The 2017 NISMO Festival was a moving tribute to the Skyline
This year’s NISMO Festival was a special one, as it marked the event’s 20th anniversary. The inaugural NISMO Festival in 1997 was a small gathering put together by NISMO employees as a customer appreciation day. Nissan factory drivers showed up to interact with … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 09 — Bikes
Hey guys, we’ve been totally slacking on a hugely important segment of Japanese Nostalgic Cars because, well, they’re not actually cars. But, even with two fewer wheels, motorcycles and scooters have been an integral part of Japan’s motoring history. Here are … Continue reading
SEMA 2017: An unmolested Toyota MR2 gave us the strength to carry on
Dearest Martha, As I took respite to pen this letter, I wondered if I would return from war the same man I was when I left home. SEMA is hell, my love. It has been just two days, but it … Continue reading
SEMA 2017: Datsun is the new “it” marque
Despite brief surges in sport compacts, drifting, VIP, and other trends from the land of the rising sun, SEMA is still mostly an American car show. If we had to put a number on the resto modded muscle cars pushing 1,000 horsepower, lifted … Continue reading
SEMA 2017: Into the Badlands star Daniel Wu’s Datsun 510
One of the standout cars at SEMA was a 1972 Datsun 510 sitting in the Toyo Tires Tread Pass section. Though owned by a celebrity — Into the Badlands star Daniel Wu — that’s hardly the most interesting thing about it. … Continue reading
SEMA 2017: Toyota brings fifteen Camrys to world’s biggest tuner show
We’re not sure if Toyota is trolling the entire aftermarket community, but Japan’s largest carmaker basically filled their entire SEMA display with nothing but Camrys. There were no tricked out Toyota 86s, lifted Land Cruisers, or slammed Siennas. Nope, just … Continue reading
SEMA 2017: Jun Imai debuts his widebody Datsun Z
Five years ago, we watched as the pink slip of a dusty blue 1974 260Z was signed over to Jun Imai. It appeared as if attempts to turn it into something greater had been cut short, leaving a car that was neither stock nor carefully modified. If … Continue reading
