Category Archives: Video

VIDEO: The 1984 Corolla marked a watershed moment in Toyota history

The fifth-generation Corolla marked a paradigm shift in Toyota history. It was the first sign that the old, rear-wheel-drive traditions would soon be wiped clean, replaced with newfangled front-drive successors. It was a risky proposition for Toyota, but it paid … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Lexus LX450 was the Land Cruiser’s richer cousin, but today their fortunes have reversed

For years the 4×4 market has been hit with the Toyota tax, with a legendary reputation of indestructibility jacking up the prices of Land Cruisers, 4Runners, and pickups. When the Lexus LX450 debuted in 1996 with a $47,500 base price, … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A British-built Acura Legend just wasn’t the same

In 1987 the Austin Rover Group embarked on an interesting experiment. They would sell Acura Legend-based luxury sedans with Honda guts. Everything else would be developed in-house, and the result would be unleashed on an unsuspecting American public as the … Continue reading

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A father-son Datsun 240Z story kicks off Nissan’s “StorieZ” videos

Nissan USA continues to embrace the Z’s heritage, with its new mini webisode series “StorieZ”. The inaugural episode tells the journey one special father-son Datsun 240Z project that has traveled from Southern California to Georgia to Tennessee and spanned four … Continue reading

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Watching a Toyota Crown get lavishly detailed is extremely satisfying

Owning a black car can be a blessing and a curse. A sleek, perfectly paint-corrected and waxed example can give an elegant car such as this MS60 Crown a menacing yakuza vibe. On the other hand, it’s also one wrong … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The 1989 Toyota Camry brought V6 power to the masses

Today there is no question that the Camry is the benchmark for the ideal family sedan. Its reputation for legendary reliability and innocuous styling had to begin somewhere. Back in 1989, the V20 Camry still had to prove its worth … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Mazda MX-6 appeals to the emotions

Before there was Kodo, Mazda practiced Kansei Engineering — engineering based on human feelings. It still resonates today, trickling down to even the CX-30‘s heartbeat-like LED turn signals. Back in 1993, design DNA from the flagship FD RX-7 trickled down … Continue reading

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VIDEO: There will probably never be a car like the SW20 MR2 again

The Toyota MR2 was one of those rare Japanese cars that evolved constantly throughout its life. There were five distinct revisions, called Type I through Type V, made to hone the small mid-engined runabout into a better driver’s car. We … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Watch an R32 Skyline GT-R undergo NISMO’s $433,000 bare-metal restoration

Late last year, we were in awe when Omori Factory gave us a glimpse into NISMO’s unparalleled restoration program for the R32 Skyline GT-R. Re-issued factory parts matched with meticulous nut-and-bolt attention to detail has culminated in the rebirth of one very … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Even the budget performance cars of 1991 Japan were incredible

God, 1991. It was a magical time for Japanese machinery. Every carmaker was offering an extraordinary car in their lineup, sometimes several. The abundance was so great that even at the low end of the price ladder, you could get … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Chip Foose reimagines the AW11 Toyota MR2

We recently learned about Chip Foose’s new video series, in which he applies his designer’s touch to popular classics, when he drew his interpretation of an FJ40 Land Cruiser. Turns out, he drew an AW11 Toyota MR2 as well, reimagining … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The 1990 Isuzu Impulse deserved better

The second-generation Isuzu Impulse never got enough love. It was cheap, but not quite cheap enough. It was sporty, but not quite sporty enough, especially compared to the competition from Honda or Toyota. Isuzu was more of a truck brand … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Chip Foose draws an FJ40 Land Cruiser

Custom car designer Chip Foose is famous for his amazing takes on American cars from Detroit’s the golden age. He’s not typically drawing Japanese cars, but in a series produced for Hagerty, Foose takes his pen to one of the … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Here’s a Nissan 240SX that doesn’t go sideways

This should be a fun one. You utter the words “Nissan 240SX” to anyone even marginally knowledgeable about cars today, and the first thing they’ll think is “drift missile.” But when the S14 debuted in 1995, that wasn’t even remotely … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Acura Legend was aptly named

You have to admire the cojones on Acura. Legends usually take a while to establish themselves as such,  but they named their debut luxury flagship the Legend from day one. It was a class unto itself upon launch, but by … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Toyota T100 was the right truck for the wrong time

When it was new, the Toyota T100 pickup defied categorization, as Japanese car often do. Upon release, it was derided as being less powerful than the full-size pickups from the Big Three, but too large for the compact pickup class. … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A bunch of kaido racers accidentally caught on video circa 1987

The Tomei Expressway stretches from Nagoya to Tokyo, and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It’s a beautiful stretch of road, and when heading east you can see the flat outskirts give way to the tall buildings of the capital city. … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Fun facts about classic Mazdas, depending on your definition of fun

Mazda UK has released a series of videos issuing “fun facts” about classic Mazdas. To be honest, it’s a bit of a stretch to call these facts “fun” unless you find scintillating tidbits such as “Mazda first used the 929 … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The hand-built 117 Coupé was easier for the Isuzu Museum to restore than a lowly pickup

The most heralded passenger car from Isuzu’s portfolio of classics is the 117 Coupé.Marketed as a flagship luxury GT, it was very much an image car intended to put Isuzu on the map against the Toyotas and Princes of 1960s … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Feast your eyes on 20 years of high-def Tokyo streets

As we approach the long Thanksgiving weekend, here’s a feast of a different sort. Let your eyes consume this incredible, high-definition video of Tokyo during the Showa Era. Spanning a period of almost two decades, the videos show how dramatically … Continue reading

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