Japanese Nostalgic Car

On a recent visit with some friends that I haven’t seen in years, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the younger of their two kids, now eight years old, is really into cars. His parents aren’t, so he’s been going to the library and borrowing the latest car magazines, studying the cars he sees on the street, and correcting his dad (“Our neighbor has a Land Cruiser, not a 4Runner!”). He reminds me of myself at that age. Naturally he loves supercars and big trucks, but I this is how I know he’s a connoisseur: his favorite is a Subaru WRX.

I immediately gave him a stack of Hot Wheels, but it made me somewhat sad. “Is this a real car?” he asked of the Honda CRX. “I’ve never seen one before,” he said of the FD Mazda RX-7. “So many coupes!” he noted as he opened Nissans, Porsches, and Camaros. He’s grown up in a world of Teslas and crossovers. I want to introduce him to the classics.

How do you encourage a kid who’s just discovering cars?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the last year that had cars which interested you?“. Continue reading →

If you’re a glass-half-empty type of person, you’re probably not excited about where the automotive industry is headed. Each year that passes, there seems to be fewer and fewer enthusiast cars, and the ones that come out are compromised in some way. If you’re a glass-half-full type of person, you might think that the best is yet to come. With the advancement of technology cars perform better than ever, and new architectures like battery-electrics and PHEVs will offer things traditional combustion engines could only dream of.

What’s the last year that had cars which interested you?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your Honda Civic story?“. Continue reading →

Fifty years ago today, on July 11, 1972, the Honda Civic went on sale. The tiny but mighty compact became synonymous with value, dependability, and the tuner culture of the 90s. It’s a household name to even the least car-aware people, and with 27 million sold it’s one of the best-selling nameplates in the world. Nearly everyone has either owned one or knows someone who has.

What’s your Honda Civic story?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What type of car has the best community of owners?“. Continue reading →

There are some cars you love, but can’t stand the people in their orbit. Then there are other cars that seem to attract owners with whom you can forge life-long friendships. We have friends who own all types of cars, but over the years we’ve found vintage Toyota owners to be some of the most down homies you can possibly ask for. They’re always there to lend a hand, give out some free advice, or share some old parts, all in a hate-free environment. Of course, there are good and bad apples in any bunch and your mileage may vary.

What type of car has the best community of owners?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your craziest story about buying goods from Japan?“. Continue reading →