Tag Archives: kaido racer
This Lincoln Continental Mark IV kaido racer makes every day Independence Day
One of the most shocking kaido racers ever built recently stepped onto the scene in Japan. Instead of the typical Nissan or Toyota base car, it uses a 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV as its foundation. Though Tokyo streets can … Continue reading
Sadly, Netflix’s Kate is not about kaido racers
You may have seen a trailer for a relatively new action movie on Netfllix named Kate, in which a pink kaido racer speed through the streets of Tokyo. The right car will definitely draw us into a film, and a … Continue reading
VIDEO: An all-rotary episode of Option Video
The Japanese tuning series Option Video has just posted an all-rotary episode. In it, host Daijiro Inada assembles a group of cars that showcase the progression of rotary engine-equipped Mazdas, starting with a Cosmo Sport. Accompanying him in what seems … Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: The reason why so many kaido racers run Olio Fiat stickers sold for $319,000
There were several significant classics and performance cars that crossed the auction block at the BH Auctions last week, but there is one more machine worth mentioning. The LM07 Toyota Group C race car wasn’t particularly successful, but it kicked … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Japanese tradition in car form
The classics of the chrome era at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon could be split into two camps. Restomods look towards the future, using a nod to the past to incorporate new and modern ideas. Then there are the cars … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — JDM
Japan-only cars have been making their way into JCCS for a while now, but this year the trickle seemed to turn into a tsunami. You couldn’t swing a fender mirror without coming into contact with a RHD ride from the … Continue reading
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
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
MINICARS: Apparently you can get kaido racers from a vending machine in Japan
You can get almost anything in a vending machine in Japan, and now that apparently includes toy kaido racers. Just drop in ¥1,000 (approximately $10 USD) and out comes your 1:64-scale bosozoku-style minicars.
VIDEO: Zokusha Skyline Japan gives F1 drivers an image upgrade
In the Venn diagram of automotive cultures, there are some that simply have no overlaps. Even a few short years ago, the idea that the moneyed, Euro-centric world of Formula One would collide with the underground, largely disdained world of bosozoku would be … Continue reading
EVENTS: Sagamiko Forest Skyline & Kyusha Meeting, Part 02
Our coverage of the Sagamiko Forest Skyline and Kyusha Meeting continues with even more Skylines (and other Nissans too, but mostly Skylines). Approaching the event, a cardboard sign warned attendees “Do Not Blip Your Throttle”, a favorite activity of kaido racers. Having good … Continue reading
VIDEO: 2016 Cannonball Festival
Though billed as a music festival for greasers and rockabilly types, the Cannonball Festival includes an impressive car and motorcycle show as well. The show is held on opposite ends of the country, Hiroshima and Chiba, and draws a wide array of bosozoku bikes and sleds … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — This is Japan
A life-size Gundam robot towers above the trees. Giant windowless shopping centers operate like small cities. In this snapshot of a hyper-futuristic metropolis floating on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, tradition comes in the form of a parking lot teeming … Continue reading