Tag Archives: vip
The Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins trailer gets Japanese cars right
Hollywood movies often get car scenes wrong, but especially when the setting is in Japan. Typically they just sprinkle in some a Nissan Figaro in the background or set up a parking garage drift in Los Angeles that stands in … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2019 Osaka Auto Messe
Everyone knows the Tokyo Auto Salon, the massive annual car show where the big brands and tuning houses of Japan’s automotive aftermarket goes all-out to show its wares. But, there’s an equally big show that’s not quite as well known, … 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
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
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
NIHON LIFE: Stumbling across random car shops in Tokyo
It’s easy to get lost in Tokyo. The streets aren’t laid out in a grid and often have no signs on them, or if they do, they’re in Japanese. As a car otaku, the problem is compounded because rather than looking at … Continue reading
QotW: Which vintage barrel is the definitive “universal” JNC wheel?
There are some wheels, either stock or aftermarket, that just look good. They can be fitted to a good number of JNCs and universally improve the look, like the classic gunmetal or black Wat. You can slap those on anything … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 All-Toyotafest, Part 01— Luxe & GT
Hanging like a cloud over the festivities of the 19th annual All-Toyotafest this year was the news that had been leaked to the press a week prior: Toyota USA was moving its headquarters, which had been a southern California fixture … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Nostalgic2Days, Part 04
We start our final installment of our 2014 Nos2Days coverage with a beautiful butaketsu Laurel by Red Megaphone. The Nissan restoration shop is known primarily for its Skylines, but this white C130 hardtop showed that there’s more than hakosukas and kenmeris … Continue reading
BUBBLE ERA EXCESS: 1984 Nissan Gloria Turbo Brougham VIP Super Selection Ⅱ
Since we’re talking about the greatest interiors this week here’s a rarely mentioned cabin that gives Mitsubishi’s plaid and Subaru’s bizarro asymmetry a run for their money. Behold the Bubble Era excess of the 1984 Nissan Gloria Turbo Brougham VIP … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1965 Nissan President
From 1965, if you wanted the very pimpest and plushest the Nissan empire had to offer, then you’d go to your friendly neighbourhood dealer and plunk down a not-trivial six million yen for a President. The Royal Family may have rolled … Continue reading
EVENTS: AE86 Nights 5th Anniversary
SoCal may have its drawbacks, but there aren’t many places where you can put the call out for a hachiroku party and have over 100 cars show up. AE86 Nights has been doing this almost every Saturday night since April of 2007, … Continue reading
EVENTS: Toyotafest 2011 Part 02
Welcome to Part 02 of our Toyotafest 2011 coverage. As Michio Kaku would say, let’s jump right in and take a look at some of more extreme cars that were at the show. This TE51 Corolla has exchanged hands a … Continue reading
VIP S120 Toyota Crown Royal Saloon
Mid-80s Toyotas are rather unappreciated, but subtle expression is the key to customizing an S120 Crown. And you thought the Cressida was boxy… [Image: ezbbs.net]