Author: Alec Pender
In the event you’ve seen recent automotive news media from Japan, chances are high it mentioned police crackdowns or the decline of the country’s automotive scene. While it is likely to be true of Tokyo to some extent, Osaka tells a special story. Through the one recent night I spent with some locals, I witnessed the colourful heart of Kansai automotive culture. Let’s start at CBC (Automobile Boys Club), a neighborhood garage run by Ikegami-san. CBC is a pure hobby enterprise, where Ikegami-san and his friends devote evenings and weekends to all things Honda. Parked outside the workshop was Ikegami-san’s…
In 2000, the seventh-gen Toyota Celica hit the road, showcasing a daring design for the time. For 14-year-old Alessio Arena in Italy, it sparked a permanent passion for cars, particularly this model. Upon turning 18, Alessio bought his first Celica. He began with the bottom 1ZZ-FE VVT-i (143hp) version but later upgraded to the 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i T Sport (192hp), which he still treasures today. Despite his love for the Celica, Alessio all the time felt a tiny bit letdown by its front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. He imagined how good it could possibly be if configured one other way. Fast-forward to 2015, when…
Tucked away within the picturesque hills of central Italy is Magione – Autodromo dell’Umbria. Once yearly, this small circuit transforms right into a vibrant hub for automobile enthusiasts through the Tarox Magione Super Battle (MSB). 2024 marked its third consecutive edition, with participation doubling and competitors and spectators travelling from across Italy, Portugal, and the UK. I had the honour of being invited by the Magione Super Battle’s organisers, Alessio C. and Alessio P., to witness the 2 days of festivities, from setup to the ultimate pack-down. To say it was sensible can be an understatement. As mentioned in previous…
Those accustomed to early-2000s Japanese drifting will undoubtedly know who Atsushi Kuroi is. For those who don’t, consider this a very important history lesson. It’s at all times difficult to summarise someone’s achievements without discounting their importance in history. Nonetheless, I’ll try to tell the story Kuroi-san deserves. Atsushi Kuroi was greater than just your average D1GP competitor – he’s also known as a pioneer of drifting. Possibly it’s a results of Kuroi-san’s outlandish driving, incredible automotive styling, unique engine decisions or the ever-present combination of the three. Running a tuning shop called River Side in Osaka, Kuroi-san became well-respected…
If you will have spent an prolonged time in Japan, you’ll appreciate a sunny spring day. This particular spring day was made even higher with a Hachiroku drift event at Mobara Circuit. Join me as I nerd out on 86-only mayhem. For the uninitiated, Mobara Circuit is a multi-purpose motorsports complex nestled just across Tokyo Bay in Mobara City, Chiba. While most know Mobara for its various drift and time attack competitions, the venue also hosts motorcycle and go-kart track days, most of which happen on the lesser-known short course track just off the side of the foremost circuit. Having attended my…
It’s 2024, and the fact of what we now consider a nostalgic automotive is changing. Cars that also feel like they’re from the present day are starting to search out themselves slotted right into a heritage or classic category. That being said, initiatives just like the Nismo Heritage Parts program are actually fully onboard with these modern classics, and that may ultimately help keep them alive. We’ll kick off with this bone-stock S13 Nissan Silvia, a automotive I’d consider right on the cusp of being a ‘classic’. It’s only 35 years old, but makes up for it with an entire lot of nostalgia.…
It’s fair to say that Tokyo Auto Salon is the foundation of most automotive tourism in Japan, and the resulting meets surrounding it in January definitely make for a busy, yet exciting month. First up this yr was RAUH-Welt Begriff’s annual Latest Yr Party – or more specifically the RWB Automotive Meeting that precedes it – held on the Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi on Thursday evening before TAS 2024 kicked off. You would possibly have noticed recently that the Porsche 911 has seemingly re-established itself as a pop-culture icon. 964s are getting used in fashion commercials and even the brand recent…
Yes, we’re back at Gunsai Touge. We’ve covered the varied thrills and risks of drifting at this venue prior to now, so at Hardcore Tokyo’s latest Gunsai day I made a decision to give attention to a couple of of the cars that make these events special. There are some real gems in here too, so you’ll probably need to get comfortable. You might know me as an AE86 fanatic, but I do have an affinity for Nissan Silvias as well. Enter the Garage Mak cars. Garage Mak is well-known even outside of Japan, and searching at these two S-chassis you quickly realise why.…
I’ll start this one off just by saying Malaysia is totally unique in the case of automotive tuner culture. Yes, Japan is great, but Malaysia takes it the additional mile in additional ways than one. You could remember my last story during which I covered an Initial D-inspired AE86 in Texas. Now you’re a life-size diorama of the famous Fujiwara Tofu Shop constructing from the famous manga, on the opposite side of the world. The brainchild of three AE86 and anime/manga enthusiasts – in that order, by some separation – this movie-set-like constructing is definitely a totally functioning restaurant and museum, serving all of…
Should you’ve ever visited Tsukuba Circuit, you’d be accustomed to the assorted workshops scattered across the outskirts of the complex. Amongst these, in an unsuspecting constructing Koshimizu Motorsports hides some truly remarkable gems. For the uninitiated, Koshimizu Motorsports – more commonly generally known as KMS – is synonymous with AE86 tuning, particularly inside Group A, N1 and N2 racing circles. When Yoshinori Koshimizu founded KMS 30 years ago, he was determined to refine AE86 tuning, and that’s resulted in cars which might be still actively raced to today. Lately, Koshimizu-san has shifted more towards AE86 restoration work but, naturally, a lot of the…
