Author: Alec Pender
What would you do for those who found yourself with a couple of billion dollars burning a hole in your pocket? Superyachts, hypercars, private jets, the entire above? Well how about cutting a mountain in half and constructing considered one of the world’s most exclusive race tracks. That’s what Cornes & Co did here in Japan, and with that, we’re left with The Magarigawa Club. The Magarigawa Club is just not hot off the press news, it’s actually been open for slightly over 18 months now, but because it’s doors have opened, I had yet to have the prospect to go to and…
The 2020s appear to have turn into the last decade for resto-mods; but with EV-this and hybrid-that, recreating the heros that made a variety of us fall in love with cars just is smart. Not so way back, resto-mods were almost exclusively reserved for large dollar classics and vintage supercars. But exclusivity no more, just within the last couple of years we’ve seen the JDM space sprout just a few of its own resto-mods; the Built By Legends GTR’s and TOM’s Supra simply to name just a few. That’s where the Prodrive P25 is available in. Nevertheless, there’s a substantial difference between the…
Tsukuba Circuit is hallowed ground within the time attack world, but for many enthusiasts outside Japan, the dream of hitting this iconic track in real life stays just that – a dream. For Jacky Tse of JTune, a Latest Zealand-based tuner and die-hard time attack fan, nevertheless, that dream wasn’t something to simply watch from behind a screen. It was something to be realised. Jacky considers himself a “normal driver.” While he’s an off-the-cuff track instructor, Jacky shouldn’t be knowledgeable racer. His goal was easy but ambitious: to prove that anyone could show as much as Tsukuba for the primary time in…
One other yr of Tokyo Auto Salon means one other round of scouring the depths of the Makuhari Messe automotive parks – the unofficial TAS automotive meet. TAS reigns supreme as the top event of Japanese automotive culture, drawing over 200,000 visitors to the Chiba convention centre yearly. With that sort of foot traffic, it’s no surprise that the automotive parks hide some real gems. So, let’s take a have a look at what I discovered during my Friday visit to Tokyo Auto Salon 2025. Right near the doorway, I used to be greeted by this – guerrilla marketing at…
As 4:00pm sunsets settle in and celsius temperatures dip into the one digits, the time attack season across Japan begins. Earlier within the month, I made my method to Tsukuba Circuit for an event I wasn’t entirely conversant in. The HKS Hiper Challenge is under no circumstances recent, though. Dating back to the ’90s, it’s been a daily fixture, with events held at various circuits all across Japan. Being an HKS event, word is predominantly spread via the tuning giant’s domestic Performance Dealer network, which advertises the Hiper Challenges to its loyal customer base. That’s why you’ll find most cars…
BMW’s recent styling shift has sparked debate amongst enthusiasts loyal to the German automaker. While this recent design language is slowly winning over some, others remain firmly against it. But not Studie AG. The Japanese BMW specialist has wholeheartedly embraced the styling evolution. For those unfamiliar, Studie, a Yokohama-based tuning shop founded in 1995, initially gained recognition as a BMW parts specialist, specializing in the most recent models at any given time. Today, Studie’s operations extend across Japan, with branches in Sendai, Kobe, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Hokkaido, and Nagoya. Moreover, the corporate runs the official BMW racing team in Japan’s Super…
The Nismo Festival, probably the most iconic events on Japan’s automotive calendar, is a must-attend for any Nissan otaku. But, this yr, the event appeared to reflect a turning point – one where the industry’s growing give attention to EVs and modernity could have marked the start of the festival’s decline. For a lot of, the actual draw of the annual Nismo Festival isn’t testing the most recent hybrid and EV models already on display at your local dealership but witnessing a select few of Nissan’s incredible Heritage Collection cars hitting the track and making some noise. Last weekend’s event was…
Learning How To Drift At Ebisu It’s been a couple of months since I last updated you on my AE86 endeavours here in Japan, and what an eventful few months it’s been. We’ll kick things off with a fast trip to Ebisu Circuit. For years, I’ve been behind the camera, capturing drifting motion first in Australia and now in Japan. But getting behind the wheel? That was all the time a goal, just never a priority. Most of the time, I’d spend track day money on a brand new lens or camera accessory as an alternative. But when the possibility…
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…
