Author: Toby Thyer
‘Give a person a body kit, and he’ll look cool for a day. Give him a sheet of raw carbon fibre, and he’ll look cool for a lifetime.’ Masato Nitta lives by this philosophy, and he’s built a one-piece carbon front cowl for his EK9 Honda Civic Type R to prove it. In fact, while this ancient Japanese proverb uses man within the context of humanity; everyone can live by this philosophy. On my most up-to-date trip south to the Kansai region of Japan, I planned to go and take a look at the local Civic scene in Nara, specifically a…
Rule #8 of Speedhunting: When unexpected gems show up at a shoot, all the time find time for them. Like this 1996 Honda Integra Type R, which casually appeared during my recent shoot with a five-door-converted EK Civic Ferio sedan built by X-Point Import Co. in Chiba. Honda owners are likely to gravitate toward one another, very like the liquid metal pieces of a T-1000 Terminator. Rule #6 of Speedhunting: At all times ask what you’re taking a look at. Unless you’re a tuner culture savant, sometimes essentially the most special or unique cars fly under the radar. At first glance, this…
Forget the big-boosting Nissan Skyline GT-Rs and wide-bodied Lamborghini Miuras – what we actually need is more odd kei cars. There’s something irresistibly fun about tiny vehicles designed to appear like supercars. They’re guaranteed to place a smile in your face each time. Specifically, I’m talking about wild kei automobile creations like this Honda Today from 1988, which has gull-wing doors and a 12A rotary engine swap, built by RE Amemiya and Bomex. I’m unsure why we don’t see more one-of-a-kind kei projects along these lines – perhaps something as a consequence of cost. Nevertheless, in Japan, you may still find some…
“The important thing to immortality is first living a life price remembering.” Poignant words from history’s most dangerous dragon, Bruce Lee. But this story isn’t in regards to the ‘Little Dragon.’ It’s about one other dragon, the Toyota Sera ‘Twin Dragon.’ A fitting title, given to it by its mad scientist creator, Takuro Watanabe of Circuit & Dreams CLR. Not simply because that is the 12 months of the snake within the Chinese zodiac, but additionally because this Sera is a 1,000hp twin-engine 4WD beast that defies belief. This isn’t Watanabe-san’s first rodeo in relation to crazy creations – you would…
Thirty-three years after its debut, the FD3S Mazda RX-7 stays one of the fascinating tuning platforms to emerge from Japan. I first saw this particular 1999 FD in May when it was on display at Wekfest Japan 2024. On the time, the engine wasn’t quite finished, so I made plans with Masatsuga Chiba of X-Point Import Co., who played a crucial role in its recreation, to shoot the Mazda later within the 12 months. I used to be keen to take a more in-depth look and discover which direction this 25-year-old beauty had been taken. Like anything that’s stood the…
At the peak of the bubble economy, Japan was unlike the rest on the planet – its city skyline gleamed with the promise of limitless prosperity, and its streets pulsed with the electrical energy of a nation on the point of an unprecedented future. For a lot of, Tokyo represents that golden era – a city transformed by an explosion of population, infrastructure, and innovation within the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. And nothing embodies the bubble era quite like Akihabara Electric Town. It’s the essence of Japan’s leap to global dominance in electronics manufacturing. I’ve desired to shoot on this…