Now that I’ve shared some of my initial thoughts and observations from this year’s Osaka Auto Messe, I thought I’d go ahead and jump right in with a Spotlight-O-Rama with some of my favorite cars from the show. I’ll begin with the tough looking Toyota 86 you see above. Built by Todoroki Auto, this hachi-roku [...]
Despite the “I see what you did there” title, here it is, one of the most highly anticipated FR-S builds from Tokyo Auto Salon. I suspect for some of you it might be a little hard to sustain enthusiasm for the ZN6 at the moment, due largely to the massive saturation of the car, particularly [...]
I’m still recovering from the wake of insanity that was my trip to Japan last week, but I figured this would be as good a time as any to quickly recap my recent adventures. The effort that Dino and I managed to pack into one week was incredible to say the least, and the result [...]
When this set of pictures sent in by Thomas Wong from Hong Kong reached our inbox we couldn’t quite believe our eyes. Seems that Thomas has developed custom 1:24 scale models of the TRA Kyoto FR-S and BenSopra GT-R… …two cars that totally ruled the JDM tuning world in 2012. The attention to detail is [...]
It’s been exactly two years since Motor Head began circulation in Japan. In these 24 months this publication has brought an unparalleled level of quality to print media and has managed to stay fresh and innovative in what can only be described as the hardest time print has ever endured. Issue number six, which has [...]
As if making any kind of decision at this time of year wasn’t difficult enough, here comes the biggest challenge, the ultimate vote of votes. What is the overall Car Of The Year for 2012? There were tough choices to be made even before the voting started in this year’s Speedhunters Awards; having to whittle [...]
Next up in the Speedhunters Awards for 2012 is the opportunity to vote for your favourite competition car of the year. We have a selection of old and new to choose from which are competing around the globe, though all are pushing the boundaries of their respective series. The fastest, the meanest, the most revolutionary [...]
As cool as watching the clock while famous drivers wrestle cars around a track is, one of the most interesting and more fascinating aspects of time attack for me has always been the cars themselves. So while I really do enjoy to shoot action, it’s the paddock that attracts me the most at the yearly [...]
This week’s news about Toyota considering adding a KERS-equipped 86 to the lineup sparked a lot of interesting discussion about the future of this car. While the it’s been praised across the world for it’s dynamics, I don’t think anyone would complain if Toyota and Subaru were to release higher horsepower versions of the 86 and BRZ. Surely it’s something that’s in the works.
The question for this week then, is how would YOU like to them to extract more power from the car? Turbocharger? Supercharger? Keep it NA? Something like KERS?
Vote and discuss below!
-Mike
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The defining aspect of the new Toyota 86 is it’s simplicity. This is a car that’s praised more for what it doesn’t have than what it does have. There is no complex AWD system, no turbochargers, fewer pounds, and few driver aids. It may sound strange then to hear that Toyota is considering taking the 86 in a very high tech direction. Speaking to Top Gear, chief engineer Tetsuya Tada mentioned that he has an 86 prototype outfitted with a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) similar to the one on Toyota’s TS030 Le Mans car. The idea he said, would be to give the 86 a much-requested power increase in both a unique and responsive fashion.
Obviously it would take some time before KERS could be fitted in a cost-effective manner, but it’s a very interesting idea. What do you think about a KERS-equipped 86 or FR-S?
-Mike
Source: Top Gear
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Now that I’ve had a full week to regroup from SEMA, I’ve been able to reflect with a clear mind upon all the craziness I experienced in order to look for some patterns. I’m not going to try to argue for or against any of the trends I’m calling out, nor am I saying any [...]
After having seen the Rocket Bunny FR-S in full detail back in October, as well as the countless cars wearing what has to be the most talked about aero conversion of the moment, this video from Luke Huxham and Crank & Piston couldn’t have come at a better time. Hit play and find out what makes Kei Miura’s work so unique, take a look through the TRA Kyoto workshop and see the FR-S once again in all its beauty.
Crank & Piston
Maiham Media
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
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Let me stop you right there. I know, we have been seeing far too many 86/FR-S/BRZs over the last few months – not to mention from SEMA – but the runaway success this little car from Toyota and Subaru has been enjoying, is very much deserved. But the car you see here is not another [...]
In recent years the SEMA show has seemed to have had a steady decline in the amount of Japanese vehicles and companies displaying cars and products, likely a lot of the falloff has something to do with the end of the “Fast and Furious” era. However there has been a huge resurgence at this year’s [...]
The SEMA Show hasn’t even started yet, and already it’s clear that the Scion FR-S will be one of the defining vehicles of this year’s event. In addition to various custom examples spread around the show, the Scion booth itself will include five customized versions of the FR-S produced by builders across the country. As [...]
