If someone was to ask you to think of a Japanese wheel – any wheel – chances are the Volk Racing TE37 would pop into your mind. There is no doubt that this particular six-spoke, one-piece forged rim has come to be a defining detail in the JDM aftermarket scene. Its ageless design has stood [...]
Motorsport is addictive. I probably don’t need to tell you that, but of all the codes out there I’m not sure than any fuel the fire of obsession quite like drag racing does. In a sport where success is often measured in one-hundredths of a second or less, that’s understandable of course. Consistency is one thing, [...]
Getting a 3700lb (1675kg) Nissan Skyline GT-R down the strip in eight and a half seconds flat on its very first outing since an intensive, yet short lead build, is not any way, shape or form an easy proposition. But behind the wheel of MGAWOT II, New Zealand-based but internationally-renowned Nissan RB-series engine builder Robbie [...]
From the moment I returned from my first trip to Japan in 2011, I was obsessed. My fascination with Japanese culture and the beautiful nostalgic vehicles that came along with it grew every day, and the idea of going back there began to consume my thoughts on a daily basis. My mental list of ‘stuff to do [...]
By definition, a Speedhunter should pursue his “hunt” in a variety of different ways, which means that when we cover events we don’t simply just concentrate on what is served up for us on the show floor, or in the paddock at race tracks. Our curiosity pushes us to wonder around, to head out of [...]
As “Project GT-R” continues its slow but steady evolution, I spent most of the last few weeks organizing the next round of modifications. A few cool upgrades are on their way but apart from that nothing was really installed or changed since fitting the new Takata Harnesses in February. So for my monthly update I thought [...]
I’m so glad I decided to go to the Hobby Garage in Kuki the other day. Had I not, I don’t think I would have ever understood what “custom” really means to RC car enthusiasts in Japan. If you thought what you saw in yesterday’s post was impressive, well all I can say is scroll [...]
I’ll get this spotlight post from the Excite King VIP meet started with a car that well, isn’t really VIP. With the whole bippu movement finding obvious roots in the bosozoku and kaido racer styles of the seventies and eighties, there is always one of these gems sitting among the more modern cars present. This [...]
I always thought the age old debate of “form over function” is a funny one. At the end of the day, does anyone out there really need to change anything on his or her car? Do we need to upgrade turbochargers, or fit adjustable suspension along with stickier rubber. What enthusiasts gain from modifications is [...]
You might have noticed I haven’t been heading down to many night meets at Daikoku PA lately. With the Police constantly closing off the rest stop way before gatherings have a chance to get too big, it has began to take a lot of the fun away from it all. The reason they have started [...]
I have always wanted proper racing harnesses. In the few instances that I’ve taken my GT-R out on track one of the things that I was always concerned about, obvious safety aside, was sliding all over the seat through corners and under hard braking. And this isn’t even only on track; ever since fitting Bridgestone [...]
I will attempt to tackle the Nostalgic 2 Days in the sort of manner one would at the show itself. If you were there you would head towards the cars that stand out the most and circle them, getting a closer look at their details. The first car that stopped me in my tracks was [...]
It’s often hard to comprehend just how vast and deep automotive culture and passion spans in Japan. Last year I had the chance to help put together a program that attempted to show just this, looking at some of the biggest names out there. It was a pity it was only shown in Japan, but we all knew it wouldn’t be long before it was released online. It’s over forty minutes long so sit back and enjoy the show.
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
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Seeing this past Sunday was the final Battle Evome of the year that I will be covering, this will pretty much wrap up the first-half of the JDM time attack season coverage, at least at this sort of level. However, there will always be plenty more grip event at tracks like Tsukuba, Honjo and Sodegaura [...]
As I did last month with the JCCA New Year Meeting, I figured that the best method for covering the parking lot at Osaka Auto Messe would be a “photo attack” showing as many cool machines as I possibly can. I think that by looking through this massive selection of photos, you’ll get a reasonable [...]
