And just like that, another 12 months have flown by, marking 2025 as our 17th consecutive year of bringing you car culture from all corners of the globe. How on earth did that happen?

Because it’s a brand-new year, we wanted to check in with you – our Speedhunters audience – to give you an insight into what’s coming throughout 2025, as well as hear what you’d like to see more (or less) of.

Can any more cars be wide-bodied? Will the next-gen Dodge Hellcat feature a ‘Takeover’ mode? And is it time to ban the phrase “What’s up, guys” from vlog intros on YouTube?

Everyone is well aware that Speedhunters has had a deep love for Japan since our inception in 2008. We also know this might be a bit much for those of you who don’t worship Japanese car culture quite like we do. But there is a simple reason why this place has featured so heavily in our content mix over the years: it’s every bit as incredible and inspiring as we make it out to be.

As the title suggests, we’re going to be celebrating that fact throughout January. Why? Because, for starters, it’s Tokyo Auto Salon week, and no matter how many times we experience it, TAS always delivers halls packed with inspiration. And let’s be honest, a few oddities for good measure, too.

Now, if you’re already feeling a little burnt out by the thought of three weeks dedicated to Japanese cars, don’t worry. We’ll be using this time to encompass as many aspects of Japanese car culture as possible – not just domestic models and car shows. So, what can you expect over the rest of the month?

If you’ve been following Dino’s Porsche 964 build, you’ll know it’s back from a major makeover courtesy of Nakai-san. Before you dish out the memes, we’re going out on a limb by saying this is one of the cleanest and freshest RWB builds in a long time. Stay tuned for Dino’s next SH Garage Project 964 update.

Later this week, we’ll introduce you to Higuchi-san’s W126 Mercedes 500TE – a custom Benz that’s been transformed from a four-door sedan into a five-door estate, something never offered by the factory. And just to top it off, it’s been fitted with an SEC front end. Seriously, look at how cool this thing sits…

Need your Japan content with an Italian twist? We hit the streets in K-Engineer’s insane, road-legal Lamborghini Diablo GT2 race car. Yes, it’s a race car… on the road – not something completely unheard of in Japan, but this one is up there with the best.

The Exceed Japan DC2 Honda Integra Type R – the Osaka-based tuner’s OG demo car from 2017 – is making an appearance too, as is a very special HKS build.

The Japanese tuning giant’s new ‘The HKS’ programme gives enthusiasts the opportunity to purchase complete, HKS-built street cars. We’ll take a closer look at the very first customer-commissioned build – a wide-bodied, turbocharged GR86 – as it was lapped around Tsukuba Circuit by its owner from New Zealand.

Of course, we can’t forget about the mass of meets and gatherings happening around Tokyo Auto Salon, including RWB’s annual New Year Party and the return of the epic Underground Tokyo meet. Plus, we’ll have plenty of show reports and spotlights from the Makuhari Messe Convention Center, including a certain Liberty Walk car owned by none other than F1 superstar Lando Norris. There’s a collab we wouldn’t have picked 12 months ago.

Lastly, there’s one bit of news we are beyond excited to share with you this month – something you’ve all been asking about for years. We know you’ve been waiting – and trust us, we’ve been just as frustrated as you with the delay – but this month we’re finally re-launching official Speedhunters merch!

Yes, you read that right. It exists! We know the timeline sounds a bit vague, but we promise it’ll be here in the next few weeks. Once we have all the details, we’ll share all the details about the first collection right away.

We may only be a week into January, but in our eyes, it’s shaping up to be an awesome way to kick off the year. And don’t worry – the excitement will continue all year long. So let us know what you’d like to see more of in 2025 on Speedhunters, and we’ll be sure to bring you along for the ride.

The Speedhunters
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