Motoring J Style

Turn Z: 40 Years of the Nissan Z at the Sonoma Historics

2010-05-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Turn Z, Celebrating 40 Years of the Nissan Z Car
at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival

In Association With the Z Owners of Northern California and Motoring J Style

For immediate release. April 21st, 2010 – Sonoma, California – The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) and Motoring J Style are proud to announce “Turn Z”, a celebration of the 40thAnniversary of the Nissan Z Car and Japanese motoring culture at large, which will take place at Infineon Raceway during the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival on Sunday, June 6th, 2010.
Race fans are encouraged to visit the ZONC/Motoring J Style display at Turn 7, which will welcome all Japanese car enthusiasts, with a special focus on the 40th anniversary of the Nissan Z Car.

Race fans can expect more than 50 Zs on display, as well as more than 100 Japanese classics in the area designated as "Turn Z". There will be several categories for judging by ZONC, with prizes going to owners of selected cars.

In addition to the festivities at Turn Z, sports car racing legend John Morton will be in attendance, competing with several cars in Sunday’s historic races. Z fans will be thrilled to see Morton, the man who famously won the 1970 & 1971 SCCA C-Production National Championships in Peter Brock’s BRE Datsun 240Z, as well as countless other victories for Nissan.
“We are delighted to be involved with this spectacular event,” said Tiffini Clark, President of ZONC. “It is a distinct honor for us as Japanese car enthusiasts to be recognized at the premier historic motorsports gathering in the United States.”

Attendees can purchase their discounted ticket and spot on Turn Z for $35 at this website. The password to use after linking to the website is “zonc”.

You can also enjoy a lap of the track at the end of the day with a $15 donation to Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway.

The Z Owners of Northern California is one of the oldest Z Car clubs in the nation, embracing all enthusiasts of Datsun and Nissan automobiles. ZONC is an active club with hundreds of members engaged in many aspects of the car hobby, from shows to driving tours to historic racing and track days. In existence since 1972, ZONC today carries on the tradition for an entire new generation of Z drivers.

Motoring J Style is dedicated to Japanese car culture at large, a product of Marin County residents and car enthusiasts David and Martin Swig. The Swigs have been Japanese car enthusiasts since Martin acquired a Datsun dealership in 1969, shortly before the original Datsun 240Z hit the streets. They also organize the annual California Mille historic sports car tour.
The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Infineon Raceway, June 5-6, is a true celebration of the Wine Country and historic racecars. Nearly 400 historic cars will grace the road course, including machines from Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette and Lotus. Race fans will also be treated to the Wine Country Pavilion, featuring some of the best food and wine from Sonoma and Napa, headlined by notable Bay Area chef Victor Scargle. For more information about the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, please visit www.infineonraceway.com/historics.

Emails concering the event may be directed to zoncpres@gmail.com or mdaddario@infineonraceway.com.

Shades of yesterday and tomorrow.

2008-08-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

What's the simplest way to create a distinctive automotive exterior? With an interesting pallette of paint! Today, automotive fashionistas are working hard on new hues that captivate the individualists among us. Low gloss levels, color-shifting metallic flakes, light-reactive and even light-emitting shades will hit dealer lots someday soon -- but many manufacturers have already bravely pushed the envelope by bringing interesting, experimental colors to market.

1997 Porsche 911 Turbo: Arena Red. I was 10 or 11 when I saw my first Arena 911 on the San Antonio Riverwalk. Bless my patient mother for not dragging me away from such a formative moment. I remember tracing the front fenders... watching the light pour into the soft curves toward the headlamps, where the rich paint seemed to swallow the light entirely.

1996 Dodge Copperhead Concept: Copperhead Orange. Is it cheating to include concept cars on this list? After all, they're almost all coated in moonshot hues far from production. No matter: the Copperhead's iconic orange paint received new life twelve years after its debut, when the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe was available in a similar shade with the same name.

1996 Subaru Legacy: Cashmere Yellow. Like many awesome home-market trends, the Subaru Legacy's Cashmere Yellow hue was only available in Japan -- never in the United States. Cashmere's near-fluorescence begs a question: could Day-Glo sheetmetal be tomorrow's color trend?

1993 Honda delSol: Samba Green. My brother -- and many others -- called this "booger green." From an early age, I called it beautiful. Bright as it was polarizing, Samba served a niche market. For a certain breed of owner, Samba was destiny. If only today's thousand-beige Accord offered shoppers even a semblance of individuality.

1993 Mazda Miata: Montego Blue. One of the first mass-production color shifting paints was offered on this attainable everyday sports car, gifting trends to the masses instead of reserving advances for the elite. Want a closer look? Take a trip to any autocross -- Montego Miatas fight it out all across the country every weekend.

1995 Toyota Paseo: Light Iris.
Anyone raised in the era when magenta and teal reigned supreme won't admit that these pastel shades are a guilty pleasure. Trust me: they are. Toyota's tiny beachcomber was carefree enough to wear this shade. It goes without saying that this era has passed.

2003 Nissan Skyline GT-R: Midnight Purple III. Special metallic flakes brought green and gold hues forth from the purple basecoat. The shifting colors brought a dynamism and humanity to the Skyline's otherwise clinically angular sheetmetal. A Midnight GT-R is in motion, even when lying in wait.

2004 Mercedes-Benz SL: Almandine Black.Nothing may be more stately than a blacked-out Benz, but this special ebony added a slight violet tint to the mix to keep things interesting. The dramatic effect was more pronounced on MB's larger models, and the SL sedan wore Almandine well.

1997 Honda Civic Type-R: Championship White. What's more satisfying than a self-aggrandizing coat of paint? The Type-R was billed as the purist's Civic. Championship White alluded to that purity, but the shade was tinted with a hint of gold -- a statement of purpose; a promise to the competition.

1993 Toyota MR2: Steel Mist Grey. Today, Toyota's dismal greys are devoid of personality and flatly vapid. Back in the firm's heyday of fun cars, even the grey hues had a sense of purpose. SMG's bluish-purple tint aged well, and the color is now highly prized among buyers and collectors.

Color choice is subjective. My picks probably don't match yours. What colors catch your eye? Does the car you drive reflect your taste?

Many happy miles,
Adam

Notes from comparing the 2008 Mitsubishi EVO, Subaru STI, VW Golf R32, and BMW 135i

2008-06-10T14:35:00.001-07:00

On a recent comparison article for Sports Car International Magazine written by Alex Palevsky, I was tapped to drive the cars and offer my input. Here are my thoughts:

EVO X MR
As a “driver’s car” the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X MR delivers the most positive feedback of the bunch, and despite the efforts to add a little refinement, the soul of the EVO is left intact. The razor sharp steering, the overall grip, the chassis’ willingness to change direction puts the EVO squarely on top. That said, it lacks a little of the EVO IX’s explosive feel – a tradeoff clearly made for everyday drivability. The styling is controversial – it seems more cluttered than the concept, and the front end suggests a fish with an overbite when viewed from the side. At the limit the chassis balance tips from neutral to rearward, making it easy to place, slide, and gather up. The sport-auto mode on the transmission is very intuitive, and does a good job of keeping the revs right where you want them when attacking a curving road – when operated in paddle mode (Ferrari-style with fixed paddle locations that don’t get lost with a turn of the wheel) the shifts are quick and positive. The car feels far more nimble than a trip to the scales would suggest.

Subaru WRX STI
The flares and optional wheels turn the otherwise bland WRX into a smoothly aggressive package – worthy of its WRC heritage. I desperately want to like the car – the power is definitely spot-on, and like the EVO, the ride has been refined to deal with everyone’s inevitable interaction with freeways. The problem here is that softening the suspension has amplified an issue I’ve always had with the STI (on the road) with the front differential. On and off throttle produce different turning arcs – step on the throttle and it wants to straighten out, lift off and it tightens up. This STI’s steering feels more numb than previous versions, and with a softer platform underneath it, it amplifies the effect to the point it impedes my ability to place the car accurately on the road. From previous experience, had off-road ability been on the menu for our test, the new STI will cover ground like no other car, and the front diff issue doesn’t rear its head off the tarmac. When pushed, the default is understeer – surprisingly the best way to combat it is to allow the DCCD computer to make it’s own decisions about where to distribute power in the AUTO- setting.

VW R32 Golf
For me the competence of the Golf was a huge surprise. This was by far the easiest car to bring to the limit, which was unexpectedly high. When cornering hard, the chassis is totally consistent no matter what the surface, or road camber. Drive it like a front driver with a heavy right foot – if you overcook it, a slight lift of the throttle will tighten the line and noticeably pitch the rear end a few degrees. Unlike the EVO, you can feel the car’s weight working the shoulders of the front tires hard when really hoofing it, and it was clearly the least powerful of the foursome. The DSG transmission is the smoothest of the paddle-auto shifters here, but I tend to get lost on the wheel-mounted paddles. The Golf also had the stiffest freeway ride of the bunch. The exhaust note is the least refined of the bunch.

BMW 135i
The motor is the class of the field – I was blown away by the powerplant and its lack of turbo lag when I last drove the 335i in Austria, and it’s just as smooth and silky in the 1 Series. It howls like a straight six, and has a little less weight to pull around than in the 3, making it even better. Driving to our showdown from Northern California, we thought this might be the ringer – it feels so right on the open road and around town – tight, crisp, and balanced but not harsh. With rear wheel drive and near 50-50 weight distribution, editor Eric Gustafson thought it might be like bringing a gun to a knife fight, but it turns out there are a few compromises that make it more tricky to drive near the limit. The suspension tuning that makes it so good on the open road and around town can seem unsettled long before you reach the adhesion limit of the tires. In long corners, especially when on even throttle with the weight of the car evenly balanced, it seems like the shock valving creates a slightly unstable feeling front-to-rear oscillation, and if you proceed further it funnels into understeer. In playing with it, the chassis (with this shock valving) wants the weight to be transferred to the rear on the throttle, or to the front under braking. So the closer you get to driving really hard with no compromises – you’re either accelerating or hauling it down – continually pushes that instability further into the background. When you lose grip, it will be at the front, and the BMW is slower to respond to throttle changes to pitch the rear and tighten the line than the other three. While I found it tricky at first, it was also rewarding to figure it out and make it work. I like the looks, and the size – it feels like the E36 BMW, and it has a simple, straightforward interior that you can reach across and almost touch the passenger’s door panel (like the original 1600/ 2002). There’s room for improvement in the suspension tuning.

Ranking –
1 Mitsubishi EVO MR
It does it all, it’s still razor sharp, with a little comfort. The motor sounds a little like a miniature UPS truck – but who cares? Fast, and fun.
2 BMW 135i – Love the motor, and silky daily driving experience. Despite the handling nuances, I enjoyed figuring them out and always wanted back into the BMW…
3 Golf R32 –Totally consistent chassis with high approachable limits – surprisingly fun to drive, and how often will you be drag racing these other three anyway?
4 Subaru WRX STI – wanted to love it, it’s got the power and the looks, but the steering made it feel like I was sailing instead of driving.

Motoring J Style: 3rd at 24 HOURS OF LeMONS!

2008-05-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

In-car footage from one of the VW Golf GTI's. A great battle between our MR2 (#64 green/yellow) and the #34 Alfetta GT of the California Mille team. Motoring J Style fought hard and finished the race 3rd overall...a personal best for the team. 89 cars started the race (though the lone Fiero only lasted ten laps).

As you've probably read by now, the race was tainted by the untimely death of Court Summerfield, driver of the #39 Team "Cant Am" Volvo 242. This has been covered extensively on Jalopnik. Witness accounts and a CHP investigation lead us to believe that Court lost consciousness in the car due to some medical problem, causing him to hit a concrete wall head-on. This occurred Saturday afternoon at approximately 2PM, and racing was called off for the rest of the day while an accident investigation took place. This was a very disturbing event, and it proves that even in a carefree race like LeMons, the age old adage remains true: "Motor Racing is Dangerous". We express our heartfelt sympathy to Court's family and his teammates for the loss that they suffered. It is uplifting to know that Court's teammates are looking for another Volvo to build as a race car for Thunderhill in December. We didn't know Court personally, but from all accounts, he was a true gearhead and he would have approved.

Jay Lamm, founder of the 24 Hours of Lemons, made the extremely difficult decision to resume racing on Sunday. We think Jay did the right thing, and we applaud him for his composure and for the heartfelt words he delivered during Sunday morning's drivers' meeting. As he said, quoting another competitor, "racing brings us the best, and racing brings us the worst". Thankfully today, with modern safety equipment, we endure the worst only infrequently. Saturday was one of those days. We dedicate our race to Court's memory.

Scion News Bulletin

2008-04-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

from the PR department...

TROY SUMITOMO OF FIVE AXIS DESIGN TO MAKE PERSONAL APPEARANCE AT MOTORING ‘J’ STYLE

Troy Sumitomo, leading-edge automobile stylist and fabricator, will make a personal appearance along with 5 of his customized Scion Five Axis showcars at the 2008 Motoring ‘J’ Style Japanese car show, Saturday, May 24th. Sumitomo and his Five Axis team will meet enthusiasts at the Exposition Pavilion at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, CA. Also on display will be the matte-black modified Lexus Project IS-F which debuted at the SEMA show in Las Vegas last November.

Drivers and passengers arriving in a Scion should check in at the Scion Kiosk located the Scion owners' preferred parking area and show their Scion car keys to receive a hand stamp good for $5 off the $20 admission price. The first 50 Scion owners to arrive and register at the Scion Kiosk will also receive a Ridemakerz xB customizable model car (Limit ONE per carload).
Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For additional show information go to www.motoringjstyle.com
or call (415) 479-9930

Press contact: Justus Dobrin jdobrin@mdpr.com

Early Black-Plate Toyota FJ40 in SoCal

2008-04-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite stops every morning on the computer is Bring A Trailer. It's great to spend hours looking at eBay, Craig's List, Auto Trader, and others, but sometimes it's nice to let someone else do all the work. Our friend Randy N. of Bring A Trailer scours the Internet looking for old/interesting/unusual vehicles for sale. His site can be addictive and we find ourselves longing for many of the cars he discovers.

Yesterday he featured this deliciously-patina'ed 1962 Land Cruiser FJ40. While we generally focus on sports cars, we really like the vintage feel of this early FJ, which still sports its original paint and California black plates.

FJ40s are relatively plentiful in the marketplace as they have a strong collector following and many of them have survived through the years, but it's rare that such an early example comes on the market. This '62 dates to one of Toyota's more difficult periods, in between the failure that was the Toyopet and the launch of the wildly successful Corona. During this period, the Land Cruiser was the only thing keeping Toyota afloat in the US market.

It's a non-runner at this point and restoration costs can be astronomical. However, the $5500 asking price doesn't seem out of line with the current market for FJ40s, which is very strong. If it were ours we'd like to preserve as much of the original feel as possible while making it mechanically sound.

Find it here on TLC!

Dream Car One: the Ford Airstream.

2008-04-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

If I had one automotive wish, I’d beg for a car so futuristic that I’d never look to the past again.

Every generation of enthusiasts has a heyday to look back to. Fifties kids had brightwork: chrome tailfins framed the Push-o-Matic hopes of a spacebound generation. Sixties kids knew muscle; hands were burned on towering carburetors and elaborate valve covers in this era of engine-over-all. The ‘70s drained gas pumps and horsepower figures, leaving the then-grown children with stale memories of a better time in cars.

I began my work in automotive journalism at the age of four. My first issue of Motor Trend arrived in late 1989, and thus began my research in the field. I grew up in an era when Detroit still held a majority of market share against perceivable reason. Burgeoning Japanese companies were producing similarly innocent two-door subcompacts. I was a proponent of the fun-sized imports, and at an early age solidified a rhetoric shared with most enthusiasts my age: “American cars cannot compete. The Japanese have won.” As the attitude gained momentum, my family’s driveways filled with evidence: I was the driving force behind six import purchases by 2000.

I watched Toyota showrooms shift. In 1994, Toyota produced six sport coupes. Three were intimate two-seaters. Two were turbocharged. All were painted in polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it hues. Only the world-class high-tech Supra was priced over $25,000.

Today, Toyota produces only one two-door coupe: the Camry-based Solara, which is about as exciting to drive as its four available shades of grey paint would suggest.

My generation’s heyday ended at the turn of the century. Enthusiasts never suspected that the once-humble purveyors of two-seat sports cars would grow to become monoliths – and abandon their endearing qualities altogether. I grew cynical in tandem.

Bitter words heralding the past and berating the state of the industry filled my columns, but brought only momentary solace. My view of the market was so wistful that I couldn’t see beyond the status quo.

The Ford Airstream changed my outlook forever.

the preludes

From the late 1980s until the mid 2000s, most mainstream domestic vehicles lacked the attention to design and engineering necessary to compete with globally-built competitors. In the mid-1990s, Ford’s Taurus lost its vaunted status as America’s best-selling car, ceding the title to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The telling slip was indicative of changing market trends – but it wasn’t enough to stifle Ford’s creativity.

In 1995, Ford introduced the GT90 concept car. The mid-mounted V12 engine used unprecedented quad-turbocharger technology to boost output to 720 horsepower. However, the GT90’s advanced power train was overshadowed by exterior design that abandoned curvy bodywork in favor of structured polygonal panels. This “New Edge” design philosophy allowed exterior elements such as headlamps, taillamps, and air intakes to stand autonomously – to stake out their own space, rather than flow cohesively into the body. New Edge’s departure from design norms gave enthusiasts a glimpse into the future.

One year later, the Indigo concept punctuated Ford’s passion for design-focused supercars – even if they existed only in dream realms. The topless two-seater showcased technologies that would reach mainstream series production more than a decade later, such as LED headlamp assemblies, composite body panel construction, and simplified controls that encouraged drivers to stay focused . Mass-producing the Indigo was never feasible, but the car’s purpose transcended feasibility: it was a test bed for design ideas that would serve the company through tumultuous times to come.

By 1999, nearly every lightweight Japanese sports car had left American shores – the Mazda MX3 and RX7; the Toyota Supra, MR2 and Paseo; the Honda CRX and delSol. Ironically, Ford chose the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show to debut the diminutive 021C concept. As its name suggested, the 021C was created to appeal to people from the ages of 0 to 21. Famed industrial designer Marc Newsom channeled children’s simplistic view of the automobile when penning the car. “In many ways, the 021C is a familiar and comfortable object,” Newsom said.

At the turn of the century, forward-looking companies realized that consumers raised in the Information Age would demand a host of data-centric technologies in a variety of devices. Ford’s trio of 24.7 concept cars presented the automobile as a media hub – a gathering space where friends and family could surf the Internet or share photos. The technology was sometimes ungainly – a flat-panel television added bulk to the cargo bay and forced viewers to stand outside the rear of the vehicle – but the mere inclusion of “social technologies” in a concept car was thoroughly unprecedented.

By 2000, New Edge’s jarring intersecting lines had been largely displaced by more straightforward cues, but Ford’s emerging next-generation design ethic was similar to its preludes: its simplicity inspired a sense of future.

the hero-car

Japanese firms found tremendous success in supplying vehicles that served transportation needs without stirring drivers’ souls. As niche vehicles made way for mass-market commodity cars, mid-2000s concepts from all comers became grounded in realism. Even General Motors, which historically dazzled the world with its visions of tomorrow, had not produced an unabashedly impossible concept car since the late 1990s.

The 2007 Ford Airstream concept is a lighthearted laugh at logic – and a reason for car enthusiasts to maintain faith in the future.

Wally Byam designed the first Airstream travel-trailer in 1936. Aluminum shortages subsided by the end of World War II, and the national climate of conservation at all costs gave way to a rekindled interest in exploration and travel. In the 1950s, Byam rallied Airstream owners to form the Wally Byam Caravan Club, dedicated to help satiate their collective wanderlust. The Airstreamers’ movement paralleled frontier pioneers’ craving for discovery.

It was only natural for Ford to forge a partnership with Airstream. The collaboration leveraged Ford’s futuristic outlook against Airstream’s iconic design and interior packaging to create a vehicle for tomorrow’s wayfarers.

The way forward begins with a look back to New Edge roots. Though the Ford Airstream’s silhouette nearly matches that of an Airstream trailer, automotive elements such as daylight openings and exterior lighting were Ford’s work. Driver’s-side windows outlined in daylight fluorescent orange aircraft paint are of an interlocking parallelogram shape with defined, beveled edges that directly descend from New Edge ethic.

LED headlamp clusters, once previewed by the Indigo, are framed by a backlit matte polycarbonate tube reminiscent of the 021C’s singular headlamp. Ford’s Director of Advanced Engineering Design, Freeman Thomas, explained the history at work in a December 2006 interview.

“The 021C was the first use of a digital box on wheels; it was probably too extreme for some people in its simplicity,” Thomas said. “The Airstream is really five steps beyond, because the outside of the vehicle has a humanity about it.”

Special emphasis is placed on the importance of adventurers’ togetherness. Two front passengers sit on swiveling chairs that can be turned toward backseat passengers. Up to five rear occupants are seated laterally, facing each other. Standing midship is a cylindrical DynaScan LED screen that provides passengers with a 360-degree view of interactive entertainment. Classic video games, including Pong, are pre-loaded into the display. The Ford Airstream’s rearview cameras are detachable, and can wirelessly stream video feeds to the display. It’s an elegant evolution of the 24.7’s approach to in-car entertainment.

Airstreamers of yore traditionally placed essentials at the rear of the trailer. The Ford Airstream pays homage to that tradition by employing an efficient essentials management system at the rear of the vehicle. Digital video production equipment and Firewire connectivity ports are installed next to first aid and roadside emergency kits.

An integrated rechargeable flashlight hints at the sense of exploration Airstreamers crave – and the machine’s ability to provide safety in an unknown situation. Indeed, the brazen bare aluminum exterior finish could be a beacon in itself – a bright icon of safety for uneasy retreating wanderers. Subtly opulent B&B Italia interior upholstery adds to the comfort of this “home away from home” – and increases the ability of the Ford Airstream to refresh those exhausted by their travels.

In triumph, the Ford Airstream becomes complete through the most honest of means: its powertrain. Arguably the most futuristic element of the vehicle, the zero-emission hydrogen propulsion system is also the most feasible for production. Ford’s Hy-Series Drive system uses a hydrogen fuel cell to power an electric generator which then recharges a battery pack that drives the wheels. The generator is optimized to operate at peak efficiency, maximizing the amount of power that is derived from the hydrogen fuel cell. Drops of pure water flow from the three triangular tailpipes – and comprise the Ford Airstream’s only emissions.

Hy-Series drive has already been installed in a prototype vehicle, and may see series production. Unfortunately, other aspects preclude the possibility of mass production. That is the genius of the Ford Airstream: it is an unapologetic thrust forth into the future that inspires enthusiasts to question what is possible.

I am but one person inspired by the Ford Airstream’s innocence. Several quiet moments after sitting in the driver’s seat, I arrived at a realization that I have come to live by.

Living in optimism of what the future might bring is intensely more satisfying than reminiscing about the past.

Future Classic: 43k-mile '85 Honda CRX Si

2008-04-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Honda CRX is arguably the best crossover sports car/daily driver of the last three decades. It was great to drive, economical, had plenty of space inside due to its hatchback design, and was also quite attractive. We like to think of it as Honda's version of the Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato.

As a result of all these great qualities (not to mention unfailing reliability and ability to take incredible abuse), most of the original CRXs have been driven into the ground. Very infrequently a low-mileage, unmodified example will surface, and this 43,000 mile 1985 model out of Virginia is the best one we've seen in quite awhile.

Despite a one-liner description, it has been bid to over $4,000 with almost three days to go at the time of this writing. These cars are just about old enough to stir nostalgic memories for those born in the 70s and 80s. They have reached the low point on the depreciation curve and will now rise in value as they reach collector status. This car already seems to be there!

Black-Plate RT52 Toyota Corona Seeks Home

2008-04-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Out of Torrance, California comes this original and straight-looking 1967 Toyota Corona Coupe. We really admire the lines of the RT52 coupes; this was one of the first Japanese cars that truly had style. The elegant design of the Corona (both sedans and coupes) prompted American consumers to take a second look at impending Volkswagen purchases, and buyers began looking to Japan for economical small cars.

This one looks to be complete and very original, and we especially appreciate that it retains its original California black plates. The eggshell blue is a factory color, and a very attractive one. The interior looks to be in nice condition and not baked to death by the Southern Calfornia sun - the seller claims this car has lived indoors and that definitely appears to be the case.

Fitted with the 2-speed automatic transmission, we're hard-pressed to call this a "sports car" but the 2-door body has sporting overtones. Hopefully, this car will go to a good home where it will be appreciated for its originality. Someone please buy it!

Five Axis Project Scions and Lexus IS-F to appear at MJS 2008

2008-04-16T17:26:00.001-07:00

This just in from World HQ: Famed custom car builder Troy Sumitomo of Five Axis will be making his presence felt at Motoring J Style. Sumitomo will appear on May 24th with a collection of wild custom Scion cars and one very special one-off Lexus IS-F widebody. The Lexus (pictured above) debuted at the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas and has also been shown at the New York International Auto Show. Full press release and more details below:

FIVE-AXIS SCIONS ON DISPLAY AT MOTORING ‘J’ STYLE

ALAMEDA, Calif., April 16, 2008 - Leading edge contemporary automotive stylist Troy Sumitomo will appear with a collection of his custom Five Axis Scion showcars at Motoring ‘J’ Style. Sumitomo, a California native and founder of Five Axis, has established himself in little over a decade as a rising star in the world of custom automobile design and fabrication. The one-day event, which is dedicated to Japanese car culture, will be held Saturday, May 24, at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, Calif.

Five of Sumitomo’s Scion Five Axis creations will be on display in the Exposition Pavilion. The futuristic Scion xA Speedster is a highly modified open-air roadster with a unique underhood-mounted projection screen. The tangerine-hued Scion DJ xB has a mobile DJ booth complete with turntables, mixer and speakers integrated into the car’s frame. Other Five Axis Scions in the show include the Blackberry xB, Spec tC and Papaya xD. A full lineup of 2008 production Scions rounds out the exhibit.

Also on display will be the matte-black Five Axis modified Lexus Project IS-F which debuted at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas last November. Five Axis body kits, wheels, paint, and aftermarket modifications will also be shown.
Besides these Scion and Lexus vehicles, Motoring ‘J’ style will include vintage pre-1985 Japanese roadsters, coupes and sedans, contemporary collectables, and tuner creations. Live drifting competitions and rally demonstrations will also take place at the expansive Fairgrounds.

Show hours for Motoring ‘J’ Style are 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, May 24, 2008. Admission is $20 for adults while kids 12 and under are free. Priority parking has been arranged for those arriving in a Scion. In addition, Scion drivers and passengers can receive $5 off the admission price by checking in at the Scion booth outside the main entrance and show an attendant their Scion key. For show information contact (415) 479-9930 or go to www.motoringjstyle.com
# # #

Press contact: Justus Dobrin/ MDPR (510)865-8005 jdobrin@mdpr.com

The Five Axis Scion xA Speedster, a Troy Sumitomo modified widebody conversion roadster, will be featured at the second annual Motoring ‘J’ Style show, Saturday, May 24, 2008 at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, Calif.

The Five Axis Scion DJ xB, a mobile DJ booth featuring Pioneer components and speakers, will be on display at the second annual Motoring ‘J’ Style show, Saturday, May 24, 2008 at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, Calif.

World's Best '81 Isuzu I-Mark Could Be Yours

2008-04-15T10:59:00.001-07:00

eBay Motors is just such a wonderful tool. As my father says, it's "the Hemmings that never ends". Aside from being a source of constant procrastination in the workplace, eBay offers a forum where otherwise unloved vehicles can actually command a decent price. I saw a Renault LeCar sell for close to $5000 once...it's amazing what happens when the audience is global.

Well-preserved cars just seem to come out of the woodwork, and this very rare 1981 Isuzu I-Mark Diesel is no exception. Unfortunately, "rare" doesn't always translate to "desirable" or "valuable", but this fairly attractive diesel I-Mark has got to be the best survivor of this model. Keep in mind that 1981 was the year Isuzu entered the U.S. passenger car market, so this I-Mark represents the company's initial effort to win over American consumers. And I must say it's a fairly attractive car....Japan's Opel Manta, if you will. And what a run the I-Mark had! It wasn't until 2008 that an '89 I-Mark RS nailed the coffin shut for Isuzu in the tragic Motoring J Style 24 Hours of LeMons Gold Leaf Team Lotus Disaster.

But, let's remember the good times...how about that 3-spoke sports steering wheel? I find this interior much more attractive than most Japanese car interiors of the 80s (especially for crap-tastic 1981!). It looks very European and sophisticated. Oh, Isuzu, how promising you looked then...

Find it here on eBay with a Buy It Now of $3,500!

BRE Datsun 510 T/A Package Street Car Listed at $65k!

2008-04-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Some of you might remember this car from several months ago when it was listed on eBay and sold for a top bid of $13,000. The story went that this was essentially the prototype vehicle for a proposed Datsun factory program to offer a BRE Trans-Am lookalike street car turnkey from the dealer. The first seller recounted that the program never really got off the ground and people who wanted to customize their 510s instead went through BRE/Interpart independently. He was apparently the liason between BRE and Nissan in trying to launch this program.

This may be the only legitimate factory-produced BRE 510 street car, and as such, it's a pretty significant vehicle. The car itself has a number of tasty modifications, including a purportedly factory limited slip, "BRE suspension package", 5-speed gearbox, and a host of BRE accessories and badging from the period. We really like that it's presented with original factory marketing materials and other memorabilia.

When presented originally, the car was needing some putting together and dusty from sitting in storage practically since new. After all, it shows just shy of 8000 miles on its odometer! It looks like absolutely nothing has been done to the car since last time it was presented on eBay, except the price has gone up by about 600%...kind of amusing after reading on JNC's blog today about Datsun 510 futures.

We're curious to see what happens with this one, as it seems to be a sign of things to come.

Find it here on eBay, offered as a pair with a strange yellow 240Z, for $65,000 with reserve not met. Buy It Now for $79k!

Japanese Nostalgic Car Magazine is Here!

2008-04-14T19:01:00.001-07:00

Spoke today with our friend Ben Hsu of Japanese Nostalgic Car. He delightfully informed me that his highly anticipated magazine, appropriately named Japanese Nostalgic Car, has been printed and will mail out tomorrow to subscibers.

This is a huge accomplishment: the first print magazine in America devoted solely to classic Japanese cars. We've signed up and look forward to seeing the first issue. Well done guys!

Lakes Speedster - Datsun motor looks like Offy 6

2008-04-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

This sweet salt-flats style speedster rod just popped up on Jalopnik, and what looks like at first glance to be a period Miller/Offy straight six is actually a Datsun 260z lump! Jim Pendleton of Texas is responsible for the build, and did a spectacular job. Read more /see more photos on Jalopnik.

The Datsun motor posing as an Offy really sets it off - nice detail work Jim... This represents the next frontier - making modern motors look vintage in period style builds. Along those same lines is this Model A Ford powered by a twincam Cosworth four that looks the part.

Z side by size

2008-04-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have to say the new NISMO Z takes the 350z up a notch, and makes it feel more tuned and more special than the regular car. The drooped nose and giant front splitter gives the Z a more aggressive stance, while the back aero package takes a little more getting used to. However, when compared to the original, it’s apparent how much safety equipment and modern crash standards influence the sheer size of modern automobiles. The new Z feels fairly compact inside, in some ways even more so than the original – but on the outside it’s apparent there’s a lot of stuff packed underneath the skin. Roughly 3320 lbs of stuff versus 2300 lbs on the original.

Prius Tree Hugger: Gives "Green" New Meaning

2008-04-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Obama bumper sticker, bike rack....that tree just couldn't resist. Only one thing missing: where's the Apple sticker?

The Motoring J Style MR2: A Study in Carnage

2008-04-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

If you follow this blog you're probably aware of our exploits at the 24 Hours of LeMons in some of Japan's finest machines of the last several decades. We thought it might be inspirational to shed light on how a vehicle comes to be a participant at this fine motor race, with the goal of properly documenting carnage.

We found our MR2 while perusing craigslist one day last January. It lived on the mean streets of Berkeley with a rather optimistic asking price of $700.00. We arrived in the Lexus LS460 press car (hardly a good choice to roll up in when you're buying a $500 car), and succeeded in parking far away so that the owner would not realize we arrived in a $70,000 Lexus. That way, we thought, he'd be more susceptible to our bargaining tactics. We found the owner (pictured above, right), in the middle of a major street in Berkeley preparing his two cars for sale: The MR2, which simply had "$700" written in shoe polish in the back window, and a much worse '95 Mustang V6 Convertible (salvage title), which he was painting in high-quality Krylon flat black for that sinister "aggressive" look.

We drove the car around the block, and despite a truly horrible clunking sound in the right front suspension, decided it was worth buying. After offering $350, we settled on $450 and (cautiously) drove the car home.

The car was horribly rusted out, so bad, in fact, that there wasn't enough of the driver's floor left to bolt in a roll bar. Of course, we didn't find this out until after we dragged it home and ripped out the carpets. Well, nobody said it was going to be easy. The photo above shows master mechanic Mack of the Motoring J Style Racing Team trying to diagnose the loud clunking noises in the right front. I'm not really sure what he did, but it got quieter and we deemed the car "safe to race".

I'm going spare you all of the boring mechanical parts and maddening problems we encountered in trying to get this former East Coast car into race-ready condition. It was a real pain in the ass and I don't want to relive it now. Painting it was fun, and as you can see we assembled a large army of rattle-can wielding LeMons enthusiasts to help us with this task...

....which took us a long-ass time! Note to self: when you use grey primer, it takes a few hundred coats of flourescent yellow and green paint to cover it all. We painted, and painted, and painted until our index fingers were frozen to the Krylon nozzle and we had ruined several formerly-presentable outfits.

No, that's not our car. This is another LeMons devotee who shall remain nameless. He showed up in his MR2 to help us with our little artistic masterpiece. We quickly surrounded his car and demanded numerous parts be taken off, at which point he smartly backed up as quickly as possible and got the hell out of there. Look closely and you can see him looking over his shoulder trying to get out of this predicament as quickly as possible. Life went on.

There are few things in life more satisfying than a freshly painted race car. Isn't she a sexy beast?

Even better with numbers on! Finally at the track: Altamont, July 2007 before the MR2's first race. She wouldn't look like this for long.

And we're off! A little traffic, no big deal...

12th place finish and not too bad damage to show for it!

Race #2: October 2007 24 Hours of LeMons, Altamont

Moments like this gave some cause for concern...

But mostly we just chugged along without any mechanical issues, everyone driving well, always in the top 5...like a fine wine, she was getting better with time.

Then our man Jordan rammed a Honda Prelude with about a 30mph closing speed, causing grave damage to our front end and seriously rearranging the rear end of the Honda Prelude. Oddly enough, the Prelude guys got the sour end of that deal and lost precious time in the pits repairing their car. Prelude guys, if you're reading this, I'm still sorry about that.

We thought the race was over. Surprisingly, the MR2 has pretty good frontal crash protection (and I'm the one to know, I tested one before at the age of 16). Despite a gouged radiator core, the car seemed to be holding its water and continuing despite a few bent panels.

Looking pretty worse for wear here. This is in the last 30 minutes of the race. Amazingly, we finished 4th! More amazingly, we drove the car home on the public freeway.

Photo Credit: Jalopnik

Post Race Carnage:

And if you don't think we're stupid enough already, we're bringing this car BACK for the 24 Hours of LeMons on May 10-11, 2008, at our old stomping grounds, the riotous Altamont Motorsports Park in lovely Tracy, California. Come see us!

Toyota and Isuzu Sportwagons Rocked the 1971 Tokyo Show

2008-04-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

In 1971 Toyota hit the Tokyo Show with the RV1, “Recreational vehicle 1” was Toyota’s first attempt at a sportwagon.

The concept featured a small trailer filled with an inflatable camp-hut that would expand to 13 feet in diameter and 6.5 feet high to sleep 4-5 people, and 500-watt portable generator to run an electric air pump for inflating the hut. The lid of the trailer also turned into a small boat, complete with small outboard motor.

The Celica based chassis made do with a 105hp inline-4 from the Corolla. The design featured a narrow tailgate (between the elaborate taillamp assemblies with 30 lights in total, and unique gullwing opening rear hatches. Nissan must have studied this showcar in detail for their Pulsar NX “Sportback” option. Needless to say, the RV1 never saw production, but the idea of the sportwagon was never forgotten in a host of liftbacks and hatchback designs.

Also at the ’71 Tokyo Motor Show was a sportwagon from Isuzu based on the Bellett. At the time it was called clean and European – and looks like a cross between a Lotus Eclat and a Gremlin. Based on the Bellett GT chassis, and fitted with a 1.8 liter dual carb’d twincam, the Isuzu was more sporty than the Toyota RV1 across the show on Toyota’s stand. At the time it was compared to the Volvo ES – a 2+2 with some luggage space. Like the RV1, the Bellett sportwagon never made it to the production line.

GTR Break-in Procedure

2008-03-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

Kazutoshi Mizuno, Nissan’s project leader and self proclaimed ‘Mr. GTR’ wanted to ensure that every GTR be capable of the performance claims they’ve made and to keep themselves honest, each car goes out for nine laps on a test loop on the proving ground at the Tochigi plant facility. The loop itself isn’t a picturesque road course or even a high speed wailing on the banking, but instead looks like a multi-lane drag strip with different lanes with different road qualities. The goal is to properly and uniformly break in the various systems on the car. The procedure is well orchestrated, with the first four laps consisting of a set number of progressively harder stops and a little brake and throttle at the same time to properly break in the massive rotors and bed the pads. Laps five to seven focus on checking turbo boost and loosening up the transmission, and the final laps take the GTR on a bumpier section of pavement to reduce the friction in the suspension bushings. After the drive, each car is measured at several key points, and the alignment specs are re-checked and adjusted if needed. Nissan doesn’t want any funny vibrations at 300kph!

Hammering away on the Nissan GTR Assembly Line

2008-03-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

62 miles north of Tokyo, at Nissan’s Tochigi plant, the GTR takes shape. The facility was established in 1968 and has produced cars since 1971. It’s ringed by a high-speed four mile banked oval with the Nissan logo spelled out in shrubbery that you pass under while entering. The GTR is assembled along the same line as the Skyline coupe and sedan. I wasn’t allowed into the stamping shop or the area where some of the die-cast pieces are fitted into the body, but did get to wander through the actual assembly line inside a giant tin clad building.

On the assembly line itself, GTR’s are interspersed randomly among Skyline coupes, sedans, and US bound G35’s and G37’s with about six meters of space between them. Robots do most of the heavy lifting, as the line is 83% automated.

There are fewer of the musical robotic delivery carts than in the regular engine assembly areas (in Yokohama, GTR engines are built in a clean room, separated from the giant automated 4-cylinder MR assembly line full of robot delivery carts rolling along the aisles) but they’re present and belting out high-pitched happy songs (like Mary Had A Little Lamb and It’s a Small World in pitches that could double as mobile phone ring tones) as the cars snake along and workers at different stations install their guts. I wonder if they'd secretly like to throw their tools at the little noisy carts from time to time.

After the components are installed along the 900-meter long line, the cars are driven to a four-wheel dyno station that automatically shortens or lengthens itself for the next car. At the front of the dyno station, several monitors display camera images of the front and rear of the car so the operator can test headlight and taillight functions, and a central screen depicts the rolling road speed on the dyno for checking speedometer calibration.

Assuming there are no problems on the dyno, the cars were driven forward to a final quality inspection lineup under a sea of intense flourescent lights. Workers crawl around the car and checking panel fit and finish of the interiors. It's amazingly bright!

Datsun's Rotary

2008-03-27T18:39:00.001-07:00

Back in the early seventies, Datsun (along with a host of other car makers) was serious about developing a Wankel engine on the heels of NSU and Mazda. Toyota was also rumored to be working on one, but Datsun built them and ran test prototypes in Datsun1200 sedans. The Datsun 1200 Forum has a cool 1973 article on the state of development (at that time) of the Datsun Wankel.

Crazy Precise Alignment on the new Nissan GTR

2008-03-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Motoring J Style goes behind the scenes in the making of Nissan's new GTR.

One of the more unique processes of the GTR is the high precision alignment it gets as it is assembled. Before the parts hit the assembly line, the axle shop assembles the rear subframe with the rear transmission/transaxle unit, the suspension arms, uprights, and rotors and then mounted to an elaborate hydraulic cradle that sets the suspension at rideheight – simulating the weight of the car so that two technicians can setup the alignment specs with race car precision on a laser guided tool before the piece is mounted in the car. This ensures that the wheel alignment is precise before the parts go into the car, and it’s checked again after the brake-pad transmission shakedown on every car. Comfortable 300kph cruising is serious business, and razor sharp alignment specs ensure that all production versions are as capable as the test cars.

More Vintage Touring

2008-03-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Like to drive? There are a number of non-make-specific rally-style touring events where you can get out and mix it up with exotics, and rough and tumble classics on the backroads of California. It’s a low key way to enjoy your classic without having to compare mirror bolts, or be told you’re running the wrong sun visor by a self proclaimed “fill in your car name here” expert. These folks just enjoy getting out and blowing the cobwebs off their classics across less traveled routes. There are a host of events, from the no cost “NO FRILLS IRON BOTTOM Motor Tour, the California Melee, the now retired Alpine 500 which will be succeeded this year by the Snowball Rally, The SoCal TT and more…

Early Celica Liftback on the Iron Bottom, also a veteran of the California Melee - piloted by our own David Swig

Ford V8 powered Datsun on the Iron Bottom

Afraid of a little dirt? Don't try this with your Z then. 24 Hours of LeMons Creator Jay Lamm has no fear in his Z...

Sweet Honda S600 Coupe on the Alpine Rally!

RHD SSS 510 Coupe on the California Melee

Get out there, you know who you are!!!

Building the Nissan GTR engine - Inside the clean room.

2008-03-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yokohama Japan: Building the twin turbo VR38 GTR engine.

It’s a totally different world in the air-pressure regulated GTR clean room engine assembly area when compared to the rest of Nissan’s motor assembly facilities.

The workers in this clean room are called Takumi, or skilled craftsman and each motor is assembled entirely by one technician. This Takumi is building a fuel injection rail. The engines move from station to station, around the room as pieces and specific tools are added and needed. The process takes about 200 minutes and involves some 370 steps.

If there are any irregularities detected during assembly, the engine is set aside for analysis. Nissan even designed special electric tools for the clean room instead of the normal air-operated setup in order to keep dust and particles to a minimum. After assembly, each engine is tested with a no-load firing run, followed by a full load power test. For the startup of production Nissan has 13 Takumi’s building about 27 motors per day in a single shift, but can add another seven builders and go to a double shift as production ramps up.

Found on eBay: 1973 Datsun 610 Wagon

2008-03-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

While there's a major cult following for Datsuns like the 510 and the 240Z, there are others that go relatively unnoticed and pretty much unloved. Think B210, 310GX, the late, crap-tastic 510 (1978-83), and the truly horrific 1977-1979 200SX (S10).

One of the better less well known Datsuns is the 610 model line, a slightly upscale offering designed to woo the buyers of American cars who sought a larger, more comfortable car than a 510, that still offered 4-cylinder fuel economy. It was a nice package offered in several body styles, initially offered with the L18 (1800cc) motor and later offered with the L20 motor (most of which have found their way into 510 engine bays over the last 30 years).

In fact, 610s enjoyed some of the competition successes that the more celebrated 510-s achieved, being campaigned by guys like Bob Sharp. You can check out pictures of Bob Sharp's racing 610 2-door here.

The factory 4-speed wagon pictured here is hardly a race car, but it represents a rare model and an interesting footnote in classic Datsun history. This example is preserved but not a show car, and is offered on eBay here at a $2500 opening bid with no reserve. Full disclosure: we are the sellers of this 610.

Check it out!

Peanut Corolla on the low-buck vintage rally scene

2008-03-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

In the Norcal lo-buck vintage rally scene, Elizabeth Pfau is a regular with her “Supernatural Powers” Peanut Corolla. Fitted with coilovers and period Cromodora five-spoke wheels, the Toyota is as at home crossing the Sierras as it is zipping along the rugged California coastline. Pfau typically does 3-4 vintage events a year, and prefers to drive the car rather than show it. In the near future she’s planning a motor swap that will give the little Corolla a little more oomph over the hills.

Keeping busy is never a problem for Pfau, She’s the moderator of an online vintage rally forum Vintagerallycartel.com, and the chief perpertrator of a female vintage car / driving club – The Atomic Petrolettes. not to mention a seriously talented painter of automotive and non-automotive themed art which can be viewed at her Atlasphere website.

Hopefully we’ll see E at Motoring J Style in May!

Daily Driven: 1975 Honda Civic CVCC

2008-03-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

It's rare that we see well-preserved 70s Japanese imports on the street these days. After all, this '75 Civic (or is it a '76?) is thirty-three years old today.

Many of these cars weren't treated so nicely to begin with, and after 30 years of parking on the street or enduring Midwest winters (along with rolling over their odometers 3 or 4 times), they are looking pretty beat. Most have sadly met their maker already or are continuing to rust away in a junkyard near you.

We do still see some good examples of '70s era Toyotas and Datsuns, but early Civics in good condition are almost unheard of. I did see a gorgeous first-year '74 Civic at the JCCS show a few years back, and that one stands out because it's just about the only really pristine one I can picture. Most of them are looking pretty rough around the edges, like this '76 CVCC featured by Jalopnik in their "Down On The Street" series.

I was sort of tempted to leave a note on this car's windsheild, and now I'm almost regretting I didn't. This model looks almost exactly like the car in the original CVCC advertisement above! If any of you live out in the avenues of San Francisco, track this one down, talk the owner into selling it to you, and show up with it for Motoring J Style on May 24th. This one would turn a lot of heads.

Arizona Smorgasbord Hides Japanese Iron...and Plenty of Others!

2008-03-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when the ubiquitous Murilee Martin posted yesterday on Jalopnik about this treasure trove junkyard down in Arizona.

But don't get your hopes up...word on the street is that most of these forgotten treasures have sadly found their way to the crusher. But look at this place! Japanese cars account for only a sliver of the vintage iron resting quietly in the burning Arizona sun. Many more pictures and more detailed information can be found on the VW Vortex forum here.

The Japanese cars visible in the photos range from a Mazda RX4 Cosmo to an extremely early Subaru coupe, a Datsun 510, a Honda 600, a Starion sitting forlornly on its axles, and more.

But the real story is the international variety represented in this yard. There are more forgotten makes and models here than even I can name off the top of my head: Crosleys, Fiat 124 Station Wagons, Simcas, Renault R16s, Fiat 850s of all body styles, an Auto Union sedan, discarded MGAs, trashy Triumphs, other crappy British cars resembling Hillmans, Citroen Meharis, vintage Saabs, and just about every other arcane, esoteric make one could think of.

I wonder how many of these survived? It's worth a trip to Arizona to find out!

And for a good laugh, check out this guy's tale of traveling to the yard from Oregon to recover 11 TONS of Rover parts...

Mitsubishi EVO X MR is still quite a driver's car

2008-03-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

The new Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X MR is still a driver’s car, and despite the efforts to add a little refinement the soul of the EVO is left intact. The razor sharp steering, the overall grip, the chassis’ willingness to change direction puts the EVO squarely on top when compared to the ’08 Subaru STI. That said, it lacks a little of the EVO IX’s explosive feel – a tradeoff clearly made for everyday drivability.

The styling is controversial – it seems more cluttered than the concept, and the front end suggests a fish with an overbite when viewed from the side. But who cares, because at the limit the chassis balance tips from neutral to rearward, making it easy to place, slide, and gather up. The sport-auto mode on the transmission is very intuitive, and does a good job of keeping the revs right where you want them when attacking a curving road – when operated in paddle mode (Ferrari-style with fixed paddle locations that don’t get lost with a turn of the wheel) the shifts are quick and positive.

The car feels far more nimble than a trip to the scales would suggest too, and the seats make you want to hop in roll for hours.

At the Mitsubishi Design Center, the EVO in the reflection of the Eclipse design study in the window...

We played with the EVO and the STI on smooth winding desert roads, in the same situations the STI is more prone to understeer, and lacks the positive steering feel of the Mistubishi. It’s still quick across the road, and on bumpier surfaces, or off road it may have an advantage. Both of these cars have been re-tuned for better ride quality, and the optional wheels make all the difference on the STI in the looks department.

Corolla Memories: A Must Read

2008-03-10T13:16:00.001-07:00

From our friends at The Truth About Cars, comes a wonderful reminiscence of early Corolla memories: a must-read! (Corolla Memories)

How not to sell a car...

2008-03-10T09:15:00.001-07:00

This stuff drives me nuts – the open ended no price “just send me offers” ad for a car. This approach totally opens the doors for anguish on both sides of the negotiation. This right-hand-drive Mazda R100 is currently for sale in the Los Angeles area on Craigslist, and the ad text reads: “So if you have the money, please send me your reasonable offers and please no low ballin’ as I know everyone in the rotary community knows how much they are worth… As of now, i am taking offers. I don't have a set/firm price as of yet.
so send me your offers. Or what you think the car is worth.” In my experience, it helps to at least have a ballpark reference point – or harsh emails are bound to bounce back and forth.

Woah, Franken-Rotary Honda 600 Alert

2008-03-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

On ebay right now is the opportunity to refine a monster – a 12A rotary powered Honda 600 – just what you need to for doing wheelies on the way to the grocery store. The automatic tranny is a bummer, and the RX2 floor board suggests at least a portion of an RX2 pan was used. Front suspension is RX7, and the rear axle is from a Datsun B210 and hasn’t been narrowed to fit the rear end. The Mazda truck taillights are also somewhat unfortunate. The RX4 emblems are a notable addition, as is a sound system lifted from an ’83 RX7. (Sweet.) Also thrown on from the random pile are a rear roof spoiler from a Chevy Blazer and an “Alpha” brake booster. Would that be from the Datsun 280Z based Alpha 1 GTO replica? Who knows, but as the ebay ad states, it’s “unique indeed, and may need some attention.” Check the listing if you dare...

The Price of Goodness Keeps Going Down: 2008 Nissan Versa

2008-03-05T16:06:00.001-08:00

by Martin Swig
Early each year, I do a 1000+ mile reconnaissance to lay out the route of the California Mille. We seek scenic driver’s roads throughout Northern California. When it came time to make that run this year, I had three modern cars in my garage—a six-speed Audi A4 Avant, a Porsche Cayman, and a base model Nissan Versa automatic.

I decided to use the Nissan, and I’m here to tell you I was dazzled. It’s a French, Japanese and Mexican masterpiece. I’ve always liked certain qualities about French cars; their big seats, soft-but-controlled suspension and their practical shape. Who doesn’t like Japanese cars, with their quality-build and long, trouble-free life? And who doesn’t like cheap, as in low-cost? This $13,000 Nissan is a homely French-style 5-door hatchback, built to Nissan quality standards in low-cost Mexico. It’s a magical blend of qualities in a totally forgettable appearance package.

But what a drive! A 122 horsepower, smooth and aurally-pleasing 1.8 four-cylinder, paired with an equally smooth and responsive four-speed automatic, and that absorb-all French-style suspension make fast driving on indifferently surfaced country roads a pleasure.

Overtaking on country roads is enhanced by enough power, and gear spacing that gives (indicated) 65 mph in second and 101 mph in third, before changing up to fourth gear! 3500 revs gives 90 mph in fourth, making this a relaxed freeway car, too.

Wind noise is low, suspension is quiet, the engine sounds clean and not very audible even when it’s working hard.

It’s also worth mentioning that the $13,000+ price includes a good quality AM-FM radio, CD, good air conditioning, power windows, central locking, and adjustable steering column. The paint, upholstery and all other finish items appear to be of good quality and tasteful, even if the exterior shape is forgettable/utilitarian.

Get the flash-and-dash in your other car!

75 Mpg in a Geo Metro

2008-03-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

Back in 1993, Doug Heffron took an ’89 Geo Metro with a 3 cylinder Suzuki motor (very similar to the JDM Suzuki Cultus) and created a tandem seat streamliner. By narrowing the cockpit and removing extra weight, he pulled about 300lbs out of the Metro. The result was this 75mpg commuter (up from a high of 58mpg on the stock version) which he drove for two years. Heffron was a machinist and welder in the Army, maintaining medivac helicopters. In civilian life, he’s a mechanic for Anheuser Bush, and it was his 50 mile commute that inspired him to build the streamliner. He spent three years researching and designing the streamliner, even sculpting his concept in clay models. Not including his time, the mods cost about $1300 back in ’93, and he spent about ten weeks sawing, and doing the sheetmetal. He even cut the glass for the windshield himself. Heffron put his Metro into storage two years after creating it, but with gas prices on the rise, he may just want to bring it back out this summer. Check out Doug's Metro

Paul Frère: 1917-2008

2008-03-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

It is with great admiration and respect that we report the passing of Paul Frère, veteran race car driver and reknowned automotive journalist.

For those unfamiliar with him, Frère was perhaps the quintissential "gentleman racer". Born in Belgium in 1917, he went on to a very successful career as a racing driver, competing in sports cars, motorcycles, and even Formula One. As a driver, Frère competed in a wildly diverse selection of vehicles: everything from a pre-war MG PB, to a 1953 Chrysler (with which he won his class at the 1953 Mille Miglia), on to the more elite ranks of Porsche, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Ferrari.

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment as a driver was his win at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ferrari, co-driving with fellow endurance racing legend Olivier Gendebien.

During his racing career Mr. Frère also became well-known as a motoring journalist, drawing from his wide array of personal experience driving and racing the world's finest (and not so fine) automobiles. His wit and wisdom was known to everyone who followed his "Letters from Europe" which appeared for years on the pages of Road & Track. His legacy lives on in the many books he published, most notably his famous Sports Car and Competition Driving and his later autobiography, My Life Full of Cars. In his later years, he gushed about his admiration for his Honda CR-X; clearly, he was a man who appreciated a vast spectrum of automobiles as any true car enthusiast should.

Though he is no longer with us, he lived a truly wonderful 91 years and had a very fulfilling life "full of cars". May we all be so lucky.

Bentley Publishers' Biography
David E. Davis on Paul Frère
Paul Frère: Wikipedia

SCCA Rallycross - No Special License Needed

2008-03-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

All you really need is a driver’s license, a pulse, a small sum of cash, and access to a tin-top car to experience off-road rally thrills in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) RallyCross.

The format is straightforward – like autocross. Transplanted into a field it’s called RallyCross. Like autocrossing, each competitor completes multiple runs as quickly as possible without knocking down the course marking cones. The formats diverge in scoring – at an autocross, only the best recorded run counts. RallyCross mimics stage rally. All of the runs count towards a cumulative time, so you can be leading your class, make a mistake on your final run and hurt your overall position. Steady and smooth driving can really pay off at the end of the day.

SCCA’s San Francisco Region owns and operates Thunderhill Raceway Park, just west of Willows California. A gradually sloped field near the track’s access road serves as the region’s home site. I talked with (at the time) RallyCross Chief Skylar a couple of years ago. Stein got involved at its inception in Northern California. “I bought a Subaru WRX in March of 2002, and I wanted to do something fun. I started to autocross, because that’s all there was to do. The first RallyCross in this region was in July of ‘02. I came out to that, and came away saying – damn, this car just wants to be in the dirt.”

Compared to other events under the SCCA umbrella, RallyCross is its own animal. A set of national rules recently appeared, and there’s been talk of a national runoff, but it hasn’t advanced past that. Stein explained, “We actually run the California Rally Series (CRS) classes. They’ve been around a long time – running events out of Southern California. Several of our events even pay points into the CRS championship.”

There’s no need to flip through a two-inch-thick car-classification book, as the CRS rules are pleasantly simple. Essentially three classes are split into two and four wheel drive categories. Street Stock, Street Modified, and Open. Put rally tires on the car and it’s in the open class. Period. Street tires are defined by a measurement of the non-circumferential sipes (cuts) between tread blocks. Roll bars and cages are encouraged, but not required, except on trucks. My STI (well it actually belonged to Subaru) with its sticky (on tarmac) Bridgestone RE 70’s slotted into Street Stock 4.

Registration was a breeze; hand over some money, show them your helmet, (loaners are available also) and pick up a tech card. The inspection was a self-performed checklist of common sense items like battery hold-downs, wheel play, and loose items in the car. Before things get started, competitors walk the course to learn the sequence of turns and speculate how bumps, ruts, and irregularities might influence potential fast lines. While walking, I ran into Mark Anton and Mike “Boomer” Malsed. They became friends years ago racing remote control cars. “I was spending more than $4k a year on R/C cars.” Boomer said. “Mark tried RallyCross with his Ford Probe and was hooked - told me about it – so I went out and bought a Honda Civic for a grand.” Sounds like a good thing to do with a $1k car to me.

A brief driver’s meeting explained the running order and the rules. Timing is recorded on a rally clock in hundredths of a minute. Each cone toppled adds two hundredths to your time, and if you DNF a run – by going off course and rejoining somewhere else- the slowest run of the group plus two-tenths is recorded. Jump the start and expect a .1 penalty. All drivers must share the workload; shagging cones, manning flags, or working the timing equipment or face disqualification. Each run group starts with a parade lap of all the cars, to give drivers a chance to see the course from behind the wheel, and if there’s time at the end of the day, fun runs are a buck each.

Looking across the impromptu paddock, it was a sea of Subarus. Roughly half of the cars were “Subies” several of which were fitted with full WRC (World Rally Championship) replica roll cages. The balance of cars ranged from a stock Ford Focus and Dodge Neon to a rally-tire shod 1973 Mini Cooper all the way up to full-blown stage rally cars like the Volkswagen Corrado of Viet-Tam-Luu. Luu started out rallycrossing last year in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, and switched to the fully prepped VW earlier this year.

RallyCross regular Pete Cowan designed the course. He laid it out on a giant sheet of paper with a scale model car, and spent Friday afternoon setting up the real course for Saturday’s event. “I tried to mix it up with technical sections and some longer straights to equalize the cars.” Pete’s technical section referred to back-to-back u-turns that looked tighter than our STI’s turning radius. (That’s tight.) Ultimately, Cowan took top time of day with his own open class Subaru STI.

The actual seat time is fleeting, but it’s adrenaline packed. Typical times hovered around a minute and a half – giving most competitors about five minutes behind the wheel. Even though you’re only in first and second gear, relative to the size of the course, you’re covering loose ground quickly. It’s busy behind the wheel, as you toss the car with opposite lock from side to side, and maybe a dash of e-brake to initiate rotation on the tighter stuff. My first runs were pretty clean, and I felt like I was sliding the car a bit. I tried different settings on the adjustable center differential to get a sense of nuances in power delivery when it was doled out at varying percentages front-to-rear. For my last run, Travis Brock hopped into the car and said, “Hey can I ride along?” Brock is a member of the “Gravel Crew”, a group of rallycrossers from Southern California who compete for points in CRS and put on their own CRS sanctioned rallycrosses. (you may be familiar with his father, sports car and Datsun 510 legend Peter Brock.) My own rear wheel drive road racing style became apparent as Brock instructed me how to use the throttle and four-wheel drive to pivot the car around the tight corners. His instruction to “Hit the throttle” would come as I was just gathering the car into the corner. I obliged, and the STI rotated itself sideways and leapt forward as if it instinctively knew where to go.

I rode along with Brock in his own normally aspirated Subaru 2.5RS for a humbling ride with an experienced driver on Pirelli P Zero Gravel rally tires. Despite a general lack of interior and full WRC style cage, it serves as his daily street driver. He tapped his right foot until the last few hundredths of the start countdown and we were off in a hail of spinning tires and shooting rocks. Aside from the phenomenally improved grip afforded by the rally tires, I was impressed at how much he used weight transfer to pivot the car in the tightest corners – even before using the hand brake, it felt like the back of the car was up in the air, and the fronts were hunkered down grabbing the dirt. Brock finished second in class and overall.

Most of the competitors I talked with had been involved with RallyCross between 1-3 years. Some were hooked by rally video games. Others found out about it through the SCCA memberships that came with their new Subarus. The CRS contingent from the south had a heavy influence from off-road desert truck racing. Brock’s buddy John Jimison sold his full-blown rally car when SCCA pulled out of sanctioning special stage rally events at the end of 2004. “I’m one of the guys that freaked out, before we found out the events would continue under new sanctioning bodies.” He’s also got a D1 drift license to fall back on. While some were set on RallyCross as the destination, many are looking to hone dirt skills they could take into performance rallying.

It’s also a great place to shake a rally car down without getting stuck in the woods. Jack Maranto was into SCORE off-road trucks before he got involved three years ago through a friend at the Ridgecrest Rally School. “The first year we ran the whole season in rental cars – a different car each event. Last year I ran the first ¼ of the season in rental cars, and won my class.” He was running an STI that was piece by piece evolving into a fully prepped rally car. It’s backdated with 15” wheels and gravel tires, a steering rack with fewer turns lock-to-lock, and a giant hand brake right next to the steering wheel that simultaneously cuts power to the rear diff. “Sometimes rally guys like Leon Styles and Rhys Millen come out to our events, and we can beat them. It’s all about the cleanest line, smooth is fast. You’ve got to remember – in like a lamb, out like a lion.”

On average, turnouts hover between 40 and 60 cars as the program continues to gain momentum. The atmosphere carries over from rally - it’s low key and competitors are friendly and eager to help newcomers. “It turns out that not everyone wants to get their cars dirty.” Stein said, but for those who are willing, playing in the dirt has a whole new meaning.

Nissan 350Z street car VS SCCA T2 racer

2008-02-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

Cheap racing. It’s a bit of an oxymoronic term, but once in a while someone gets it right by doing their homework and finding enthusiastic partners. David Ray is a long time Sports Car Club of America road racer and the organizer of Hooked on Driving, a track day program for beginners with high performance road cars. Back in ‘06 he put together a program for SCCA’s T2 category with a local Nissan dealer and as racing budgets go, he’s running a competitive car on the cheap. Why not put the T2 racer and the stock counterpart on the track to see how some fairly simple modifications transform its’ character? Well that’s just what we did at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows CA.

The 350Z is an axiom in the two-seat sports car market, praised for smooth power, crisp handling, and controversial door handles. Our 35th Anniversary edition ‘05 model is a healthy base for an enjoyable track-day car with 300hp, front and rear spoilers, “track-option” Brembo brakes, all riding on 18” diameter wheels: 7.5” wide up front and 8.5” in the rear shod with 45 series Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tires.

The T2 class follows a street legal format and attempts to level the playing field with specific suspension and engine modifications tailored to each car. Safety regulations mandate a full roll cage, fire system, removed air bags, and each car is prescribed a minimum weight – 3268lbs with driver in the case of the 350Z. Across the board limited slip differentials and aftermarket shocks are allowed. Competition comes from a host of rivals you’d find roaming the streets: Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, BMW M3, Subaru STi, Mazda RX8, Honda S2000, F-bodied Camaro, even Cadillac CTS-V and Porsche Boxster. As a testament to the tuning rules, the cars are fairly close on the track.

Ray’s 350Z makes the most of the rules while conforming to a reasonable budget. The class allows updating and backdating of specific parts on the Z as well as a host of NISMO (Nissan Motorsports) upgrades. Ultra-competitive Nationals competitors blueprint engines and take things to the exact limit of the rules, but Ray started with a 2003 lease turn-in with 30,000 miles on the clock. The motor hasn’t been touched – although that may change for next year, as he’s allowed to update to a newer cam profile from the ’05. Under the hood, the only visible difference is a large oil cooler. A K&N filter resides in the stock airbox, and the exhaust flows through a nine-pound lighter Nismo cat-back piece. Ray estimates he’s making around 300hp, putting it on par with the 35th Anniversary model. From the outside, there’s no mistaking the T2 version. It’s set down 2” on stiffer Nismo springs, and 8.5” front and rear BBS wheels are wrapped in aggressive 245/40 ZR18 DOT approved Hoosier R3S04 racing rubber that fill the wheel wells nicely. Inside, a welded roll cage, cut door panels (and missing side windows due to the NASCAR inspired door-bars) Sparco racing seat, and an airbag-free MOMO steering wheel remind us what we’re not driving to the grocery store. Adjustable (36mm front and 22mm rear) Nismo swaybars and aftermarket shocks are the only suspension modifications allowed. Ray chose Konis with separate bump and rebound adjustment. Aside from disabling the ABS, the only mods to the “track option” Brembos are the Hawk Blue racing pads, stainless lines, and high temp ATE Blue racing brake fluid.

We hit the track in the Anniversary Edition first. Bringing it up to speed, it turns in well, feels neutrally balanced, and makes a nice six cylinder howl as it pulls to the 6800 RPM rev limiter. When pressed harder the street focus becomes more apparent. It’s time to push the VDC button on the dash and disable Nissan’s Vehicle Dynamic Control. VDC uses the ABS wheel speed sensors to identify slipping and reacts with reduced engine torque or individual wheel braking if necessary to keep the Z in line. On the track, the car essentially shutters and shuts off with any appreciable rotation – great for a rain soaked street, but unsettling across the apex of a third-gear corner. With the safety net down, it’s possible to work the car harder into the entry of medium and fast paced corners only to find a fair dose of understeer.

Turns 1,2, and 3 at Thunderhill were made to punish the front of a car three different ways. One is a fast 4th gear slightly uphill left-hander at the end of the front straight, two is a moderately banked 180° 3rd gear left with a long apex, immediately followed by the long off-camber turn three sending you in the opposite direction. On street rubber, it’s a given that three will be a screecher all the way around. With the Z up to speed, the initial turn-in still points it in the right direction. Soon thereafter, the front tires began to howl as they’re asked to do more than the combination of compound and width can deliver – after all it’s a 3200 lb car. Slower corners involve enough weight transfer to effectively combat the understeer. When combined with an early application of throttle, it’s possible to hang the back end out – not the quickest way around, but it looks impressive. With a little practice, and a conscious driving style change, (adjusting the entry speed in fast corners) the chassis demonstrates its balance by rotating in a nearly neutral drift across the apex of turn one. The Brembos work well for less than five lap runs, but the street pads and fluid begin to heat up and loose some bite when asked to go longer.

Entering the #77 Z requires stepping over the cage and falling into the non-adjustable seat. Inside it looks familiar, barring harness, and lap timer equipment. The Nismo exhaust is nearly as quiet as stock, and the clutch pedal is actually marginally lighter than the yellow Z. Idling through the pits, the car’s stiffer springs are immediately noticeable as the poly bushings squeak and complain. Turn the wheel full lock at slow speed and the Nismo limited slip scuffs the inside rear tire like a welded diff.

First lap out, the turn in is crisp, and before the tires get enough heat it’s actually a bit loose. As the temperature (and pressure) increase, the grip increases logarithmically; the rear of the car calms down, and even though this set of Hoosiers is pretty cooked from more than two events, it’s a different world from the stock Potenzas. The overall balance is good. The most noticeable difference comes from those wider front wheels and tires. It points in and takes a set, allowing a more aggressive driving style into the corners. With the slightly shorter rear tire circumference and the Nismo diff, the shift points on the track came up quicker than with the yellow Z, forcing extra shifts, and more speed. The racing compound brake pads took a lap build heat and were a bit grabby at the rear before the rear tires heated up, but hauled the car down consistently without fade. Ray mentioned that at the end of a full race distance he might have to give the brakes a pump, but a recently allowed brake duct should help that.

The numbers on the stopwatch tell the story. At the time, Ray held the T2 qualifying lap record at Thunderhill at 2:06.6, and my time in 8 laps was 1.5 adrift at a 2:08.1. Given the tires and a stiff headwind, I was pretty happy. I saw 122mph at the end of the front straight in the # 77 car. Our yellow Z hit 116mph in the same spot, and screeched the tires for an additional five seconds, for a 2:13.7 lap. The front straight speed difference was attributable to a higher corner exit speed onto the straight, as both cars felt strong on the throttle.

One of the key elements for both driver and sponsor is the involvement of the Dirito Brothers’ service department. Ray explained how it came together; “When I finally did the pitch to the last guy, he was going to say no to me. I proposed that converting the car to T2 specs should be done by the dealership, and hopefully we could talk to the service department and there would be some guys that would volunteer some labor off the clock. The manager went straight to service department manager Aaron Larkin. He got fired up about it, and talked four guys into helping. I think that was a key to making this thing happen. The dealership said – there’s no way I’m going to pay $100 an hour to work on my own car. Aaron stepped up.” The crew is made entirely of service technicians, and they prepare it between events at the dealership. Ray explained, “There’s a lot of pride in the service department. They’ve got all of my plaques and winnings right there on the service department wall. Customers can see that they maintain it, and the Dirito Brothers are establishing a reputation as a performance dealer.”

Crew chief Larkin gave us some insight into how difficult (for a room full of Nissan mechanics) it was to convert the car to SCCA T2 specifications. “It was gone for a week and a day for the roll cage fabrication. It took us about four and a half hours a day for three days to do the rest of the mechanical conversions.” Maintenance between events, in racecar terms has been a sweet deal. “It’s pretty much just fluids. We change brake pads and differential fluid every other event, and in four events we changed the oil once.” They’ve also found out what stands up to the abuses of racing, and what doesn’t. It turns out that newer model transmissions are a bit stronger, and the stock viscous coupling limited slip diff definitely has a lifecycle when aggressively raced. The Nismo LSD was a recent addition, as was an updated transmission. “We work on the car on off hours, and we’re having fun with it. It took a little convincing to get the other techs to give up some off time, but once we started talking about it, I took two of them to a race, and that helped a lot.”

Ready to write the check, or convince your local dealer to blow off a few ads and go racing? Some quick snooping around produced the following rough numbers. Let’s say a run of the mill used “track option” equipped Z is going run in the neighborhood of $20k. A bolt-in roll cage runs in the $800 ballpark. Budget around $3650 for the bolt-on items responsible for the well-behaved personality on track. Other safety items will quickly add up, as will the wider front wheels. On the consumables front, every other weekend will set you back $1000 in tires and $300 in brake pads. When the stock diff begins to complain, the Nismo unit averages about $1100. Ray’s program is golden when you contemplate the labor involved in both installation and maintenance.

Driving Ray’s T2 350Z illustrates that with minimal tweaking and some bolt-on goodies we can make an enjoyable road car even more fun and potent on the track and the backroads. And it makes us want to get out on track again… soon.

Redline Time Attack!

2008-02-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

Time Attack competition slots in somewhere between Auto-X and Club/Pro racing – sort of. Popular in Japan as a venue for tuners to show their stuff, it’s just catching on here in the States. I say sort-of because the drivers vary in experience from those fresh off the auto-x course to pro-racer/drifters like Tyler McQuarrie with his Hankook sponsored RHD Nissan Sylvia S15. At the Laguna Seca event, he was the only one with an 18- wheeler support truck and all the trappings of his Formula Drift team – (running a Porsche in that series). There were more than a few serious teams from all over the country that had towed out to Laguna Seca, like the AMS Lancer Evo from Chicago with just as many hands on the car as the guys with the rig. But then there were also the first timers with minimal modifications, just getting used to track driving. The atmosphere was test day with Linkin Park blaring over the loudspeaker system – with friends and crewmembers making up the majority of the crowd. Many of the events take place during the week, so it’s not designed to be totally spectator friendly – but the competition looks fairly low key. The only weird thing I experienced asking questions about the cars was a reluctance to give up any “tuning secrets.” “I can’t tell you what we’re doing with the turbo system on this NSX…” That’s OK, I’m not going to turbocharge my S2000 powered English Ford for a while anyway. The Redline series started in November of 2005, ran four events in ’06, and six in ’07. It’s definitely a great alternative to street racing your 450hp EVO, carbon bodied Miata, or Crazy Rotary 510…

Meyers' Mazda, a premonition of the RX7

2008-02-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

Dick Meyers, a freight company executive attended the LA Autoshow in 1972 and was smitten with a showcar designed by Sergio Coggiola based on the Volvo 1800ES Coupe. Meyers was an RX2 fan – he bought one of the first ‘71’s when it came out and liked everything about the car. He commissioned Chuck Porter to build a car based on the RX2 with a shape similar to the Volvo 1800ESC showcar. Porter, known for race cars, show cars and movie cars put about 2000 hours into the project. Everything on the car was made from scratch or modified, bar the dash, motor, and tranny. These shots were taken by Joe Rusz (still with R&T magazine) in 1973, when the car was first finished. Little did Meyers know that the RX7 was just around the corner, but I’m sure he liked his Mazda sports car better anyway.

Below, the Coggiola styled Volvo prototype that inspired Meyers.

Japanese Iron at Chuck's Trucks

2008-02-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Highway 70 snakes along the bucolic Feather River canyon on the west side of the California Sierras. On last year’s Alpine 500 rally (the successor will be run this year as the Snowball Rally) the route passed Chuck’s Trucks. It could be Arkansas, or the rural California mountains – but some of the inventory strongly suggested we were closer to foreign car country. It was Sunday, and Chuck wasn’t around but most of the rally participants stopped to take a peak. Among the American iron, and a corner of Citroens representing France, were several Datsun 411’s and others from the land of the rising sun. Enjoy… and if you see something you like, everything is for sale. Just don’t open the doors without Chuck’s permission.

MJS Award Winning Datsun PL411 For Sale

2008-02-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

Stumbled across this familiar Datsun PL411 "Bluebird" during my morning craigslist search. I say familiar because this very car was displayed at the 2007 Motoring J Style show, where we awarded it an "Outstanding Car" award. 411s don't get nearly as much love as Roadsters, Zs, and 510s, but we think they're great little cars with very svelte European looks and a decent background in small-bore production car racing overseas.

This one, with its original California black plates, Libra wheels, and lacking its front bumper, truly has some presence. You can smirk at Alfa Giulia Super owners all day long (though you'll probably get smoked).

At $4900, it may be priced a little over the market at this time, but that will change. This would be a great car to prepare for vintage racing with CSRG's proposed "Slow Cars" class.

Find it on craigslist here!

Hot Rodded Toyota FJ's

2008-02-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago the theme for the 2006 SEMA show (the show’s 40th anniversary) was American Muscle, but Toyota joined in on the retro-muscle bandwagon with hot rodded truck of their own.

The FJ45 Hot Rod theme coincided with the arrival of the FJ Cruiser 4X4. Mark Amstock (the National SUV and Minivan Market Planning Manager at Toyota Motor Sales at the time) led the team that developed Toyota’s ’06 SEMA show cars. For the FJ45 Hot Rod, Amstock located the FJ45 pickup and gave it to hot rodder Richard Graves.

Graves chopped the top, narrowed the body, channeled it, coated it in satin black (with the signature white roof) and set it on red steel wheels. Amstock also talked TRD out of a NASCAR Toyota Camry V8 motor and had it detuned to 600 horsepower for the hot rodded truck.

Toyota’s North American sales guys didn’t start a trend by modifying an FJ series truck, they merely tapped into a scene that’s been rolling along for a long time with companies like TLC (Toyota Land Cruisers) of Van Nuys California.

TLC has been restoring and tastefully modifying the FJ series and all Land Cruisers for years. The original FJ series was available in the US between 1963 and 1967 as a shortbed pickup with a fixed or removable roof, and as a four door wagon. TLC’s full blown (to use a Mustang term) “resto-mod” restorations put modern 6 liter V8’s into the FJ and other Landcruisers.

Tired of your Miata? Throw a kit on that whip!

2008-02-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

The world of bodykits and aftermarket aerodynamics is a weird and wonderful world of automotive personalization. On the quality side there’s decent stuff, and there’s shlock. Companies like Dobi and Zender came up in the seventies with spoilers and the first aero sideskirts for mass production – before that people did their own flares and spoilers. On modern imports "Combat" and other aggressive kits add gaping radiator intakes, wings, spoilers, side skirts, vents, and flares in occasionally cartoonish proportions. Retro-inspired kits have traditionally been more popular in Japan than US, and the Miata is a popular basis for a total makeover. Here are some examples – with varying degrees of sacrilege. Below Pit Crew Racing takes a Speedwell Sprite front end theme and molds it with a Datsun Roadster rear end taillight treatment – I kind of like it.

The Hiroshi 2000GT kit attempts to capture the glory of the Toyota 2000GT roadster (from Bond film fame) and the detailing is impressive. The rear end overhang proportions leave a little to be desired when compared to the black and white image of the real thing.

The Manta (below) is a generically Italian themed bodystyle – sort of a shrunken Iso Grifo front end.

Miata based Cobra gets it all wrong. Cobras were also copied on MGA’s and MGB’s with similar success.

Ah, the Mustang Miata – this is just weird, but the detailing is disturbingly accurate. Who’s to say there isn’t a Monster Miata 5 liter Ford underneath.

The Aston Martin is a little difficult to pull off, but it looks better than the Cobra.

Miami Vice light – a small reproduction of the Corvette based 365 Daytona Spider replicas. Brilliant!

Perhaps this is the worst, the 1955 MGTF Miata… You could park it next to your Mitsuoka Galue in the garage…

The True Meaning of "Fine Dime Brizzles"

2008-02-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

This is one for the ages. We knew comedian Adam Carolla liked old Datsuns...but Snoop Dogg? The aging rapper from the LBC recently released the cover art for his new album, "Ego Trippin", which will drop in mid-March. While you might expect the DO double-G to be reppin a lo'ed '64 Impala, 'doin it the Cali way, Snoop is keepin it real with some real Mo J style. And when this album drops, you better believe old Datsuns are going to ride a new wave of popularity.

What does this all mean? A few months ago, the guys at Auto-Otaku posted an article on vintage Japanese cars as a fashion statement, prompted by the inclusion of an early 70s Corolla (looks to be a TE27 Mango?) in a JC Penney print ad.

JC Penney may not be the biggest name in fashion these days, but Snoop hangs with David Beckham and you can't argue with that (they even went to Roscoe's together!).

What is the world coming to?

Baja B210's

2008-02-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Some 907 miles south of Tijuana lies the capital city of Baja California, La Paz and the ending point of the grueling Baja 1000 off road race. While on a random trip a number of years ago, we couldn’t help but notice that La Paz with its desert climate was a hotbed of Datsun B210 survivors. Most were faded, dented and well worn but still running strong. Or running at least, as no one drove particularly quickly in the city. The entire collection is here, and below are a few of the standouts.

Good times indeed in the Datsun Sunny!

afternoon sex and the 1993 mazda mx3

2008-02-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

by adam barrera

back then, hot z95 partied on the pristine shore.

apparently, this wide-eared six-year-old appreciated thick beats and not much else. i never realized that "freak like me" by adina howard had such dirty lyrics.

xm radio's '90s channel jogged my memory. the black tie grants even the most swedish saab several 40s of credibility. and in this more than decent rig -- shit. so fast. -- i had a third moment of clarity.

thousands of enthusiasts, wallets full of fiat, idle in the hopes of an import sport compact resurgence. brothers -- it will take years.

ironic truth: the weight gain of our favorite cars is inversely proportional to the weight loss in their steering. raymond says, "kids don't buy new civics -- they buy egs and eks." guess what? the guy's right.

honda dealers were once filled with young, carefree dreamers shopping for romantic cars. crxes, preludes, minivans with f1-grade double wishbones.

find a passionate buyer at their dealers now. dare, bro. and when you come up short, think of the colorkeyed stripe in the center of delsol seats.

-- the asterisks:

did you know that the 1993 mazda mx3 four-cylinder produced only 88 horsepower? oh, pitiful, you say. yet, if it returned today, this three-spoke steering, am/fm/tape player, aqua-painted, bubble-shaped motorized seatbelt machine might shock the fucking world.

1993 was an imperfect year.
we'd jet back in a heartbeat.

can't, of course.
so where do we find shelter?

well, you already know my answer.
you may disagree tonight;
soon, you'll come around.

or, friend, you will wait. thirsting.

Crazy El Salvadorian Datsun Racers!

2008-02-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

There are some things that we in the United States just miss out on, perhaps because we're such a litigious society. Like open-track Sundays at the Nurburgring, for example, where 18-year-old German punks in their modded E30s chase down Hayabusas and GSX-Rs sans helmet and often without common sense.

While we all know Europeans get all the good stuff that we don't, who knew that El Salvadorians engage in such fantastic Datsun hoonage? Here we see a standing-start all Datsun race comprising about 25 cars, everything from Sunny Pickups to 1200s and 510s. It appears to be a handicap race, with all the Sunny pickups starting at the front, and the presumably faster 510s at the back of the grid. Wish we had more of this video, but it's a good taste of what they're all about down there.

Thanks to Fabrizio of theAlfa Bulletin Board for the tip!

Clean Stock 1971 Toyota Celica on eBay

2008-02-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

There are only 13 hours left on this fairly clean and stock 1971 Celica ST on eBay -
The buy it now price is 6,500. It will be interesting to watch - it's not as desirable as a GT version, but it does have the manual transmission and doesn't appear to have suffered from the advances of rust. Judging by the multiple Celicas in the background, the seller probably knows the cars well.

Nissan GTR - Graphs and Aero

2008-02-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

That’s Kazutoshi Mizuno, the project leader on Nissan’s new $70k supercar fighting GTR. The Japanese love graphs and Powerpoint presentations comparing products with the abstract. This slide demonstrates which side of the brain is jazzed by the GTR, and how the GTR doesn’t appeal to wisdom and is unlike the clothes of a general merchandising store or a run of the mill quartz watch.

Here’s another graph depicting how the GTR develops more fun sooner in the corner than conventional cars! I took these photos at the launch at the Sendai HiLand Raceway at the GTR’s launch event. As soon as the (Sports Car International) article prints I’ll be able to go into more detail on my impressions of how it reacts over the road, and on the track. Think of it as the quintessential Japanese muscle car, and keep in mind that muscle has gone a very different direction across the Pacific than it has in Detroit.

Notice the “Rectifying Effect” under the driver’s seat. I think what’s actually happening here is an attempt to attach the boundary layer to the side of the car, and keep the airflow under the car from rolling out the sides. The GTR divides the air into three regions as it passes through it – obviously above and below the car, and the air taken through the engine compartment is kept in the middle of the car, directed into the driveshaft tunnel for cooling of the transaxle before it is directed back into the diffuser flow at the rear of the car.

The underbody aero pieces themselves are a mix of conventional and exotic materials – the font underbody is polypropolene, made for deformability to comply with pedestrian safety standards. A secondary piece just behind the motor is fiberglass, while the central underfloor is carbon sheet, and the rear diffuser is an aluminum honeycomb reinforced carbon composite, like you’d find in a prototype race car. The edges of the rear tray have been treated with polyester elastomer to resist exhaust heat.

Nissan worked for 2 years with Group Lotus in Europe, and 1.5 years with Yoshitaka Suzuka in Japan for aerodynamic development using rolling road wind tunnels. The result is a low air-resistance (Cd:0.27) and significant downforce.

Japanese Custom Vans

2008-02-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Bosozoku is a term that refers to “motorcycle hooligans” is also loosely attached to extreme custom vans and cars. Why haven’t we seen any kind of crossover here? Custom vans rode a wave of popularity in the US in the seventies, and where there’s nostalgia there’ll be a comeback (The Don't Come Knockin' website)

But on this side of the Pacific we just haven’t taken the bodywork to the extremes of Japanese custom vans. And while the bodywork is way out there, the murals are exquisitely detailed and, well, sort of predictable. Regardless, I think we need to see a few of these on the streets once in a while.

There are even retro-kits for current minivans – but again, these really haven’t made it big over here.

Until we catch up, we're left with stuff like this:

STi, STI, or STI? 2005, 2006, and 2008 - which one?

2008-02-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

I’ve had the privilege of driving a number of Subaru’s rally bred sedans in all conditions for Sports Car International magazine. A couple of years ago I took a 2005 STi and ran it in a local SCCA Rallycross event, did some dirt roads, and some aggressive backroad driving. Following that, I covered the launch of the 2006 STI (note the capitalization of the “I” for 06 and beyond) and drove it up Pikes Peak under closed road conditions just like the hillclimb event. Later in the year I was also able to spend time with the ‘06 both on and off road. A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to put some miles on the 2008 STI with its revised hatchback styling. So which one do I like best? I have to admit, for the sheer fun of driving, it’s tough to beat the ’05.

(above - 2005 STI near Willows, CA)

Let’s cut to the chase. All of these road-going rally cars are really quick for the money, and generally fun to drive both on and off of the pavement, but surprisingly each version has a distinct personality when pushed towards the limits of adhesion. A big portion of the character of these cars depends greatly on one complex piece of equipment – the center differential and how it apportions torque around the car for changing grip conditions. Everyone I talked to about the 2004 STi seemed to be in general agreement that the way it distributed torque made it a little too front biased – or understeery. For 2005 the factory played with the Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) and allowed for a more rear-biased torque split of 35/65% front/rear. Keep in mind all of the versions will throw 50% of torque at the front wheels in the locked settings, or as needed when grip is low and the center diff is set in the automatic settings.

So on the road, with the diff settings all the way back, the 2005 STi behaves more like a rear drive car and rotates the rear end more generously than subsequent versions. The center differential was an electronically controlled unit – taking data from yaw sensors and wheel speed to calculate the variable torque distribution (when not locked) and wasn’t totally without fault. When driving the 2005 STi in quick back and forth switchbacks – throwing its weight quickly from side to side, as the car transferred weight, I experienced a rubbery feel as the car changed the torque distribution based on the yaw sensor and grip level at each wheel. It was like the torque delivery was a fraction of a second behind, and as a result the car felt like, just for an instant, the tires were under-inflated and it would move on the sidewalls. As soon as the torque split adjusted itself as the car loaded up, it felt normal again. At the time I didn’t realize what was happening exactly, but knew that it felt odd for a split second in that no-mans-land while the weight transferred from side to side on grippy surfaces. Most cornering didn’t bring out the trait.

(above, 2006 STI on Pikes Peak)

Later on, (at the launch of the 06 car) I talked with Subaru’s engineers about the phenomenon, and they explained that there was a slight lag in the impulses sent to the electronically controlled center diff that distributed the torque. This prompted the change from the electronically activated unit to a mechanical center diff for 2006, with revised torque splits. In aggressive driving, the mechanical diff did the trick to eliminate the weird delay, but two more center diff changes for 06 slightly mellowed the STI’s character. Torque splits front/rear were also moved forward a bit to 41/59, and a new steering sensor added steering data to the mix of information used to distribute the torque.

Heading down Pikes Peak in the '06

When the pavement ends, the steering sensor really comes into play. On the ‘05 version the throttle could be used to kick the car around sideways, then the yaw sensor would yell at the computer to throw the power to the front – making dramatic power slides look easy. The 2006 STI knows which way your wheels are pointed, the forward transfer of power happens sooner, and it squares itself up from a slide more quickly. So for dramatic looking drifts, you’ve got to rotate the car as it enters the corner by trailing off the throttle and allowing it to rotate – then apply the throttle and let it claw its way out. Off road, you should be doing this anyway – but I felt a little more comfortable pushing the 06 STI harder on the loose stuff.

2008 STI

2008 STI

For 2008, the STI was redesigned as a five-door hatch. It looks and feels bigger, and from the outside in base trim, the wheels evoke a Pontiac Vibe feel at first glance. (To get the cool gold rally-look spoke wheels you’ve got to order the navigation package, putting your 35k STI dangerously close to the $40k mark.) The platform is softer, and has more body roll than the ’05 or ’06. On the pavement, the best cornering feel (pulling the car out of understeer most rapidly) is achieved with the center diff set in one of two auto settings, and even when the torque bias is set (manually) rearward I encountered lots of mid- corner understeer. I’ve read that the manual setting will deliver up to 25/75% torque front/rear, but the softer platform keeps it from feeling that way. The one time I was able to rotate it on-throttle from a stop, when the body roll maxed out, the car shot forward, where you could continue to drift in the previous versions. Quicker? Perhaps, but for me the setup compromised the “fun” factor. The additional body roll and softer shock bump may ultimately give the car more grip, but it loses a bit of that tossable feel during quick direction changes too. Off the road, it’s the most capable of the three in terms of covering ground quickly, and posts slightly better acceleration and slalom numbers than its predecessors.

In the end, I had the most fun with the ’05 STi, despite any time lag from the electronic diff for its willingness to slide, hang there for a bit, then claw itself out. Plus I think the grill and front-end treatment is the easiest of all of them on the eyes. All three have the same torque related issues with the front differential, making the car turn into a corner slightly differently on and off throttle – if razor sharp steering is your biggest hangup, the Lancer Evo has a leg up in that department. If ride quality is an issue, the newest version is the most refined of the bunch.

2005 STi

Lost Car Registry: Reuniting Owners with First Rides

2008-02-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here's an innovative concept: a website designed to reunite owners with their long-lost vehicles. Born out of a son's desire to find his dad's '69 Mustang Mach I comes the Lost Car Registry.

The idea is for previous owners to put a call out for their beloved, long-lost vehicles. Searching for the 240Z you drove around in high school in 1978? Might as well try here.

The site is relatively simple, and the likelihood of success is slim, but it's an interesting concept and we give props to its creator, Keith Ingersoll.

Check out a video featuring LCR here, courtesy of ABC News.

That said, if anyone sees my first car, a red '87 Alfa Romeo Milano, CA license plate 1RSF698, let me know!

Speed Traps, Red Light Cameras, and The Great Myth of "Safety"

2008-02-04T11:24:00.001-08:00

Chances are, you know the maddening feeling of being caught in a speed trap or having your front plate recorded by a red light camera and getting the inevitable super-expensive ticket for which you never signed. Yeah, I blew through a red light camera once on 19th Avenue in San Francisco (my bad), and you better believe Big Brother was watching.

The penalty? About $300, enough to buy that LSD rebuild kit for my AE86 and have enough left over for some Taco Bell and an ice cream.

The good folks at the National Motorists Association really go to bat for those of us who disagree with shady law enforcement tactics used to entrap motoring law violators such as myself.

Everyone should check out their website and get educated about subjects like red light camera scams, "traffic calming" projects, and something that everyone should practice more, "lane courtesy".

They've even sponsored a "Speed Trap Exchange", with state-by-state and city-by-city listings showing where you're most likely to get caught in a speed trap. Thank goodness for the information age!

And if you're ever in San Francisco, watch out going through Golden Gate Park on Park Presidio: an SFPD dressed up as a hobo nabbed my poor old 73-year-old father on radar for doing 40 in a 35. Was that in the name of "safety", or is "revenue generation" more to the point?

Crowning Glory

2008-02-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Back in September of 1966, Toyota was 9th overall in import sales in the U.S. with 500 dealers nationwide, and hoping to expand with another 100 in the coming year. The Corona with its peppy 1.9 liter 4 cylinder was driving Toyota’s sales in the small car category, while their physically largest offering stateside was the Crown Custom wagon. With a 2-liter straight six pumping out 110 horsepower, acceleration in the 3000lb, three-speed on-the-column shift wagon was described at the time as “modest”. The biggest gripe about the whole package was a lack of stopping power from the 9.1” drum brakes. After a few panic stops, the brakes could only register 31% of a G, as the pedal effort increased from 65lbs to 190lbs. The Rambler-like looks were praised at the time by the U.S. media, but for me it signifies a turning point in Japanese styling – the last of an era of emulating American style in the literal sense.

Progress: '49 Ferrari 166 vs. '08 Mazda Miata

2008-01-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

By Martin Swig

I'm about to take delivery of a new Mazda Miata, because I think it's the best new car out there. My conclusion is based on the idea that it offers so much and asks so little (price, fuel, maintenance) in return.

Sports cars always were lean and lithe, with wind-in-the-hair, small dimensions and tossability. Then something happened and they got bigger, heavier, overaccessorized, and very expensive. Many became more an object to be seen in rather than to be enjoyed.

The Mazda redefined sports cars by incorporating all the good stuff in a bullet-proof, low-maintenance, long-life package. Its designers did everything right; more importantly, the car's greatness was determined by all those things they could have done, but didn't, in misguided efforts to make it "better".

The original Ferrari 166 Barchetta that won the 1949 Mille Miglia redefined things in 1949 terms. It occurred to me to compare my Mazda to two early Ferraris. Look at the table below, and you'll see a good definition of "automotive progress."

There's no denying the greatness of the Ferraris and the huge influence they had on the automotive world. That probably balances the joy that the Miata has brought to hundreds of thousands of owners.

So, on I.P.U.P, or influence-per-unit-produced, maybe the Ferraris win. But side-by-side in Del Monte Forest or Torrey Pines, I'll bet the Mazda would leave either Ferrari for dead!

Bonus Video: In-Car Night Racing From Thunderhill!

2008-01-30T17:18:00.001-08:00

There are times in life when you break out in a cold sweat due to pure, uninhibited terror. Like when you find out you knocked up some cougar you had a one-night stand with 15 years ago. Or when you rack up $5,000 in credit card advances and lose it all in one night at a Vegas craps table during SEMA. Or when you're about to get your face ripped off by a Siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo. I'm happy to say none of those apply to me.

No, friends, my idea of terror is racing into a pitch black darkness in a shitty old car with virtually no lights whatsoever. You might encounter a crushed Datsun B210 resting unnauturally on its passenger door, just off the racing line. Yes, that's scary.

We thought we were so clever: Yeah, just put those dinky foglights in, those will pass tech. They're "lights", right? Right?

We never thought we'd need them to actually, you know, see.

So there we were at the 24 Hours of LeMons in the balmy 34 degree foggy darkness. I had planned my exit strategy well in advance. I drove the first stint of the race (during the day) specficially so I wouldn't be the jerkoff running off the road in the middle of the night. Darkness came, so I sent out driver #2. 5 minutes later, he's back in the pits. "What's the problem?!" The answer: "This is a fucking joke! I'm not driving this piece of shit! You can't see a god-damned thing!".

OK then, time for driver #3. Five minutes later, same scenario. So there we are. Four drivers, car still running, nobody willing to risk life and limb for a sackful of nickels. Which, honestly, we had no chance in hell of winning, having been classed as "NPF" - that's "No Prayer of Finishing". A fine designation, indeed.

Of course, as Bob Lutz once said, "Common sense, in fact, is not very common at all". True? You be the judge.

P.S: Video is from the 2nd place finishing "Latch Key Kids" Dodge Neon. Watch for the Gold Leaf Isuzu from 3:15-5:00!

LeMons Disaster Forces Isuzu Out Of U.S. Market

2008-01-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

You asked for chapter 2, and boy, have we delivered.

We haven't posted anything about the December 24 Hours of LeMons at Thunderhill, because, frankly, we failed miserably. The Jalopnik guys cheered for us, and even chronicled our exploits here, but alas, they were the only ones. Nobody else seemed to care much (though everyone liked our tow vehicle!).

After 11 hours of racing, at least three in terrifying pitch darkness, the old I-Mark's right front hub suffered a catastrophic failure while young Howard Swig was at the wheel. Howard had pulled into the pits complaining of a "horrific noise" emanating from the right front corner. Ever the optimist, and as the team captain, I told him to go back out there and drive the damn car: "What's the worst that can happen? The wheel isn't gonna fall off!"

It did.

The fallout from our miserable 43rd place finish has been more than we ever could have imagined. Our misguided efforts with the Gold Leaf Team Lotus I-Mark have made for some uncomfortable silences in the break room at Isuzu HQ. Due to our pathetic failure, Isuzu has announced that they are pulling out of the U.S market completely. They will continue, apparently, to provide parts and service, but if getting a new set of front brake pads for an '89 I-Mark RS is any indication, that infrastructure is, well, non-existent. If you have any Isuzu product, I suggest you unload it immediately to the first dumbshit who offers cash. That said, anyone want a LeMons-prepared I-Mark twincam in Gold Leaf livery? We'll even put the wheel back on for you!

Farewell, Isuzu. I'll remember you as fondly as I remember my $200 Renault LeCar. And that's a compliment.

Jalopnik 24 Hours of LeMons Thunderhill Full Gallery

Panties in a Twist: Alfa Guys Debate the '71 Trans Am

2008-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

Some excitement lately over at this thread on the Alfa Bulletin Board. A fine chance to watch some Alfisti debate the finer points of the '71 Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge, and rehash the coulda/shoulda/woulda of 35 years ago. I'm into it.

A quick recap: At the final Trans-Am race of 1971 at Laguna Seca, John Morton finished 2nd on track to Horst Kwech's Alfa GTV, which was later disqualified by the SCCA for racing with an oversized fuel tank. The BRE Datsun team, and specifically driver John Morton, went down in the record books as the 1971 Trans-Am 2.5 Liter Champions.

I really suggest reading this thread, as it's loaded with interesting historical info pertaining to this age-old Trans-Am debate. There are some truly knowledgeable and objective participants who can see both sides of the story.

Now, I love Alfas, and I love Datsuns too. At home my '72 BRE 510 is parked proudly next to dad's '71 Alfa GTV 1750. But I must admit I get a kick out of a few delusional Alfisti trying to knock down the efforts of Peter Brock and the BRE racing team.

Delusional? Think I'm being a bit harsh? Let's take this gem from the original poster:

"Every dog has it's day, I can see a brighter future for Alfa than Nissan."

Um....yeah...whatever you say, buddy. Actually, it warms my heart to know there's someone who actually believes that.

That said, here are some truths:

1) A stock Datsun 510 isn't even 1/3 of the car that a stock '71 Alfa GTV is. I know. I have them both. The stock Alfa shames the stock Datsun in the same way that a Z06 might compare to a Chevy Aveo.

2) The Alfa GTV of Horst Kwech DID beat the Datsun 510 of John Morton on track in the '71 Laguna Seca Trans-Am. His fuel tank didn't meet SCCA rules, the SCCA impounded the car and disqualified it on this technicality.

3) Peter Brock and his team at BRE built spectacular race cars, and any comments made to belittle his efforts are truly uninformed. (Yes, I'm referencing you, the AlfaBB commenter who noted that "Peter Brock has always been overrated". You know who you are). The Alfa guys (Horst Kwech and others) also built great race cars and were fierce competitors, which is what made the T/A 2.5 Challenge so damn interesting!

4) Winners cheat. The Alfas cheated. The Datsuns probably cheated too. Cheating in SCCA is nothing new, wasn't new in 1971, is still going on in 2008. Debate all you want. If you're not bending the rules, you're not trying hard enough!

To paraphrase one level-headed poster, being an 'Alfista' (or an enthusiast of any particular marque) should never preclude you from appreciating other cars. Variety is the salt of life. Enjoy it!

New Year's Day Anti-Football Run 2008

2008-01-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

In the early morning dusk of New Year's Day, while most of us were nursing hangovers or still wandering the empty streets after the debauchery that is New Years' Eve, 70 vintage sports cars and their drivers converged on the small town of Sausalito.

The point? A brisk drive on open, untrafficked, windy two lane backroads in our favorite cars to "start the new year right". Put on our sister organization, the Amici Americani della Mille Miglia, the New Year's Day Anti-Football Run has been an annual event since the early 1990s.

This year, Datsuns and Toyotas rubbed shoulders with the elite, as most of the New Year's Day entries are classic European makes with names like Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Maserati. Of course, there were many oddballs - Citroens, Saabs, an aluminium-bodied Triumph TR6 hotrod...what a way to start '08!

Thanks to Michael Emery of Lucha Libre Racing for the photos!

California Mille '08 New Year's Day Photos

MJS Special Exhibit at SF Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show

2007-12-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Motoring “J” Style Brings Classic Japanese Hot Rods and Sport Compacts to San Francisco Rod, Custom and Motorcycle Show
Story by Justus Dobrin
An exhibition of pre-1985 custom Japanese performance vehicles from the collection of San Rafael’s David Swig will be on display at the 8th annual San Francisco Rod, Custom & Motorcycle show, presented by Toyota Trucks, which runs January 11- 13, 2008, at the Cow Palace.

Among the cars on display in the show’s North Hall is Swig’s 1972 BRE Datsun 510 — a tribute to Datsun’s Trans-Am championship victories, complete with ‘bubble flare’ fenders and iconic red, white and blue Peter Brock-inspired paint. Also making debut at this, the West’s largest indoor rod and custom exposition, is a hand-fabricated, open-wheeled 1968 Toyota Corona hardtop which is powered by a modified Lexus 4.0 liter V-8 and equipped with an SC 400 automatic transmission.

This one-of-a-kind custom street rod, built by Mitch Allread of Newhall, California, embodies hot rodding’s spirit and desire for individuality and expression – all with a decidedly Japanese flair.

The 23-year old Swig has created “Motoring J Style,” America’s first comprehensive Japanese car show, an event celebrating the roots and history of Japanese performance street vehicles.

“Inspiration for the exposition came from events like the Good Guys’ get togethers, the Monterey Historics, and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance” explains Swig. “We wanted to elevate awareness and enthusiasm surrounding classic Japanese imports.”

“A key element to the gathering’s success has been de-fragmenting the Japanese collectable scene. Traditionally, Japanese import enthusiasts were divided by brand affinity -- Toyota guys hung with Toyota guys, Datsun guys with Datsun guys,” explains Swig. “The emphasis now is on personalization and individual expression.”

The Motoring J Style exhibit augments more than 300 street rods, cool Kustom cruisers, wild motorcycles, race cars, “suede” or “trad” rods, Toyota racing trucks, vintage Streamline Moderne trailers and Hollywood Star Cars on display in all pavilions, halls and grounds of the expansive Cow Palace.

Show hours for the San Francisco Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show are 3 – 10 p.m. Friday (January 11); 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday (January 12) and 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday (January 13).

Admission is $18 adults ($16 with $2 discount coupon at Northern California Toyota dealers); $15 seniors and military ($13 with Toyota discount coupon); $8 children six to 12 and free for kids five and under.

For a list of Northern California Toyota dealers carrying discount coupons, consult the show’s website, www.SFCustomShow.com. For other show information contact RP Productions at (209)744-8090.

For show information, contact RP Productions (209) 744-8090

Press contact: Michael Dobrin/MDPR (510)865-8005 mdobrin@mdpr.com

Japan's "Lucky 13"

2007-12-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Our friends over at Winding Road always have something interesting to report, and this month they've turned their attentions east to the Land of the Rising Sun.

In their January 2008 edition, Chris Paukert chooses Japan's 13 "Most Beautiful Designs". What cars made the cut? Read the magazine here.

Lost in Lone Pine: '60s Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45

2007-12-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

It's not often I make it to the small hamlet of Lone Pine, California, but I savor the opportunities I do get. Located just east of the most rugged of the Sierra Nevadas, Lone Pine is a breathtaking place of natural beauty. 11,000 foot cliffs jut out of the earth's surface a stone's throw away, reminding us of the violence of nature and the limitations of our "go anywhere" vehicles. There are no roads west of Lone Pine. In this pristine alpine setting, mountain goats still trump Gelandewagens.
If we are to believe the words of John Muir, the mountain goats here also jump horns-first off of 150-foot precipices (let's see you drive your G500 off a sheer Sierra cliff!). I was always intrigued by Muir's tale of a mountain goat melee in the Sierras, and hoped to find evidence of such events on a recent trip to Lone Pine.

I failed. I didn't see a single mountain goat or big-horned sheep whatsoever. Nevertheless I did stumble across a different breed of mountain goat: a somewhat forlorn, but complete mid-sixties Land Cruiser FJ45 pickup.

In its original Mint Green paint (about 12% of which is still on the car), this FJ45 was a real find. I believe this looks to be a long wheelbase model, but I'm not familiar enough with Land Cruisers to say conclusively. Year? Circa 1965.

This is one that should definitely be brought back instead of being left to rot or turned into a parts car! Much rarer than the FJ40 models, the FJ45 is truly a classic, and one of the first truly heavy-duty Japanese pickups. Someone save it!

Meguiar's Car Crazy: J-Style Has Arrived!

2007-12-13T16:02:00.001-08:00

I don't get to see myself on TV very often, so it was with some trepidation that I watched my own blabbering mug telling the world why old Japanese cars are so cool via the Speed Channel. At least I had some sweet AE86s courtesy of my Club J-RWD friends to serve as a backdrop.

Barry Meguiar is a guy who really has his fingers on the pulse of just about everything that's exciting in the car world, so it was a real honor to have his Car Crazy film crew with us last July at Motoring J Style.

I was curious to see what would come of that, and the result was a wonderful half-hour program giving an overview of the Japanese Collector Car scene as it is today. The show included footage from Motoring J Style, the 2007 Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, and the 2007 Toyota Owners and Restorers Club (TORC) show. In addition to interviewing me, Barry interviewed Koji and Terry Yamaguchi, founders of the annual JCCS show. We were in good company, as he also quizzed Jay Leno about his Mazda Cosmo Sport on the same episode!

Best part of the show? Koji Yamaguchi's response when asked about his affinity for his 1977 RA28 Toyota Celica: "Because it looked like MUSTANG!".

Unfortunately, it seems the episode won't be re-aired in the immediate future, but you can cruise on over to www.carcrazycentral.com for some bonus video shot at the TORC show. Click to see the video here.

Thanks again Barry and the entire Car Crazy crew!

Nissan to Abandon All North American Racing Programs?

2007-12-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

I didn't believe it when I read speculation Tuesday on Jalopnik.com that Nissan would halt all North American factory-backed racing programs for fiscal year 2008. It certainly sounded like far-fetched rumor. If nothing else, it's inconsistent with the launch of their flagship GT-R, considering Nissan's position in the enthusiast marketplace.

But thenJalopnik again posted confirming the rumored pullout as fact, citing an interview with Scott Vazin, Director of Product Communications for Nissan Motor Company.

What does this decision mean for Nissan, and for U.S. racing? Frankly, I'm unclear if this is really major news or just a bump in the road that will be forgotten in a year's time. Nissan reps I contacted either hadn't heard about the matter or weren't reachable for comment.

The biggest single racing program that will be axed are the factory-sponsored Nissan trucks that compete in the CORR off-road series. Beyond that, we're talking about some scattered sports car racing programs, drifting, and presumably some SCCA contingency programs. Nobody has been able to confirm how big of a total package North American motorsports are dollars-wise for the company.

The real question is this: does this decision mean Nissan is no longer interested in motorsport? Of course not. Nissan has been a supporter of racing for decades, and if I had to put my money on a bet, I'm sure they'll be back in some form, sooner rather than later. Speculation abounds that they're planning to come out big with a stateside GT-R racing program, details TBA, and that would seem to fit with their corporate strategy.

So, enthusiasts, don't poo-poo them yet. I think they've got something up their corporate sleeve, and we'll just have to wait and see what that may be.

2009 Nissan GT-R Unveiled in San Francisco!

2007-11-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

The GT-R has been in the news for awhile now, but it's taken until November for Nissan to reveal the production model GT-R, which will be sold in the U.S. as a 2009 model.

Hype has been building for months, and thanks to some cleverly planned PR stunts, images and details about the new GT-R have been floating around the web for months. A fury was caused when one showed up at Sears Point during a random track day a few months ago, and we heard reports that another GT-R was roaming the Las Vegas Strip in the early morning hours during the SEMA show a few weeks ago.

Finally, Nissan has revealed the production model GT-R. It's a striking beast powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 making about 480 horsepower. Enough to get your attention, and probably enough to get you a one-way ticket into the slammer.

I can't decide if I personally am enamored of this car. It's certainly a flagship vehicle for the Nissan brand, but when they already make an Infiniti G37 Coupe that's so damn good for about 60% of the GT-R's MSRP, it's a tough call. However, I don't think Nissan will have any trouble selling the 1500 GT-Rs slated for U.S. delivery next year, even at $70k+ apiece.

Love it or hate it, one thing is for certain: Nissan is a company that knows who they are. They realize the value of creating models that enthusiasts lust after, and they are smart to capitalize on the GT-R lore. They make exciting cars that capture the soul (GT-R, 350Z, Infiniti G37, Altima Coupe, etc.), not mere appliances that bore you to tears. We'd like to see other automakers follow suit, but we won't be holding our breath.

Isuzu Returns to International Motorsports Competition!

2007-11-26T15:58:00.001-08:00

Ok, so the title is a bit of a misnomer. There will be no grand return to the winner's circle. Why? Well, for starters, Isuzu never saw a winner's circle, ever. But what better place to start than at the 24 Hours of LeMons, that ill-conceived race honoring the crappiest, worst, most decrepit and forgettable cars ever made. By those standards, it's a miracle nobody else is campaigning an I-Mark.

Let's be honest: did you even know that Isuzu still exists?

I had completely forgotten what an Isuzu looked like until just the other day when I saw an old Trooper billowing steam from its radiator on the side of the 101. Ah yes, the Trooper. Dad sold Isuzus new back in the good ol' days. He was one of the first dealers they signed up back in '81-82. They had a really great new-car smell in those 88-89 Troopers. As a five-year-old, the then-new '89 Isuzu Trooper held a special place in my heart. Nostalgic Motoring J, fo' sho'!

Die-hard car guys might vaguely recall the "Handling by Lotus" badges that graced the flanks of select I-Marks, Impulses, and Styluses(who knows?) back then.

Some information about Isuzu's 90-year history is covered on their official timeline at the Isuzu Company History. But, like Chinese textbooks, it appears some of their history is, well, history: lost to the sands of time. There's no mention of the Lotus partnership, nor that Isuzu ever sold a car called the I-Mark. It's been erased from the official record. Is this a bad indication? You tell me.

Yes, almost 20 years ago, this wasn't just a bad joke: Isuzu by Lotus. This partnership was built purely out of desperation. My Theology of Marriage professor in college taught us that there are several types of marital relationships. One is the so-called "salvage relationship", where two f'ed up people get together in an attempt to salvage their piss-poor lives. Well, the marriage between Isuzu and Lotus definitely fit this mold.

Sure, the Turbo Esprit had its 15 minutes of fame in Pretty Woman, but in reality it was a world-class POS. And Isuzu needed all the help they could get, so why not let struggling Lotus design a few suspension pieces and slap on some green badges? At worst, Isuzu would create a modest performance image for themselves to enhance, well, their shitty everything-else.

So that's how it came to be that Isuzu (the Fiat of Japanese cars?) got tied up with Lotus, the flimsiest British car of them all. Of course, I'm down with Fiats and Lotuses, so when I saw this rare, semi-desirable beast on craigslist, I had to jump.

It's an '89 Isuzu I-Mark RS ("Real Shitbox"?). Joe Rusz wrote in the December 1988 Road & Track that its 16-valve twincam sounded "like a Cosworth racing engine". Aren't you sold already? We were so blinded with enthusiasm we could hardly see straight. What a PERFECT car for the 24 Hours of LeMons!

After closing the deal, we get this thing dragged back to the barn and I hit up google for "Isuzu Racing". Behold:

Isuzu Performance

Isuzu Performance's "ISUPAGE"

No shit, someone actually pays attention to this stuff! What's more, there's a link to a catalog with all sorts of performance parts for I-Mark, Impulse, what have you...eagerly, I clicked. Immediate desperation set in. I remembered another thing I learned about in college: "buyer's remorse".

"EFFECTIVE JUNE 17, 2002, WE HAVE DISCONTINUED A NUMBER OF HIGH END/LOW VOLUME PRODUCTS AND ALSO PRODUCTS WHICH WE HAD PREVIOUSLY SOLD AT A LOSS. IN ADDITION, WE WILL NO LONGER BE DEVELOPING NEW PARTS FOR ISUZU, GEO STORM, OR LOTUS VEHICLES TO SELL TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE ARE DISCONTINUING PRODUCTION OF OUR OWN ORIGINAL PARTS FOR THESE SAME VEHICLES, IN ORDER TO DEVOTE MORE PRODUCTION TO CHEVROLET AND PONTIAC HEADERS AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS. IF YOU WANT ANY OF OUR OWN ORIGINAL ISUZU, GEO STORM, OR LOTUS PARTS, WE SUGGEST YOU ORDER THEM IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THEY ARE ALL GONE."

Excellent.

That’s chapter one. Would you like to have chapter two? You better, I know the way.

New Market Report at MotoringJStyle.com

2007-11-26T10:32:00.001-08:00

The MJS Market Report is back… and with good news to report! The market is strong and as predicted, interest in vintage Japanese cars is growing. With The New York Times and other major media outlets reporting on the scene semi-regularly these days, it’s no surprise prices of the 60s/70s/80s cars are creeping up. Witness the $12,000+ paid for a street modified Mazda RX2 this month, and a stock 150,000 mile AE86 bid to almost $6,000… with the seller rejecting the bid! It’s happening… and we’re here to cover it!

October 2007 MJS Market Report

Nissan's Treasure Trove

2007-11-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

We like it when OEMs have respect for and actively try to preserve their heritage. Some companies are more proactive in this regard. Mercedes-Benz, for example, has chosen to go all out with their relatively new, breathtaking museum in Stuttgart. It's well known that the Germans are all about milking their heritage for all it's worth...ever seen a Porsche commercial?

The Japanese are also taking their history seriously, but it seems to be a bit more low key in the Land of the Rising Sun...for Nissan at least. Apparently they like to keep their collection on the d/l. However, a really lucky guy over at twinturbo.net got to visit the "off limits, restricted" Zama storage facility where Nissan houses one of just about every Datsun or Nissan car you could ever dream of wanting in a very clean, yet sober and nondescript warehouse.

Imagine rows upon rows of prewar Datsuns in every conceivable color and body style, pristine brand new Z31 and Z32 300Zs, battle scarred ex-works rally Bluebirds (510s), battle scarred '58 Datsun 210 rally cars, the original Prince R380-I sports racer, a Nissan R390 road car, even a 1964 Gloria Super 6 racing car. Sunny, Cherry, Skyline, Cedric, the list goes on! We're not kidding.

You won't believe it until you see it for your own eyes. Check out the full collection of pictures over at twinturbo.net here.

Thanks to my friend Tom Matano for the tip!

Astonishing Onboard F1 Rain Action from Fuji

2007-11-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

While I must admit I missed the live broadcast of this year's Japanese Grand Prix, it's great to have roommates watching out for you.

Courtesy of my roommate Mike is this incredible in-car footage depicting the battle for 6th place between Felipe Massa's Ferrari and Robert Kubica's BMW Sauber. Prepare to be amazed:

via videosift.com

You might think Robert Kubica would have cooled it after the horrifying 75G accident he had in Canada earier this year. Not so much...

While this was only the battle for sixth, it shows how far some drivers are willing to go to win that extra championship point. In any case, what a treat to see some F1 drivers actually racing wheel to wheel, and not just in the pits.

SEMA 2007: Suzuki SX4 WRC

2007-11-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

One of the more unexpected cars we saw at SEMA this year was the 2007 Suzuki SX4 WRC. Suzuki has been running a test season in their SX4 prototypes in the 2007 World Rally Championship, and they'll enter the full season next year to challenge the big boys.

We know the SX4 WRC has the potential to a contender. Suzuki's innocent looking SX4 really impressed us when we had one as a test vehicle a few months back - great chassis, exceptional manueverability, basically a great drive for not much money.

If Pikes Peak is any indication, look for big things coming from this little car in 2008.

Suzuki WRC Factory Website

'82 Corolla Levin on Craigslist: I Would Rock This!

2007-11-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

Was very surprised to see this '83 Corolla Liftback turned Levin show up on the SF Bay craigslist site. I have seen this car before (either at TORC or at the JCCS show in Long Beach) and I can tell you, it is stunning.

If an '83 Corolla can be called a show stopper, this is it.

I could be mistaken, but I believe PJ Bonifacio did the body and paint on this car. The two-tone doesn't show up well in these photos - see below photo. Someone please stop me before I can't help it and overdraw my checking account by a few g's.

If I didn't already have 4 or 5 mid-80s Corollas all needing smog, I'd be all over this like pigs in sh*t. Someone please buy this!

This car is sick!

Here's the link

More SEMA Hondas! S2000 Endurance Racer and 1 Lap Odyssey!

2007-11-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

It's not very often these days that major manufacturers get behind grassroots club racing, and it's even less often that we see factory support at endurance road racing events, which are too few and far between in this country.

Honda is a company who "gets it", probably because there are actually a few real car guys hiding behind some of those imposing corporate suits.

Those real car guys, wherever they are, are the ones responsible for cars like the new 2008 Honda S2000 CR (we think it stands for "Club Racer"), which will make its racing debut next month in our neck of the woods at NASA's 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

This isn't the first time Honda has fielded cars at the 25 Hour: in 2005 they prepared two Civic Si's, finishing 1st and 2nd in class and a very respectable 4th and 6th overall!

We applaud Honda's effort to provide factory support to racers and track day enthusiasts: it shows their commitment to people like us, and that's what we like to see. Bravo Honda!

But it was also apparent that there are some twisted souls in the great unknown that is Honda's R&D laboratory. Apparently they live down in good ol' Alabama (10-4 Cletus!)...and after a long afternoon sniffing paint fumes, someone thought it would be a good idea to whip up this turbocharged, six-speed Odyssey race car...err...van. Well, more power to them, I say. This beast finished 33rd overall out of 88 entries in the '07 One Lap of America! Not bad at all.

More SEMA: Honda HF-S Concept

2007-11-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

Honda always puts themselves out there for SEMA, and this year was no exception. Stealing the show in their booth this year was the new HF-S Concept, which basically looked like what a homologation special of an Accord would be should such a thing ever exist. It had some carbon fiber doodads on the bodywork, rear diffuser and all that jazz, to create "functional performance and driving experience enhancements", according to Honda's press release.

Some of the specifics were a bit vague. Take this sentence: "Key to the concept is the use of technology to electronically customize throttle response, suspension settings, steering boost, and and traction involvement to the driver's taste." What technology, you ask? We're not really sure; apparently they wanted to keep that part a secret. And traction involvement? No word on what that is, either.

However, we thought the car looked great, and it definitely gets the Motoring J Style nod of approval. Keep 'em coming, Honda!

Poll: Which WRX Is Least Offensive?

2007-11-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

It's no secret: the new Subaru Impreza isn't much of a looker.

That's where the aftermarket tuners from the SEMA Show come in!

After all, despite its looks, the Subaru Impreza is an absolutely suberb vehicle with lots of performance potential. From the ~$18,000 base car all the way up through the WRX and the tuner WRX STi, you can't go wrong buying an Impreza.

Some of the best tuners in the business showed off their new WRXs. Which one do you like best?

Perrin Performance WRX:

SPT WRX (this car was in the Subaru display):

COBB WRX:

Our vote is with the COBB car. It looks the cleanest, we love the gold wheels and the pearlescent white paint. COBB is really on their game and has established a reputation as one of the premier Subaru tuning houses in the U.S. It shows!

Which one do you like best?

Somewhere Near Panamint Springs: Datsun 1200 Fastback

2007-11-06T17:06:00.000-08:00

On the drive to SEMA we were out in the middle of Death Valley somewhere outside of the car for some ungodly reason, when we heard the familiar hum of a Datsun 1200 nearby.

A brief moment's inspection of the desert floor revealed - remarkably - a 1971 Datsun 1200 fastback speeding across this desolate landscape. I grabbed my camera and was only able to click off this one blurry shot of this most-dedicated Datsun motorist. Do it in a Datsun!

Toyota Yaris Club Concept at SEMA! oh, and there was a new Corolla, too

2007-11-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

Much hype was made over the unveiling of the '09 Corolla and the '09 Matrix at this year's SEMA Show, but those cars proved to be a yawn.

What was really cool, and received far less attention, was the Toyota Yaris "Club" Concept by FiveAxis. This car evoked club racers of the 50s and 60s, when you could go to the track in a street driven roadster and race wheel to wheel.

Oh yeah, here are the new Corolla and Matrix....the rally-inspired Matrix concept was cool and really looked great in its red metallic hue. It merited about a 45 second pause in the mayhem of SEMA...really, that's a compliment. The Corolla? This unobtrusive model continues to move upscale in its latest, bland-tastic iteration. But while the Corolla line may not be the most exciting ride out there, Toyota continues to sell hundreds of thousands of them each year in the U.S. Would I have noticed the '09 without all the press surrounding its release? Probably not.

Without further adieu, THE 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA:

Corolla interior:

2009 Matrix (not exactly the showroom stock model):

Matrix interior:

SEMA: Bigger is Better (Day 1)

2007-10-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the American automotive ethos, it's pretty much like everything else out here in the Land of the Free: Bigger is Better!

Perhaps no other event exemplifies this mentality more than the annual SEMA orgy in Las Vegas....

From the bazooms on the models, to the dubs on the show cars, just about everything is large, chromed up, iced out, and in questionable taste.

The Halloween-themed WRX in the Subaru display was...ummm...whimsical:

But there are some diamonds in the rough. You just have to walk around all day to find them. This Lowrider-themed Camry, dubbed the "Camryder", was definitely one of the coolest concepts I saw yesterday...this thing was totally sweet. Check out the door detail!

And I even ran into X-Games superstar and Subaru factory rally driver Travis Pastrana, who was signing autographs alongside his brand new WRX rally car. Pity that I didn't have time to wait in line for the autographed poster! At least he was cool enough to pose for a photo.

And here's his new ride:

More to come...

OG: '76 Nissan Laurel SGX on eBay

2007-10-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to see the Nissan Laurel SGX from the JCCS show on eBay this past week.

The guy who owns the car came all the way from Boise, Idaho, to show the car in Long Beach. Damn that's hardcore!

Well, now it's someone else's turn to be an original Japanese gangster. The bidding stalled at $10,100...I wonder how much money will buy it???

WORKS Grand Opening at Sears Point

2007-10-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Any time to party with our friends at WORKS is a good time, and this past Saturday was no exception.

WORKS, NorCal's finest Mitsubishi tuner, has just opened a new full service race shop facility at Infineon Raceway which will give them the ability to do a lot of track testing. and a great home base for their upcoming Touring Car racing season in the brand new FWD Mitsu Lancer race car (silver car in above pic).

It was great to see Mitsubishi corporate embracing the WORKS guys and providing factory support for the grand opening. They even brought out some sweet cars from their collection, including the above Starion that appeared at JCCS last month. Apparently this was a car built for road racing at Bathurst in Australia. Pretty sweet!

My friend Kirk Harper, Director of New Business Development at WORKS, is a serious car guy, and so there were a lot of different and unique cars that showed up for the party. Dozens of Evos, of course, but there were also some real gems. This 3rd-gen Supra was one of the cleanest ones we've seen in awhile (but frankly I was digging the 4-speed Falcon Sprint Convertible in the background!)
We'll be keeping tabs on their progress with the new '08 Lancer race car. These guys are determined to succeed, and they will!

24 Hours of LeMons Arse Freeze: The Aftermath

2007-10-25T12:45:00.003-07:00

Well, the 24 Hours of LeMons Arse-Freeze-a-Palooza is history, and it's taken me four days to fully digest. Words and static pictures just fail to capture the impact of seeing this event actually happen in real life.

The 24 Hours of LeMons just might be the greatest automobile race of modern times. It is the opus of Jay Lamm, irreverent automotive pundit, Berkeley resident (close enough), and sometime freelance journalist. This is a guy who once brought a Mazda RX2 4-door dressed up as a Tokyo police car on our Double 500 road rally. I heard he also reconstructed the Berlin Wall in his apartment for a recent Berlin: 1989-themed birthday party. Whatever the truth, he's an eccentric. But I'm not sure even Jay himself realizes how truly wonderful his spectacle of bullshite is. For example, witness the total destruction of a late-model 7-series BMW for none other than sacrificial purposes:

All this, of course, as 80+ out-of-control crapcans careen around the bankings and tight switchbacks of the appropriately dubbed "Altamonterring". The silver 7-series BMW suffered the "People's Curse" penalty, one of countless penalties awarded for over-the-budget cars or shitty driving. Believe it or not, it even came back after this punishment to finish the race.

LeMons is, of course, a parody of a race (the 24 Hours of LeMans in France). But make no mistake about it: this is a serious road race, with determined drivers vying for the glory, and, of course, the winning purse, $1500 in nickels. For an in-car glimpse of how intense the on-track action is, check out the following clip from Team Santa Cruz, who ran a Porsche 944:

We'll have in-car video from the MJS MR2 soon, but for now this will have to do!

The winning Black Iron (#65) team, fellow three-time veterans of LeMons, drove a BMW 5-series with most of the identifiable bodywork chopped off. In the closing moments of the race, the Circus Maximus team (formerly known as the Holy Rollers), who appeared to have had the race locked up, lost a tire and went parading around the track. The hard-charging Black Iron boys saw this last-minute vulnerability and upped their pace - at the finish line, after approximately 14 hours of wheel-to-wheel racing, Black Iron emerged victorious with a sub 8-second margin of victory! Spectacular job!

Here we see a typical 4-wide pack navigating the notorious back banking....better get in line before you get pinched at the ridiculously narrow Esses! If you don't, you're liable to run into a large tractor tire strategically placed to aid you in your destruction.

The Motoring J Style MR2/MeR deux Toyota MR2 made its second LeMons appearance, after a solid 12th place finish in July's championship race. We avoided behemoths like this quite terrifying Richard Petty themed Ford Thunderbird (above), and showed the "Canola Rolla'z" (below), how we roll...that's right, Toyota 4AG style and none of that vegetable oil business.

We managed to stay out of the pits for most of the race, which is essentially the key to success in endurance racing...gotta keep your driver circling the track at all times! We had a few incidents, but thankfully none compared to these:

The AMC Hornet's wheel decided it no longer wanted to be attached to the car....and rolled away...

Our friends from Fantasy Junction used this Mazda to run into a lot of things.

Conrad Stevenson's excellent Alfa Spyder benefitting from some late-night repairs.

This team brought an '80s 5-speed Camry, and spent most of the race in the pit next to us doing a clutch job.

And our sister car, the California Mille entry (#34 Alfetta) ran in the top 10 for the first half of the race before the car began a slow death on Sunday morning. They finished 35th. And hey, check out that Conquest TSi and the AE92 in the background!

Before July 2007 race:

After October race:

Despite some close calls (and, let's face it, many outright impacts and straight up crashes), the MR2 kept circling. The Motoring J Style team brought the car home 4th overall, a mere 29 laps down from the winning BMW!

We'll be back for the season finale at Thunderhill on December 29-30 to challenge LeMons once more. Is our MR2 bound for even greater glory that it has already achieved? We think so!

See more about the October race at:

Jalopnik
24 Hours of Lemons Website
Full October Results

2008 Infiniti G37 S: gran turismo World Beater!

2007-10-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

On any list of top-drawer enthusiast cars, the Infiniti G models, G35 sedan and G37 coupe, must rank at or near the top, and are priced at bargain levels.
A recent test car was the 2008 G37 S 6-speed coupe, in a perfect red with black leather.

Buttoned down, but never harsh, with performance that, only a few years ago, would have been in super car territory, plus the low cost maintenance and bullet-proof reliability, make this Infiniti a car you can live with easily.

And it never fails to feed your appetite for automotive excellence.
Nissan products have generally avoided being bland—think 510, 240Z, 300Z turbo, 240SX. Infiniti has found a clean, bold styling direction. Try one; I predict you’ll find it irresistible.
-Martin Swig

Toyota's Motorsports Champions Saluted at NHRA Museum

2007-10-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

As Toyota begins paying more attention to their history and heritage, it seems fitting that they'd want to honor their motorsports champions as well. Toyota as a brand has been an unfailing supporter of racing activites; in recent years, the company has launched major efforts in both Formula One and NASCAR racing. All gearheads should be thankful to them for that; Toyota is helping keep professional motorsports alive!

So it was that Toyota held a dinner dubbed the "Night of Champions" at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum on October 18th. There are currently six historic Toyota racing vehicles from the past 25 years on display at the museum. The exhibit runs through January 2008.

I was most struck upon seeing the IMSA Toyota Eagle MKIII formerly driven by Juan Manuel Fangio II.

This car brought back a flood of memories; I remember being six years old and attending the IMSA Camel GT race at Laguna Seca, where my favorite driver, Juan Manuel Fangio II, beat all the other competition driving a similar car. Fangio II is the nephew of the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, who won 5 Grand Prix World Championships during the 1950s.

The younger Fangio (left) even made the trip from Balcarce, Argentina, to attend the ceremony.

The fuel-sipping Prius record setter (below) was certainly the greenest vehicle displayed in the house Wally Parks built. It looked somewhat out of place against a backdrop of '32 Ford Lakes Roadsters, Bonneville Belly Tanks, and frenched taillights.

This very rare IMSA Celica was trucked out for the evening of the dinner only. Period driver Dennis Aase was in attendance, but Dan Gurney was conspicuously absent!

Even with Gurney absent, the guest list wasn't suffering too much! There were no shortage of Toyota champions (above), with almost one at each dinner table. Visible in the photo (among others) are "Ironman" Ivan Stewart, Steve Millen, Cristiano da Matta, Alex Barron, Chris Cord, and Frank Arciero. All in all, it was a spectacular evening which provided an opportunity to reflect on all that Toyota has contributed to motorsport in recent years. Thank you Toyota for all the racing memories!

Toyota Team Europe: A Rebirth

2007-10-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

This one has been making its way around cyberspace for some time now, but we thought it was too good not to post here. Makela Auto Tuning of Finland brings us a 308-photo set of this immaculate restoration of a once-decrepit 1984 Toyota Celica Turbo "Toyota Team Europe" rally car.

Leave it to the Scandinavians to bring back forgotten rally cars...these guys seem to know what's up. Check out the link above!

CSRG: Bluebird Wipes Floor with Shelby, NASCAR Spins

2007-10-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

THE 4th Annual CSRG Charity Challenge Vintage Races are in the books, and it was an epic vintage race weekend by all accounts. The field was eclectic as ever, including such rarities as a Maserati 250F Grand Prix Car, a Bugatti Type 59, and an 8C Alfa Romeo. Plenty of others filled out the eight classes, from the most famous and valuable Ferraris to super obscure cars like the French Rene Bonnet D'Jet.

There aren't too many car dealers out there who are also "car guys", but one serious exception to the rule is Gordon Walton of Walnut Creek Honda. That's him above in his gorgeous '67 Honda S800 in Turn 2. Check out his car below:

For once, we didn't have any of our own cars entered, so we got to relax and enjoy all the races from the stands... It was great not having to wake up at 6:30am!

We got to see the Historic NASCAR guys do their impression of a road course:

And there were a few things that made us look twice, like this Audi S5 parked in a fleet of RS4s out near Turn 5:

And a cool early 70s Alfa Romeo Berlina that was parked near all the Audis...

We love Alfas and if you don't, you need some knowledge. The Berlina is a sweet car, kind of like Italy's Datsun 510, with cooler instruments and a twincam motor. I want one.

But, wait, what's that over there?! We spotted this hakosuka Skyline in the Sears Point paddock:

In fact, this was the Skyline GT-X that appeared on the Bay Area craigslist site a month or two ago. Its new proud owner was none other than Jim Froula, who is well-known in vintage racing circles with his 1967 Datsun Bluebird, which he just happened to be racing this weekend:

This thing is immaculate...check it out:

That's one pretty sweet ride!

Don't be fooled: there's no Motoring J Style in the above photo. But the driver of the 912 is my friend Anne. Anne is cool because she actually races her daily-driven, black-plate Porsche 912. And here she's mixing it up hardcore with Alfas and Porsche 356s...you gotta respect that!

Well, that's it for now. Next weekend, look for an update on a rather more degenerate form of racing, the 4th running of the now-infamous 24 Hours of LeMons. Cheers!

New CR-X to Steal Market Once Dominated by Toyota? We Hope So...

2007-10-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, Toyota made some pretty cool "hot hatches" and even...*gasp*...sports cars! There were, of course, the legendary "AE86" Corolla GT-S models, the later front-wheel-drive FX 16s, and all manner of cool Celicas, MR2s, and Supras. Honda had their CR-X, a tuner favorite, which gave way to the softer, less desirable (by our standards) del Sol.

But those days are long gone. Toyota's current lineup is pleasant enough, and the cars are selling like hotcakes...but really...walk into a Toyota showroom, and they may as well have signs saying "Welcome to Dullsville!". And those Prius drivers are a real bother, always driving slow in the left lane and whatnot. Oh well, it ain't the good ol' days anymore.

Toyota's lack of sports cars in the current lineup has opened the door for other companies to attract the enthusiasts that Toyota has essentially abandoned. Nissan is offering tasty cars like the new Altima Coupe and their revival of the Z; Mazda is definitely in the mix with its Miata, RX-8, and MAZDASPEED products. And it's time for Honda to step into the fray with their recently unveiled CR-Z, which harkens back to the original and much-loved CR-X.

The CR-Z is larger than the old CR-X, according to our buddies at Winding Road, who leaked news about the CR-Z concept onto the web on Tuesday. It's likely to be a gas-electric hybrid.

To quote from Honda's press release on their presence at the Tokyo Motor Show:

"'CR-Z' stands for 'Compact Renaissance Zero'-an expression intended to capture the idea of a renaissance in the design of compact cars that begins anew from fundamentals.

This design research model of a lightweight hybrid sports car features advanced technologies that deliver enjoyable driving for all while reducing the vehicle's environmental footprint."

We say, emphatically, build it! The renaissance of the Japanese sports car can't come soon enough for us.

'71 Honda 1300 Coupe 9 S on eBay: 2 days left, no bids at $6,600!

2007-10-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

If you're predisposed to sitting around wasting your workday looking for new project cars on eBay or craigslist, you've probably seen or heard about the 1971 Honda 1300 Coupe 9 S on eBay. It caused a minor sensation in the online world when the car was listed on ebay last week.

Everyone's favorite tabloid auto-gossip site Jalopnik was all over this like ~~flies on shit~~ automotive journalists at a free buffet. Their writeup of the car can be found here. For some background on what the Coupe 9 is and why it's significant, you might also check out Jalopnik's article nominating the Coupe 9 S to their "Fantasy Garage".

Full disclosure here: We (Motoring J Style) are the sellers of the Coupe 9 S. However, I'm frankly stunned that there are no bids with two days to go. Is everyone holding out until the last minute, or won't the market sustain this relatively modest price?

Time will tell, but I'll be the first to say that if this car gets no bids, I'll gladly put it away until I have time to restore it properly in the future!

610,000-mile '71 Corolla in Hemmings!

2007-10-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

As if we needed more proof that vintage Japanese cars outlast, well, just about anything else on the road, Hemmings Motor News reports in their November issue about Vic Pike and his '71 Corolla Coupe, which he bought new.

Looking a little worse for wear today (as usual, the mechanical components seem to have held up better than the body), Pike's Corolla has covered 610,000 miles. We like his style: "At 182,823 miles...I replaced the brake discs and shoes, and those are still in the car. I use the brakes very little; I'll broadside a corner rather than braking", Vic writes.

However, his Corolla is looking rather worse for wear than the Guinness Book of World Records' official high-mileage king, Irv Gordon's '66 Volvo P1800, whose odometer has surpassed 2,500,000 miles. Apparently, those Swedes really had build quality figured out back then!

Motoring J Style at CSRG Sears Point Vintage Races This Weekend!

2007-10-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

CSRG (Classic Sports Racing Group) is holding their annual Charity Challenge Vintage Races this weekend at Sears Point Raceway ("Infineon" to you young guys) in Sonoma. This great event brings out the best NorCal vintage racers, as well as people all over the West Coast, to do battle in their nostalgic race cars. This year, the event features Historic Grand Prix and Historic NASCARs, with the opportunity to buy rides during lunch on both days in your favorite race car! Proceeds generated from the event go to local charities.

MOTORING J STYLE has teamed up with CSRG to bring a group of vintage Japanese car enthusiasts to the races! CSRG has kindly given us our own parking area for an MJS Car Corral. We're hoping to see some great old-schools out there! Anyone is welcome, though pre-87 Japanese cars are preferred.

Tickets are $20 at the gate, $10 for kids under 16. The ticket is good for both Saturday and Sunday. Corral will be on Saturday from 10AM-4PM. Show up anytime!

To get to the corral after you enter the track: Drive up the hill, turn right across from "Lot 2". This is called the "TV lot",and it overlooks the paddock from the back.

We look forward to seeing you there, and to watching some great races. There may even be a Datsun Bluebird Coupe and a Honda S800 on the track...

Questions? Hit me up at 415.479.9930 or dswig@motoringjstyle.com