So Im in japan. Cars.

Been here a bit. Car-vana folks. Lots of cool ish. Any ways, here is what you came for. 

gundam, “old man Gregg” style. 

Wait until you go to Singapore. It’s like exotic central.  

Then dubai. 

edit: not to mean that Japan isn't cool.. It's amazing.  I love the Mighty car mod's episodes where they go to stores that sell used tuner gear..  Just mind blowing.

I’ll update with more JDM porn as I go. The cream on top will be when I take an FRS up and down Hakone Skyline pass. Might post video of that one. Also did the Toyota museum. Got to see the Gazoo Racing Supra (6hrs of Fuji winner) and the GR LFA. 

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :

Yup. Especially F1 weekend. I'm so looking forward to the Car Porn as I'm staying right on Orchard for the F1 race.

I want to go see the full-size RX-0 Gundam soooooo bad.

Fueled by Caffeine said:

Wait until you go to Singapore. It’s like exotic central. 

Singapore is also one of the innermost circles of gearhead hell. Quick example:

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/auto/singapore-targets-0-new-car-registration-from-2018

It's also a generally godawful place to live if you're not a super-rich plutocrat, IMO.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

Your comment was so helpful.  I gathered my neighbors around to read your glourious words and it inspired us to no end.  thank you.  You'll never know  how muched you touched me.

NickD said:

I want to go see the full-size RX-0 Gundam soooooo bad.

Now In unicorn drag... my wife was underwhelmed with the “transformation”, I kept telling her “if you watch the show, you’d know why this is really cool!”  I just got a blank stare. 

In reply to GameboyRMH :

I'd ask if you have ever even been there or lived there? What you just linked makes it automotive heaven for those who can afford it. Empty streets, low traffic, and just really easy to drive for a big city with great driving roads and tracks just across the border in Malaysia.

I can't wait to get back to japan next year. It's on the list. There is the Japanese version of like a grid life show there that I want to take in when I go pick up my Evo III. :)

I was in Japan a few years back, grabbed a couple of pictures. These three were on base.

Round two. Went to Autobacs in Shinonome. Rad stuff parked out front. Rad books inside. Rad parts in the floor above. 

Heres porn: 

dont get to stiff. It’s “just” a GT-T. 

this is a Honda fanboi wet dream tomato. 

This thing was weird. It was a “blip system eyesight” can controller? For a Levorg? 

This stuff was funny. Have DSI issues? Use pee  

This rx8 hard parked in akihabara. 

Creamed my shorts when these we parked, out in the open, and not roped off at all. Kids in strollers, annoying Americans, etc. all allowed to graze these beautiful machines. 

these two pristine examples were in the toyota mega web museum. I wanted to try to test drive  the new 86 on their course so I could get some seat time before the “Touge” tomorrow. Ran out of time. Shoganai. Do itashimash!te. 

_ said:

NickD said:

I want to go see the full-size RX-0 Gundam soooooo bad.

Now In unicorn drag... my wife was underwhelmed with the “transformation”, I kept telling her “if you watch the show, you’d know why this is really cool!”  I just got a blank stare. 

Yeah, anytime it goes from Unicorn Mode to Destroy Mode, you know E36 M3 is about to get serious. And now I have the RX-0 theme stuck in my head

Love the pics. For some strange reason I was always curious if any older stock ie: pre 1990 American makes made it over there (not on military base)?

I really like this one.  Man o man.

drainoil said:

Love the pics. For some strange reason I was always curious if any older stock ie: pre 1990 American makes made it over there (not on military base)?

There is a Japanese fan base of American muscle cars. Classic muscle cars with a Japanese flair is an awesome look

Yup. I've seen some video clips on Instagram of muscle cars racing around a Japanese track somewhere.

Like this: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gQhLXBNdF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I didn’t snap a pic, but I watched a Japanese tuned Shelby GT mustang blow past my taxi. And by “Japanese tuned” I mean what some would consider “ricer spec”, although definitely  not “cheap”. 

Awesome stuff! Can't wait to head over in Oct!

NickD said:

drainoil said:

Love the pics. For some strange reason I was always curious if any older stock ie: pre 1990 American makes made it over there (not on military base)?

There is a Japanese fan base of American muscle cars. Classic muscle cars with a Japanese flair is an awesome look

This makes me hopeful that somewhere, there's something like an AMX blasting around the Providences making turbo noises.

Also, one of the best parts of these pics isn't just seeing some of the real iconic cars- also what's in the backgrounds too! That woody wagon also had an SVX back there.

next, we travelled to Hakone. A remote town where actual Japanese vacation. Filled with onsens, ryokans, and ancient buildings that are older than most of us can trace our lineage. 

This thing was parked out front. Wealthy gentlemen driving. 

Anyone know what this thing is?

found a RS Honda Jazz (Fit) 

The view from our ryokan (Airu. And I don’t recommend it.)

As a bonsai horticulturalist, I was drawn to these fine specimens. 

This Miata was SO cool!

Finally, I picked up my chariot to the clouds. This would be my horse for the most spirited drive of my life. Nothing else compared to this. Even track days haven’t been this much fun. She was a somewhat stripper model. AT trans. AC. No cruise. The best part of this was using the manual mode. I’ve been thinking about an AT NC Miata for a bit now. The 86 and the NC use the same a960e auto. This was a very fun transmission to play with. The exhaust blip from 1-2 was so nice. Mt. Fuji played hide and seek....

“no I’m not sponsored. I’m an addict.”

Oh? Oh!why?!?!?hhhhhhyyyyyeaaaaahhhhhh! 

The beginning and end of the best time of your life. And not a single one of these. 

Total price for this adventure (not counting getting to Hakone):

1) ryokan-$900 a night. A bit steep, but feeds you breakfast and lunch. 

2) rental 86 that is actually rented FROM toyota: $118.00 with full insurance. 

3) tolls paid along the way EACH direction: $5, $6, and $3. 

Great pics! But $900 a night is nuts!

bmw88rider said:

In reply to GameboyRMH :

I'd ask if you have ever even been there or lived there? What you just linked makes it automotive heaven for those who can afford it. Empty streets, low traffic, and just really easy to drive for a big city with great driving roads and tracks just across the border in Malaysia.

No, but I have an uncle who's basically stuck there because he's having trouble making enough as an English teacher to move away...or even live there at all, at times.

Cars that cost 4x US MSRP and the cost of registering a car alone starting around the US MSRP of a midrange sports car make it a terrible place for gearheads IMO regardless of how nice it is for the few who benefit from this system. And I hope it's not getting too political to add that the place is effectively a dictatorship with no freedom of the press.

Another relevant article on both points:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/22/lee-kuan-yew-singapore/

In reply to GameboyRMH :

Yeah it was actually $800, but I got a massage and we had some drinks. That particular ryokan was a little misleading. A ryokan is supposed to be a traditional Japanese inn. The “Hakone Airu” had a “Bali” theme, that was not really conveyed to us, and it extended into the “Haute cuisine”. There was a lot of gross, slimy dishes served in our kaiseki dinner, only to be repeated in our breakfast. And hardly any of it was actually Japanese. Mostly “Bali”.

 Big FYI for egg lovers in Japan, if you order “scrambled eggs”, they are super runny, everywhere in the country. What’s strange about this is The Japanese tradiomtally make “tamago” egg, it is essentially like a scrambled egg, but it is very much cooked to doneness. Oh well. Everyone should go to an Ichiran ramen place once, it was the best ramen I’ve ever had, and even better than my own tonkatsu ramen I make at home. The monster cafe was a joke, Horrible food. Kobe steak is spendy.