BMW delivers pair of JDM specials - Mini Savile Row and X6 Performance Unlimited
Jul 9, 2010 Object
Filed under: Performance, Japan, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW, Mini, Luxury
Japanese-market Mini Saville Row - Click above for high-res image gallery
Black is the new black, at least when it comes to the special edition Mini Saville Row for the Japanese market. The black-as-deep-space hatch with the black roof is accented by polished chrome 17-inch wheels, gas cap, mirrors and trim outside and in. Privacy glass, bi-xenon headlights, white turn signal lamps and an anthracite headliner have been thrown into the mix as well. There will be 100 made, all with the 1.6-liter four-cylinder and automatic transmissions, costing
Tags: a-tidy-profit-, attractive-van, back-the-quest, bmwx6, entry, jdm, mini, mini cooper, minisavillerow, performance, polished-chrome, shoppers-forget, sports, with-the-mini
Ralliart announces it is closing its doors… so what does that mean for Mitsubishi?
Mar 10, 2010 Object
Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Japan, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Mitsubishi
In a letter issued to its customers, Ralliart, a Japanese high-performance subsidiary of Mitsubishi, has announced that it is closing its doors. The company’s business case has apparently faded, a victim of the wilting domestic aftermarket scene as well as its lack of continued motorsports involvement.
Naturally, we wondered if and how the closure of the company responsible for its high-performance parts and related merchandise would impact the development, production and marketing of Mitsubishi vehicles sold here in the States - more specifically, the Lancer Ralliart and Sportback Ralliart models. To answer that question, we spoke with Mitsu spokesman Maurice Durand, and he informs us that the closure of Ralliart will not, in fact, have any affect on the availability or continued marketing of these models (or any future branded offerings), as Mitsubishi owns the rights to the name, logo, and so on. Furthermore, all licensing agreements in foreign countries remain intact.
So, while you may not be able to get a genuine JDM Ralliart strut-tower brace or shift knob, you can breath easy that the SportBack that you’ve been saving your lunch money for will still be at your local dealer by the time you’ve got enough scratch. Official press release after the jump.
Continue reading Ralliart announces it is closing its doors… so what does that mean for Mitsubishi?
Ralliart announces it is closing its doors… so what does that mean for Mitsubishi? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: after-the-jump, development, entry, japanese tuning, jdm, lancer, sports, states
VIDEO: The Fastest Yellow and Red - Best (and most ambitious) stop-motion diecast car film ever?
Filed under: Classics, Etc., Videos
Fastest Yellow and Red — Click above to watch video
It took just one minute and 13 seconds into this video for us to scream “Epic!” In fact, we’re not sure there’s enough epic epicness in that single word to properly describe the epic proportions contained therein.
This 1970’s JDM homage has got it all: A yellow Pontiac Trans-Am of the Screaming Chicken era, a race-prepped red Nissan GT-R police car, a yellow Datsun Fairlady 280Z and lots of meddling trucks. As if that weren’t enough, there are little green army men and a special effects regime that could have been overseen by Michael Bay. And it has a really odd name. Luxe37, we have no idea who you are, but we salute you. Follow the jump to watch the stop-motion mayhem.
[Source: YouTube]
VIDEO: The Fastest Yellow and Red - Best (and most ambitious) stop-motion diecast car film ever? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2010 ford galaxy, 280z, a-bolder-lower, army men, datsun-fairlady, diecast, fastest yellow and red, fastest-yellow, jdm, plan-out-their, pontiactrans-am, special-effects, vintagejapan
Accord Crosstour, JDM Odyssey, or JDM Accord Tourer - Which would have been your pick?
Oct 27, 2009 Object
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Wagon, Japan, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Honda
While we were in Japan last week for the Tokyo Motor Show, at least two American Honda officials expressed interest in bringing the automaker’s Fit-based Freed MPV to the U.S. market. However, as we strolled the streets of Tokyo’s Ginza district, another thought occurred to us when a JDM Odyssey passed by. Back in the Nineties, the original Odyssey was sold in Japan and the U.S. as Honda’s first crack at a minivan. For the second generation, the Nippon and U.S.-market cars diverged as Honda realized American buyers wanted something larger, so the original model continued to evolve in Japan, eventually resulting in an all-new model for 2008.
During the time since Honda’s original Odyssey departed American showrooms, the North American market has also evolved, with the crossover segment emerging as an increasingly sizable piece of the pie. Enter the 2010 Accord Crosstour. While most people have only seen photos of the new Crosstour to date, the lion’s share of the public’s reaction has been charitably categorizable as “less than favorable.” To be fair, however, we won’t know if Honda made the right call until the model’s sales results begin to come in.
Lest we forget, in addition to the JDM Odyssey, Honda also offers a more traditional Accord Tourer (read: “wagon”) available overseas, and it’s a model that many commenters on both this website and Honda’s own Crosstour Facebook page have noted and expressed a preference for. In the case of the Odyssey, the JDM vehicle has arguably become more like a CUV than a minivan, what with its four traditionally-hinged doors and a lower roof than past iterations. The front end styling draws directly on the FCX Clarity, another car-based design cue.
Although it would be premature to judge the value of a model before consumers get the chance determine its success or failure, it sounds like many of you are already wondering whether Honda made the right decision. If you have some initial thoughts, drop your fellow commenter a line and be sure to take our poll after the jump - and we’ll keep an eye on sale figures!
Accord Crosstour, JDM Odyssey, or JDM Accord Tourer - Which would have been your pick? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: accord crosstour, accordcrossover, accordcrosstour, bmwmotorsports, crosstour, diesel, grandturismo, honda odyssey jdm, honda-odyssey, japan, jdm, jdm odyssey, series, speed-limit-
eBay Find of the Day: Chevrolet C5 Corvette-based Saleen S7 replica roadster
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Etc., Chevrolet, Specialty, Design/Style
C5 Corvette based Saleen S7 replica - click above image for hi-res gallery
Steve Saleen’s Saleen S7 is a totally bespoke, hand built superduper hypercar that in twin-turbo, 750 horsepower, 700 pound-feet of torque form could go about 250 mph. And it was capable of generating enough downforce to (theoretically) drive upside down. In competition, the S7R has been one of the most dominant vehicles ever fielded, having been “raced in over 264 events, with 218 Top Tens, 166 Podiums, 105 Wins, 86 Poles, 78 Fastest Laps and 9 GT Championships.” Price when new was about $600,000, give or take.
Which makes the above car all the more special. Sayeth the seller, “We thought long and hard as to what chassis we would use for our replica. First of all we knew the 80’s [sic] Fiero was not an option. its [sic] too old, underpowered, and not a safe frame.” Oh man - the replica world has really changed if a Pontiac Fiero chassis is not good enough. But the auctioneer does inadvertently raise a good point, as the S7 is in fact a mid-engined car, and you just got to have that if you’re building a replica, don’t you? Apparently not.
“So we went with a C5 Corvette chassis. It offers all the driving comforts, with great brakes, Power, and a super strong frame. and we could retail the car for a reasonable price.” But not only is it Chevrolet Corvette based, they made it a roadster! See, all those boring old S7s were stuffy mid-engined hardtops - this is the world’s first and only front-engined roadster S7. Replica. We’ve got to say we’re a little amazed there are only two bids.
Oh wait, no - we said that wrong. What we meant is that we’re a little amazed there are two bids. Currently, the “replica” is sitting at $20,100 and humorously oddly, the reserve has not been met. Did we mention that it’s an automatic? Also, dude, your check engine light is on. Videos after the jump. Happy bidding!
Gallery: C5 Corvette based Saleen S7 replica
[Source: eBay Motors]
Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Chevrolet C5 Corvette-based Saleen S7 replica roadster
eBay Find of the Day: Chevrolet C5 Corvette-based Saleen S7 replica roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: auction-action, chevrolet, corvette, exotic car, jdm, kitcar, makes-the-above, power, price, s7 roadster, saleens7, saleens7replicaroadster, speed-limit-, steve-saleen, video
Ford makes biggest gains in Consumer Reports annual reliability report, Japanese still lead
Oct 27, 2009 Object
Filed under: Car Buying, Ford
Consumer Reports annual reliability survey - Click above for results charts
Consumer Reports has just released results from its annual reliability survey and the findings show that Ford has made major gains to place itself among or ahead the most reliable Japanese brands. CR reports that 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products scored average or better reliability, and important models like the mid-size Fusion scored above the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Not all was rosy for FoMoCo, however, as all-wheel-drive versions of the Lincoln MKS, MKX and MKZ all scored below average in reliability.
General Motors had 20 of 48 models score average reliability, while Chrysler saw one-third of its models place below average. The Asian brands, meanwhile, are still the standard bearer for reliability. Of all the Asian models included in the report, 69 percent scored above average reliability, while only 47 percent of European models and 42 percent of American models could claim the same. European brands, however, are improving according to CR. Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Audi have all improved in the survey this year, though some BMW models like the 535i and X3 have declined and the Porsche Boxster fell below average in reliability and lost its spot on the CR Recommended list.
Follow the jump for an official press release from Consumer Reports that wades through all the data better than we can and click below for charts that further reveal which brands and models performed well and which didn’t. You can also hop on over to ConsumerReports.org for a live chat to discuss the results with the CR team.
[Source: Consumer Reports]
Ford makes biggest gains in Consumer Reports annual reliability report, Japanese still lead originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: auction-action, consumerreports, general-motors, jdm, kitcar, lincoln, porsche, survey, toyota-camry, video
Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful
Jul 31, 2009 Object
Filed under: Convertible, Japan, Mazda
20th Anniversary Mazda Miata — Click above for high-res image
Japan gets to celebrate the 20th birthday of the Mazda MX-5/Miata with a special edition for JDM buyers only. The Crystal White Pearl Mica roadster comes in two varieties: an RS soft-top with a 6-speed manual, and a VS hardtop with a 6-speed automatic. Both cars get red-and-black heated Recaros, extra cabin padding, clear front fog lights, a strut tower brace, and (of course) the requisite splash of 20th anniversary badging. You can read about it in the press release after the jump, and check out a high-res photo by clicking the image above.
[Source: Mazda]
Continue reading Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful
Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-releases-20th, convertible-, high-res-photo, jdm, mazda mx-5, mx-5, press, releases-20th, sport-edition
