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Technically, the term “JDM” means Japanese domestic market and refers to cars of, Japan, but it is also appropriate to designate any Japanese car.

The JDM the culture is young, humorous and totally reckless. It’s full of memes, shoddy videos, and edited slow-motion videos of the hip-hop song of the week. We idolize Smokey Nagata and Takumi Fujiwara, we respect people more if they have to back up in drive-thrus because they have right-hand drive, and we all don’t care about Mustang drivers.

Besides being mostly 25 to 30 years old, the cars we love are actually from a golden age. When all the big players in the Land of the Rising Sun agreed to a limit of 276 horsepower, they opened up the markets to cars that almost anyone could put their gloves on, and they were forced to endure many moves and modifications. The low cost of entry, retained value, and the avid ’90s street racing culture was a perfect storm that led to what it is now in America.

It’s no wonder there’s a growing culture around JDM cars, and these Instagrams really show it! We selected them not based on subscribers, but only based on content. After following them for a while, we can promise you that: 1) they post enough to be relevant but tasteful, 2) they have great photos and content, and 3) you’ll feel like a real part of the JDM club!

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_japanese_auto

This page is mainly a collection of videos and memes about Japanese cars in general. Every five to ten posts there’s a cool build someone made or the clean interior piping of an engine bay. This is a great page to follow if you like Drift and Two-Step Supras.

The whole page doesn’t appear to be partisan of one JDM brand or another, but it sticks to real right-hand drive cars, wait 25 years to import. They keep display light, just once every other day on average.

Related: 10 Best $ 10,000 JDM Project Cars Will Buy

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jdmicon

This page includes new versions of Japanese cars like, more recently, the unofficial return of the Acura Integra. Following this page is sort of a benchmark for breaking into the overall JDM scene. They go around the wheel with all kinds of JDM builds and styles, all crisp and professionally done.

They post once or twice a day and sometimes have a little video. While they don’t have any advertising or merchandise now, they threaten to add more in the future. Ads are a kind of deactivation on Instagram. We understood! They make turbo keychains! that’s why we chose the pages, they don’t have such incessant clumsiness.

This page loves their comparisons! This page is fascinating because it is not about strictly clean constructions, but rather about the madness and the power of a car. In fact, they have a lot of videos of pulling up the freeway in one car or another.

It makes sense that this is one of the most followed pages on the list! They have a lot of very entertaining videos and they post more frequently, three to five times a day. They haven’t dived into Reels yet, but they don’t leave much to be desired.

Related: 5 Japanese Sports Cars Intended For Modification (5 You Should Be Keeping In Stock)

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cheapetuglyracing

This page is a combination of memes, JDM artwork, and personal creations from people. Unlike many pages, it actually gives facts and information about the cars after talking to the owners themselves.

They are relatively new and claim to be a racing crew, but no evidence of this has emerged. So far the jokes are hilarious and the builds are very interesting, so that’s what we’re here for! Plus, there isn’t a single paid ad or promotion in sight!

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jdmzone

This page is one of our favorites because it’s just a ton of great videos! Nothing makes you feel more like part of the Japanese automotive world than watching a GT-R rip it up on a rally course or hearing a Supra turn around a hundred times!

They drop points for the occasional ad, but other than a tasteful casual t-shirt or hoodie, there’s nothing on your face or even what’s visible all over the page. They post two to four times a day, but honestly we kind of wish they were posting more!

Related: These Are The Best Mods For Your Nissan R34 GT-R

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initial dreams

It is the hub of Initial D Fans. For the uninitiated; Initial D is an animated series about a tofu delivery boy who develops incredible driving skills and bursts into the street racing scene, becoming “Akina’s Ghost” in his old Trueno AE86. Even if you’re not a fan, JDM content is on fire!

Dotted with plenty of memes and videos, the page seems to focus on the cars from Initial D and their modern counterparts as much as the movie itself. There are drifts, jokes, and ’90s footage that really sets a retro vibe.

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flow undergone

Everything about Subaru! This page focuses primarily on WRXs in their natural habitat; builds, crews and videos. There is a fair amount of variety and balance between the old and the new.

The picture quality is excellent, and the videos are plentiful. They are missing a few points for promotional products that… seem a bit homemade… but every Subaru fan should follow just for featured Subies pulled straight from the actual owners. The owners are even tagged in almost every post! Very professional.

Related: Here’s Why The Subaru Impreza P1 Is Fan Favorite

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vspechub

This page is strictly R32, R33 and R34 Nissan Skylines! It doesn’t feature any Nissan Zs or new GT-Rs, but it’s still our choice for a Nissan page because 1) the age of the GT-Rs makes them a true JDM, and 2) the content is awesome!

Except maybe too much Fast and furious references, open-hood and throttle-throttle videos really scratch your Godzilla itch. These guys only post once a day.

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suprahub

When an Instagram name ends with “hub” (despite the unpleasant reference), you know the page will deliver consistently interesting content. This page scored the most followers on the list, so you know it needs to do more than just profit from the popularity of the Supra.

Along with the usual Mk4 Supra, and not counting the “BMW” Mk5, this car also features older Supras with retractable headlights alongside its videos, memes and barn finds. They post on average once a day, so the 2JZ content isn’t overwhelming.

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vtec__society

This one takes it for the Honda page because it also includes Acura. While too many pages focus only on Civics or just NSX, this one goes for both and adds the old with the new, the S2000 with the Drag Race Chords. There is no shortage of videos, but the main attraction tends to be inside engine compartments and at auto shows.

There is no shortage of new cars, concepts and unique features. Every photo here looks good, even on a full-size laptop, and the cars themselves aren’t cheap multicolored backyard builds, either.

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rotofanbois

You can’t love Mazda without also being a big fan of the “Dorito”; the Wankel rotary engine. While unreliable, the instant torque from the low weight and compatibility with turbos made these things beast on the JDM scene. That being said, this page really beats him to the max.

Of Han’s RX-7 To professional racing vehicles, the FD and FC here are well made, often with expensive body kits, and just awesome in general! The video-to-frame ratio is always 50-50 and posts arrive exactly twice a day.

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About the Author

HONG KONG, Aug. 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Japan’s biggest car brands are showing their strength. Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Honda Motor (7267.T) topped estimates. Read more on Wednesday; Honda has raised its annual profit forecast by 18%. Even long-beaten Nissan Motor (7201.T)surfed the wave, with global sales up 63% in the three months to the end of June, helping it show unexpected profit and raise its earnings outlook.

Raw material prices and a global chip shortage are issues, but the trio are handling them better than US rivals like General Motors (GM.N), whose shares fell nearly 8% after posting earnings on Wednesday .

This highlights the liquidity buffers that Japanese automakers have accumulated during the pandemic. Toyota had 5,000 billion yen ($ 46 billion) in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter, down from 7 trillion yen a year earlier, but well above its prior average Covid-19 and double the GM reserve. Honda’s stack also looks high. With Tokyo pushing Japan Inc. to stop hoarding and raise wages, such record conservatism is becoming increasingly difficult to defend. (By Pete Sweeney)

On Twitter http://twitter.com/breakingviews

Capital Calls – More Concise Information About Global Finance:

GM finds inflation takes more than it gives Read more

The New York Times beats the Trump slump Read more

Cross-border technology investors are the only ones to know more

Hugo Boss needs stronger legs to win the fashion race read more

SoftBank’s bet on pharmaceutical AI has long chances read more

Editing by Antony Currie and Katrina Hamlin

Ask any enthusiast to make their list of the top 10 terrors on the circuit, and it’s a safe bet that no position would be offered to a full-size pickup truck whose platform dates back to the early 1970s. fact, you’d be hard pressed to find cargo carriers on the starting grid, even for the most upset racing fans.

And yet, nestled deep in the clutches of Japan’s sometimes esoteric automotive culture, there is the exception: a thriving group of boxing fans routinely putting Dodge’s less sporty car to the test on tracks designed for accommodate vehicles that are half the size and one third of their weight. Nicknamed the ‘Dajiban’ in the local dialect, these vans are the ultimate in grassroots motorsport racing – and a clear middle finger for compliance, auto or otherwise.

The antithesis of motorsport

It is important to stress how the Dodge B-Series Van (later renamed Ram) is for racing, or rather for anything other than a heavy straight-line task under full load. Introduced in 1971, Dodge’s workhorse was built on something the company called an “uniframe,” which merged a sedan-like unibody platform with a pair of scale channels underneath borrowed from a traditional truck.

The final result ? An incredibly low load floor and a tensile strength comparable to overcooked pasta, the latter frequently tested by its high center of gravity. Combined with its professional engine series, the largely immutable B / Ram series would run for nearly four decades, quietly commuting through airports, gobbling up gear at job sites, and disappointing families in search of minivans. who accidentally came home with the wrong Dodge.

Van Culture Redux

Indeed, the introduction of the Dajiban to the racing scene in Japan had entirely utilitarian roots. While it may seem unusual for there to be enough Dodge cruising along the island nation’s highways to achieve the critical mass required for full movement, Japan has long been fascinated by pickup trucks. In particular, it has historically imported models like the Chevrolet Ram and Astro in surprisingly large numbers. Some of these carriers are diverted to the craze for the customization of vans which values ​​the American metal, but others are praised for their size and the growl of the V8 by mechanics and traders looking for something different.

It was this latter demographic of free-spirited motorsport fans that gave birth to the Dajiban in the pit lane. Frequently used to transport motorcycles on the track, legend has it that a pilot dared to turn in a few laps in his van for a laugh at the end of a running session. The sight of this beluga out of the water making its way through switchbacks and baffles was so mesmerizing it didn’t take long an entire group of carrier cetaceans regularly tested the high-performance waters.

How to prepare a Dodge Van Race

Understandably, there was only one step between the van antics and the modifications needed to remove some of the most terrifying handling quirks from the Ram pickup. Almost all Dodge vans found in Japan have a short wheelbase, as this is the only way to get them through the still narrow streets of small towns around race tracks (let alone park them), but despite their proportions. More manageable, these Litter Dajiban vans need all the help they can get to stay brilliant.

This is especially true if they plan to compete in the D-Van Grand Prix Race Series, which has been running intermittently for several years now. Hosted by Takuro Abe, it takes place on the Ebisu circuit, and it is here that the intricacies of Dajiban tuning are fully on display. Despite their stripped-down interiors, weight remains a major issue for the Ram, which means upgraded drivetrains (with additional cooling), bigger brakes, and coil-spring suspensions work hard to keep the rubber on the road. Some of these vans even feature carbon fiber hoods, all in an effort to reduce the bulk of their snub nose setups as much as possible.

Most Dajiban are fitted with 5.2-liter V8 engines which have been warmed up by vendors such as Abe himself (who runs a van oriented garage called Abe Chuko Kamotsu) and the late Dodgevanracing.com, which was run by Takahiro Okawa. Originally rated at 230 horsepower, with the right massage it is possible to overtake 300 ponies on the pump gas, increasing forward thrust while dramatically increasing the stress on the poor van’s caps. Mid-stroke adjustments are made all the easier by the fact that the Ram’s V8 is mounted almost entirely inside the cabin between the two front seats.

Missing the point is the point

How do they behave in the heat of competition? Despite the best efforts of their owners, the general consensus is that the Dajiban is an objectively terrible performing machine. That’s not to say they’re not fun, however; once the fear is dispelled, the thought of watching a pack of happy adrift hulks clash within the narrow confines of Ebisu also seems fun to watch. how it is to experience behind the wheel.

More importantly, the Dajibans are not meant to compete with their sports car rivals in terms of speed or handling, and any attempt to judge these machines from that point of view largely misses their existence. In a country where individual expression is often discouraged in favor of homogeneous cultural order and conservation Washington on the streets that have more kei pocket cars than crossovers, racing a thunderous American minivan is like spitting out your HOA by painting your front door purple and then setting your house on fire.

If the method of self-expression is imported, the real passion of the Dajiban crowd could not be more local. By focusing their attention on an unloved American offspring (and giving us a cute tribute to Hot Wheels in the process), the owners let their deconstructed monster flag fly in a completely original way, unique on any American circuit. Don’t confuse the medium with the message – remember, this is the same country that gave us the exaggerated styles of Bosozoku as good as Lamborghini is completely covered in flashing LED lights. If the cult of the cargo ship Ram van didn’t exist, these Japanese mavericks would be doing something else just as outrageous and caring just as little about what their neighbors think about it.

The Ebisu circuit was recently damaged by an earthquake that had a serious impact on the community and the facility, with a major landslide taking the track out of service. Donations to help rebuild the road route and implement disaster prevention measures can be done on the following link.

Luxury doesn’t always mean reliability.

This is the lesson of the latest brand rankings from Consumer Reports.

Mazda, one of the smaller mainstream brands, topped the organization’s latest assessment of automotive brands that excel in quality, safety and reliability. Consumer brands made up six of the top 10 nameplates in Consumer Reports rankings.

Luxury brands such as Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo have all landed towards the back or the end of the pack. The organization ranked 32 brands for its annual car report.

“It really shows that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a desirable, reliable vehicle with all the technology and safety you want,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports.

Subaru, ranked No.3, Honda, 5, Toyota, 7, Chrysler, 8, and Buick, 9, all prove this point and present good choices for buyers looking for different vehicle features, said Fisher.

“If anyone cares about safety and reliability the most, the answer is Toyota. If you want that, but also something more fun to drive, there’s Mazda. Subaru is practical, reliable and offers all-wheel drive on every model, ”said Fisher.

Features, Tech Fell Some premium brands

Many expensive luxury brands struggle to pack vehicles with newly designed equipment, technologies and features. The new technology is bug-prone, Fisher said. Still, BMW and Porsche finished second and fourth.

While two national brands, Chrysler and Buick, made it into the top 10, most other American brands did not fare as well. Cadillac was 22, Chevrolet 24, Ford 25, GMC 26, Lincoln 28, and Jeep 29.

Fisher attributes much of their reliability issues to the same syndrome that plagues many luxury car manufacturers. These brands have unveiled in recent years a flurry of redesigned models that have flaws that still need to be ironed out.

“These extensive redesigns where you have new platforms and new powertrains, these are the things that reliability issues are often associated with,” Fisher said.

By comparison, Chrysler and Buick have older models where engineers have gradually eliminated design flaws, he said.

Tesla ranks 15th out of 32. Fans Still Love Tesla

Tesla placed in the middle for 15th (tied with Genesis and Mini). Reliability issues with the S, Y and X models are hurting the electric vehicle maker. Tesla’s fourth vehicle, the Model 3, is its biggest seller. But Consumer Reports noted that the brand enjoys “remarkably high scores for owner satisfaction and in CR road tests.”

A slew of new models also took a toll on the reliability of vehicles from South Korea, with sister brands Hyundai, Kia and Genesis all slipping up the rankings.

Hyundai is launching a series of newly designed rear-wheel drive vehicles in its luxury brand Genesis, mimicking the European brands targeted by Genesis, instead of using the front-wheel-drive platforms it uses for the Hyundai and Kia brands.

“These will be the vehicles that will perform really well, but it will take a few years to achieve the kind of reliability that will put them at the top of the product rankings,” Fisher said.

European brands mainly below average

European brands, including luxury brands, mostly performed below average. Italian automaker Alfa Romeo takes last place. German automaker Volkswagen was 18 years old.

Many of these brands perform poorly year after year, Fisher said. But consumers still buy them because they offer great driving dynamics, plush interior, lots of tech, make an image statement or provide some other feature that buyers are looking for, Fisher said. Reliability is not the only determining factor in purchasing vehicles, he said.

But it creates problems for brands like Fiat, which have models that score poorly in driving dynamics and reliability, leaving almost no reason for a consumer to buy the brand, Fisher said. Fiat was not ranked in this year’s report, but its Fiat 500X achieved one of the worst overall scores of any vehicle tested. The brand sold just 4,000 vehicles in the United States last year, less than half of the number it sold in 2019, according to Motor Intelligence.

Common findings from Consumer Reports, JD Power

Consumer Reports’ findings reflect a long-term reliability study from automotive market research firm JD Power.

This 2018 Model Year Vehicle Reliability Vehicle Reliability Study (VDS) found that Asian brand vehicle owners were experiencing an average of 115 problems per 100 vehicles, the least of all groups. This compares to 126 problems for national brands and 131 for European brands. The industry average was 121, according to JD Power.

Top 10 CR picks: 4 from Toyota, Lexus

Consumer Reports also highlighted their 10 favorite models, organized by price segments. Eight of CR’s top 10 picks are Japanese nameplates, including four from Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus. Subaru had two models. Tesla was the only national automaker.

Its top picks in the under $ 25,000 segment are the Toyota Corolla sedan and the Mazda CX-30 subcompact crossover. He liked the Subaru Forester SUV, the Toyota Prius Hybrid and the Toyota Camry in the $ 25,000 to $ 35,000 segment.

Consumer Reports picked the Subaru Outback SUV-style station wagon, the Kia Telluride three-row SUV, and the Honda Ridgeline mid-size pickup in the $ 35,000 to $ 45,000 category. It nodded at the Lexus RX SUV and the Tesla Model 3 electric sports sedan in the $ 45,000 to $ 55,000 segment.

Consumer Reports only considered the new vehicles it tested on its 327-acre test track in Connecticut for its brand ranking. CR says it performs more than 50 tests on each vehicle, evaluating braking, handling, comfort, convenience, safety and fuel economy. It then compiles an overall score based on several factors. Ratings take into account expected reliability and owner satisfaction based on Consumer Reports member polls, test results, key safety features, and crash test results, if applicable.

Ram has not been ranked despite selling nearly half a million pickup trucks in 2020. To be included in the brand rankings, an automaker must have at least two vehicles tested; CR tested the Ram 1500 but not the larger 2500 or 3500 which are rarely used as station wagons. Fiat only has one model left in the United States, the 500X crossover, and if it had been classified as a brand it would have been the last.

CR also adds a new Green Choice endorsement in its individual model recommendations. It will use a green leaf icon to denote cars and trucks in its ratings that are in the lowest 20% group for greenhouse gas production and smog-forming emissions, according to data from the EPA.

“For a long time we’ve included fuel efficiency in our road test results for vehicles, but so far we haven’t looked at what comes out of the tailpipe,” Fisher said. “Green Choice will make the least polluting vehicles in terms of greenhouse gas and smog emissions easily visible to consumers. “

The Honda e, the company’s first electric model available in Europe, recently won the German Car of the Year award for 2021. It is the first time that a Japanese vehicle has won the prestigious award.

The Honda e, alongside its two-wheeled cousin the CBR1000RR-R, when it was inducted into the Red Dot Design Museum. Image by Honda.

“That the Honda e is the first Japanese car to receive the German Car of the Year award is a great honor and we are incredibly proud to receive it,” said Katsuhisa Okuda, CO and President of Honda Motor Europe. “Customer and media response to the Honda e since its first unveiling has been overwhelmingly positive. The Honda e is a perfect example of a uniquely designed product, packed with cutting edge technology and advanced smart connectivity to keep owners connected to their daily lives. We are very grateful for this award.

To earn the German Car of the Year price, a vehicle must convince a panel of German automotive journalists that it is the best in many ways. The panel tests and reviews cars, ultimately ranking them in terms of usability, handling characteristics, market relevance and innovation. The winners of five categories – Compact, Premium, Luxury, New Energy and Performance – then compete against each other to determine the overall winner. The Honda won the New Energy category and then beat the winners of the other categories to take the overall prize.

This is not the only award the vehicle has won in Europe this year. Awards from England, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and elsewhere in Europe are now all on the proverbial car shelf.

The Honda e is the first of the automaker’s electric models in a plan to electrify most European models by 2022. It sounds like an extremely ambitious plan, but keep in mind that “electrifying” a vehicle doesn’t mean necessarily switch to full electric battery. (BEV). Other electrification options for automakers include hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles with small range extender motors.

The Honda e, however, is fully electric. It comes with either a 134 or 152 HP electric motor, with both variants producing 232 lb-ft of torque. This is powered by a 35.5 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery, with sport modes and single-pedal driving available. While none of these specs are particularly impressive (in terms of horsepower or range), the vehicle is a dedicated rear-wheel drive model designed for better performance than front-wheel-drive EVs.

It’s also designed primarily to work in urban areas, where more range and speed aren’t as critical. In addition, in most parts of Europe, the CCS charging network is much better developed than in places like the United States. So even with a 35.5kWh battery, traveling even in rural areas will rarely be more than a minor inconvenience. With liquid cooling, repeated DC fast charging sessions to travel longer distances would be a reasonable experience.

Another area where a smaller battery is beneficial is handling. While it’s low like most other EVs, the smaller bag allows for better maneuverability and weight distribution. Combined with the lack of torque steering (rear wheel drive) and other handling optimizations, the Honda e remains a fun car for city or winding rural roads in Europe.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the vehicle is its retro-inspired look. Designed to resemble the first generation Honda Civic, the car has a strong 1970s aesthetic. Like the Honda e, the original Civic was also an innovation. With the CVCC engine, it was able to meet increasingly stringent emissions requirements despite the absence of the expensive and powerful emission control devices often installed on other vehicles. This, combined with its smaller size and weight, allowed it to outperform vehicles like the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega. It was also a time when many American vehicles suffered from quality and even safety (the Vega and Pinto being perfect examples).

Unfortunately, for our American readers, the Honda e will not be coming to the United States. Much of what makes it a great European electric vehicle doesn’t apply as much or not at all to the US (especially the small battery). Hopefully, more retro-inspired designs will be available for US buyers in the future.

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Tesla has added another major automaker to its lucrative “carbon pool,” after Honda reported poor sales of its first mainstream electric vehicle, the retro-inspired Honda e.

Honda will now join FCA in accessing Tesla’s open CO2 pool to help meet strict emission reduction targets for new vehicles which will tighten in 2021 to an average of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer per vehicle sold.

Most major automakers struggle to meet this threshold, so they buy “carbon credits” from Tesla, which only sells electric vehicles and therefore has credits in abundance.

In the third quarter of 2020, Tesla announced a windfall of $ 397 million (AU $ 547 million) in revenue from the sale of these credits to competing automakers, further boosting results for its fifth consecutive profitable quarter. It will bring in nearly A $ 2 billion from the carbon credit program this fiscal year.

Honda’s decision to join FCA to gain access to Tesla’s open pool is a direct result of its weak sales of Honda e in Western Europe, according to European electric vehicle market analyst Matthias Schmidt (no link).

The Honda e, which originated from the Japanese automaker’s “Urban EV” concept and costs around € 30,000 in Europe (A49,000 converted), would always appeal to a niche market.

With its funky retro design, it’s packed with tech and is aimed at drivers looking for something a little different at a (relatively) affordable price.

But it did not hit the mark in Europe. With only 1,000 registrations according to the latest Report on European electric cars published by Schmidt, it now appears that Honda is looking to buy CO2 credits to avoid having to pay fines if it does not meet EU CO2 limits.

But Tesla’s opportunity to further consolidate profits using credit sales could be wasted if it does not increase, or at least maintain, sales volume in Europe.

Although Tesla played a small role in sales of electrified vehicles overtaking diesel vehicles in Europe in September (this was mainly due to Toyota’s hybrid sales), its sales volumes in Europe over the past 12 months have declined by 12 months. %, although we do realize this is at least partly due to a drop after an initial surge in early 2019 following the introduction of Model 3, as we saw in Australia.

Tesla sold 63,000 vehicles in Western Europe from January to September 2021 against 87,000 for the Volkswagen group and 83,000 for Renault / Nissan, bringing its market share to just 13.3% from 33.8% in the third quarter of 2019.

“In terms of 12-month rolling totals, Tesla’s volumes hit a concrete wall late last year and have fallen back below 100,000 units since the second half of this year, the 12-month period until ‘in September reaching the lowest volumes. since November 2019 with 97,600 units ”, writes Schmidt.

Schmidt points out that Tesla’s recent decision to start importing China-made Model 3s to increase availability and use the credits from increased sales to continue to increase profits.

“One food for thought is that Tesla could plan to flood the European market with increased volumes in the last quarter of the year to try to take advantage of a potentially available windfall as manufacturers fear they will miss their 2020 CO2 obligations. with a second lock. – drops on the horizon, scrambling to reach open swimming pools to avoid larger fines, ”explains Schmidt.

But as mainstream OEMs introduce more electric models in Europe, Tesla will face increasing competition – which it has always insisted it wants to foster, but which could reduce its profits unless more drivers embrace the switchover. electric transport.

And some historic OEMs are already gaining traction with the introduction of new electric models.

Volkswagen in particular saw the introduction of its ID.3 electric hatchback adopted especially in Norway, where it was the best-selling electric vehicle in September. Volkswagen is now the leading manufacturer of electric vehicles in Europe and now also sell CO2 credits to Chinese automaker MG / SAIC.

Some aspects of Japanese culture may seem very peculiar to Western eyes – and so are many of the weird and wonderful vehicle modifications that have been adopted by the underground auto scene in Japanese cities.

Many of these modifications are purely cosmetic, designed simply to mark the driver’s personality on their entire car, motorcycle or even their commercial truck. However, street racing remains a popular although illegal activity among young Japanese reducers, and modifications are needed if they are to beat their rivals.

Check out the list below for more on the best – and worst – modifications to Japanese cars.

Related: We Would Be Embarrassed To Drive These Modified Japanese Cars

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Awesome: Dekotora – Decorated Trucks

Every now and then in the United States, you may come across a vintage semi-truck that has been lovingly restored, but the vast majority of utility vehicles in daily use are not decorated other than the company name of trucking.

This is not the case in Japan where dekotora truckers Cover their vehicles with hand-painted artwork, glowing neon lights and enough chrome accessories to decorate a 1980s nightclub! Even the interiors of these vehicles are beautifully decorated to reflect the personality and sense of style of the trucker.

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Bizarre: Dekochari – Decorated scooters

Trucks provide a great canvas for lots of light fixtures, accessories and creative flair. Motorcycles and scooters, on the other hand, are a bit more difficult to decorate. That hasn’t stopped some bikers from trying to recreate the dekotora craze on their two-wheelers.

This rather exaggerated modification is known as dekochari, and while something is intriguing about those overloaded, glitzy scooters, the result feels like you could only go a short distance before losing your balance or one of your added accessories.

Related: 20 Weird Japanese Mods That Don’t Belong To A Car

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Awesome: VIP – Luxury Mods

As the name suggests, VIP modifications are changes that are made to luxury cars. Known in Japanese as beep, this style was once associated with gangsters, but like many automobile follies in the Far East, it quickly became more common.

Still, classic Japanese luxury cars like the Toyota Crown, Mazda Sentia, and Honda Legend are not vehicles you would expect to see in the underground car scene. These mods are meant for appearance only; VIP cars are unlikely to be risky in street racing.

7
Weird: Takeyari – Oversized Exhausts

Japanese car enthusiasts aren’t generally known for their subtlety, and the takeyari craze is one of the more ostentatious mods you’ll find in Japan. takeyari cars have oversized exhausts; and we’re not just talking about the slightly wider or longer tailpipes you can find on modified cars in the United States.

When it comes to takeyari, the bigger the better, and it’s not uncommon to spot vehicles with vertical tailpipes reaching heights of 6 or 7 feet, and sometimes even carved in unusual decorative shapes.

6
Awesome: Shakotan – Lowered Car

Lowering cars is a fairly common modification in the United States and can improve handling in tight corners while making the vehicle more aerodynamic. Considering the need for speed among street racers in Japan, it’s no surprise that drivers have also embraced the lowered vehicle and even given it a name: shakotan.

Compared to some modifications, the shakotan can be quite inconspicuous and is often paired with other common modifications such as body kits, larger fenders, and larger wheels, which also improve handling and braking.

5
Weird: Bosozoku – Excessive Changes

Bosozoku is the general name given to some of the strangest and most unusual car modifications, including ridiculously oversized fenders, bizarre body kits and garish colors. Sometimes these mods can completely change a car beyond recognition.

The name comes from the Japanese motorcycle gangs of the 1950s and literally translates to “violent speed tribe”. These bikers made changes to their bikes to stand out from the crowd, and now 21^st car owners of the century stole the name and ethics of gangs, creating absurd vehicles.

Related: 10 Japanese Mods That Would Never Work In America (10 We Love)

4
Awesome: Itasha – Anime & Manga Wraps

Cars aren’t the only obsession of young men and women in Japanese cities; they are also in their popular culture, especially manga graphic novels, television shows, and animated films. The manga and anime also inspired an eye-catching and stylish edit, which sees drivers covering their vehicles with images from their favorite comics or TV shows.

Stickers and decals are also common on these itasha cars, although some owners are also known to include X rated images of comics and animation on their vehicles!

3
Weird: Onikyan – Demon Camber

Onikyan is one of the strangest modifications to come out of Japan. This modification, which sees the wheels and tires sprawl out at an awkward angle, was first used by street racers who wanted to improve their ability to drift or take turns at high speeds, but it became a full-fledged personalized modification.

In fact, the arch of some onikian vehicles is so extreme that they are no longer allowed on the road and would certainly cause significant damage to the undercarriage if they were to be driven at any speed.

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Awesome: Doisha – Cars modified for drifting

However, not all drift mods are as disastrous as the onikyan. Dorisha is the name given to custom modifications made to vehicles that go into drifting street racing – or whose owners want their cars to look like an auto extra from Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Drifting was first introduced in Japan in the 1970s, but can now be seen in street races and motorsport events around the world. A dorisha car has undergone both aesthetic and mechanical modifications to improve its performance.

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Bizarre: Tsurikawa – Cars adorned with subway train handles

Years ago, fans of the Beastie Boys and other American rappers used to steal badges from Volkswagen cars to wear them as jewelry. Tsurikawa is the Japanese equivalent of this, only instead of stealing cars, motorists steal another mode of transport to decorate their vehicle.

The handles and straps that are an integral part of tsurikawa were stolen from the Tokyo subway and are said to be used to adorn the exterior of the car to show the status of the owner. Nowadays, you can buy tsurikawa handles online, which instead reduces its underground reputation.

Next: 15 sick photos of Japan’s underground car scene

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Ever since I started reporting on Japan in the late 1980s, American actors have been the star of local auto ads.

It’s about getting a simple message across to an attentive audience in 15-second time slots, the standard length of Japanese TV commercials. First, by using renowned talent, the product is designed to be cool and attractive and the viewers will remember the product. And if the American actor can insert a few choice Japanese words to express the merits of this new car, so much the better for the adoring locals.

For example, when Michael J. Fox, just released from his 1985 hit film Back to the future Said “kakko Integra” meaning “beautiful Integra”, in a 1989 Honda Integra commercial, this phrase became so popular that it quickly turned into local pop culture. Then a few years later, Honda moved on to Brad Pitt to promote the Integra and blurted out “Integra Nottegra Honda”, which is a play on words but basically means “I drive a Honda Integra”.

Around the same time Fox was citing his lines for Honda in 1989, Kevin Costner was starring in the just launched first-generation Subaru Legacy commercial. Subaru must have gotten some major traction with the star of The Untouchables, because they followed over the next two decades with stars like Robert De Niro, Mel Gibson, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Willis, Antonio Banderas and Winona Ryder promoting not only Legacy models but also Outback and Forester. Legendary British rocker Rod Stewart even had a fight to promote the Legacy.

Male stars are featured heavily in many Japanese car commercials, but as we saw with Lopez and Ryder riding for Subaru in the 90s, Thesilenceofthelambs star Jodie Foster appeared in a Honda Civic ad playfully saying “Ferio,” which was a version of the Japanese Civic.

Most recently, around 2013, Bruce Willis was back in Japan to film a commercial for a car, but this time he was uttering Japanese slogans for the Daihatsu Mira e: S (pronounced “ees”) micro-minivan. The star of the Die hard The franchise has reportedly agreed to a fee of over $ 1 million for an upcoming 3-day shoot in a pack of five short commercials for the tiny 660cc Mira ‘e: S’.

In a commercial, Willis asks the director if the Mira is selling well. The director replies, “Yes, Bruce, this is selling very well. In response, Willis turns to an assistant and says in Japanese, “The car is selling because of my star power, isn’t it?” To this, the director said wryly, “Ah, he still doesn’t understand that the car is the star.” These ads turned out to be as entertaining and witty as Men in black Star Tommy Lee Jones’ 2011 Suntory Boss Coffee commercial series, in which he plays a human-like alien trying to figure out human behavior.

Oddly enough, the last foreign talent to appear in an auto commercial was not an American actor but a French actor and star of Leon and Impossible mission, Jean Reno. He played a flying robotic cat called Doraemon in a series of Toyota commercials from 2012 to 2014 and uttered many strategic Japanese phrases like “Oikakeru? Take-copter-o ”, which means“ You want to chase them with my bamboo helicopter?

In the near future we may see someone from the Avengers Where Fast and furious appearing in a Toyota, Subaru or Honda advertisement. Or maybe an ageless Willis could return to star in a new Daihatsu commercial. That’s if the automaker can justify a seven-figure budget in these tough times.

MANILA – Sales of Japanese automakers in the Philippines fell by at least 68% in the second quarter of the year due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with some signs of recovery seen on a monthly basis, according to figures from industry associations released Monday.

Data from the Philippine Chamber of Automobile Manufacturers and the Truck Manufacturers Association showed that large Japanese companies in the country sold 18,046 units.

During the three month period, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. sold the most vehicles with 9,952 units, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 2,898 units and Suzuki Philippines Inc. 1,793 units.

Nissan Philippines, Inc. sales were 1,191 units, Isuzu Philippines Corp. to 1,141 units, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. to 993 units and Sojitz Fuso Philippines Corp. to 78 units.

Monthly trends suggest some degree of optimism for Japanese automakers in the country, with vehicle sales rising to 4,067 units in May from 100 in April.

posting an increase of 3,967 percent from April to May as sales rose from 100 to 4,067 units.

From May to June, a 241% increase was observed, with sales increasing from 4,067 to 13,879 units.

Taken as a whole, the Philippine auto industry showed signs of recovery from May to June, posting a 225% gain with vehicles sold increasing from 4,788 to 15,578 units.

“This positive growth shows the first signs that consumer demand for new cars is starting to improve, albeit slowly,” said CAMPI President Rommel Guiterrez, adding that the industry may take time to recover, industry sales remaining a challenge.

Guiterrez, who is also vice president of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., said the company was maximizing digital platforms to promote sales in an effort to adapt to the “new normal.”

The pandemic has caused a slowdown in businesses across the country in recent months due to the large-scale lockdown imposed by the government.

On Monday, authorities recorded 57,006 cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus, including 1,599 deaths.