Lexus IS JDM Models – Japan Receives Exclusive High-Performance Sedans While America associates Lexus autos with softly-sprung luxobarges isolating passengers from any engagement, select models in their home Japanese market tell different stories. By forbidden fruit status alone, all breeds special appeal from exclusivity. But Lexus goes further crafting specially enhanced variants of their IS…
Subaru Impreza GC – Corner Carving All-Wheel Drive Game Changer When Subaru launched their GC chassis-code Impreza in 1993, four-wheel drive held perceptions as a merely utilitarian feature reserved mostly for trucks and SUVs trundling off-road. But the new Impreza took a radical direction by adopting all-wheel drive specifically for enhancing grip and agility. Advanced…
1995 Mitsubishi Models – Turbos and AWD Define the Peak The year 1995 marked a pivotal moment where key Mitsubishi Motors technologies synergized creating halo performance machines rewarding drivers with immense capabilities honed from rally racing victories. Between the potently forced-induction 3000GT VR-4 sports car and rally-bred Lancer Evolution sedan. Mitsubishi’s model range demonstrated excellence…
Volkswagen Rabbit MK5 – Bringing Zippy Fun to Economy Class As small cars trudged ever closer to bland transportation appliances by the mid-2000s, Volkswagen reinforced hatchback credentials staying playful via their fifth-generation Rabbit revival for 2006. Originally sold on its standard fuel-sipping 2.5-liter inline-5 pumping 150 eager horses through the front wheels, the Rabbit eschewed…
What Does Nismo Mean? Exploring Nissan’s Legendary Motorsports Division See a cheeky Nissan subcompact trading paint with supercars at the track? Chances are the GTR killer emblazons a small yet powerful badge reading “Nismo”. This four-letter word carries serious weight behind the scenes of Nissan’s performance. But what exactly does Nismo mean and why does…
Altezza RS200 – Japan’s Overlooked Sports Sedan While history celebrates Toyota’s Supra and MR2 sports cars, few realize their Altezza RS200 sedan beat both icons around Japan’s revered Nurburgring track at launch. Developed to inject pulse-pounding excitement into the entry-level luxury segment in 1998, this stealthy four-door packed a high-winding 2.0-liter straight six engine driving…
Honda Integra Type R DC5 – Peak Front-Drive Performance Perfection Debuting in the summer of 2001, Honda’s third iteration Integra Type R arrived just as the 1990 Japanese performance wave crashed. But this DC5-generation model refused to fade quietly by perfecting the front-drive sport compact to astonishing levels through meticulous attention to detail. Significant weight…
Nissan 180SX S13 – Bringing Style & Substance to Japanese Sports Coupes When Nissan debuted their new rear-wheel drive Silvia model code-named S13 in 1989, it brought a welcome injection of style and driving enthusiasm to the affordable coupe segment. Sold internationally as the 180SX, this new entry captured the hearts and wallets of sports…