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…
350z Fairlady Nissan – Rebirth of the Affordable Japanese Sports Car When Nissan debuted the 350Z coupe in 2002, it reignited enthusiast passion for affordable driving purity lost since the original 240Z. Codenamed Z33, the new 350Z drew heavy inspiration from predecessors cementing Nissan’s sports car credentials since 1969. From a long nose/short deck silhouette…
Lotus 72 – Groundbreaking F1 Car that Dominated Grand Prix Racing When the sleek, angular Lotus 72 made its Formula 1 debut in 1970, packs of rivals were left bewildered as this disruptive force piloted by Jochen Rindt immediately snapped the pole position in Monaco by 1.1 seconds. Colin Chapman’s latest Lotus creation brought unprecedented…
1983 Nissan 300ZX – Birth of a Japanese Sports Icon In an era remembered largely for boxy transportation appliances, the 1983 debut of Nissan’s sleek first-generation 300ZX sports car previewed bolder styling directions leveraging advanced wind-cheating aerodynamics. Wearing higher performance ZX nomenclature, visually longer and lower dimensions joined with flip headlights and tucked front/rear bumpers…
Formula 1 Racing – Pinnacle of Automotive Performance & Technology As the highest echelon of open-wheel racing, Formula 1 has consistently showcased bleeding-edge automotive and material science since debuting in 1950. Blending supreme driver talent with teams of engineers pushing boundaries using racing as a lab, F1 regularly births advancements migrating to road cars. Revolutionary…
Each January as competitors converge on Saudi Arabia, they prepare for over 7,500 miles of intense off-road competition across the region’s stark, unforgiving terrain. Since inaugural events starting in 1979 traversed from Paris to Dakar, Senegal, the namesake rally evolved into motorsports penultimate test of endurance. Originally conceived by Thierry Sabine after getting lost in…
80s Japanese Cars – Pushing Technology Limits & Shattering Stereotypes As the 1980s rolled around, Japanese automakers set sights on claiming performance prestige after establishing mass-market dominance. Revolutionary sports cars and sedans elevated the likes of Honda, Toyota, and Nissan onto the world stage. Japanese R&D departments channeled Formula 1 inspiration coupled with pioneering refinements…
Mk2 Ford Focus RS – Bringing Rally Speed to the Street When the Mk2 Ford Focus RS thundered onto the scene in 2009, it shook competitors to the core by translating full-bore rally aggression into a practical hatchback form. Evolving the genre-busting 2004 Focus RS formula, Ford selected the freshly facelifted Focus as a donor…