Sold in global markets as the 370Z, Nissan’s Fairlady Z represents over 50 years of Japanese sports car excellence. Generations of this rear-wheel-drive coupe built prestige to rival European marques. Let’s examine the 370Z’s significance and advancements in Nissan’s home market. Inheriting the Z Legacy Debuting in 1969, the Datsun 240Z pioneered accessible, powerful Japanese…
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…
BMW Rally Car has a reputation for luxury performance sedans and sports cars rivaling the likes of Mercedes and Porsche. But BMW also has a significant racing heritage in the unlikely arena of rally racing. From the 2002ti of the 1970s to the E30 M3 in the 1980s, BMW proved it could be competitive in…
Lotus Esprit – Britain’s Supercar Dark Horse Punching Far Above Its Weight Among 1970s automotive startups, few newcomers created shockwaves like a modest British specialty maker’s ground-hugging sharp-edged glass fiber sportster. Wowing crowds at its 1972 debut and then gaining fame alongside Agent 007 only a few years later, the angular Lotus Esprit two-seater coupe…
Korean Kia Rally Car among mainstream automakers, the South Korean brand Kia stands as one of the newest entrants into top-level rally racing having debuted just in 2019. But Kia Motorsport’s efforts with rally-prepared versions of the Rio subcompact demonstrate serious intent to grow into legitimate competitors versus established makes like Hyundai and Toyota. Let’s…
Few vehicles capture imaginations quite like the 1964–1967 Sunbeam Tiger. This Anglo-American hybrid roadster blended elegant open-top British motoring with raw American V8 muscle. Setting the stage for an exhilarating performance in an unmistakable package. More than just a muscle car. The Sunbeam Tiger ultimately became an automotive icon thanks to its audacious personality and…
Koenigsegg CC850 – Celebrating 20 Years of Hypercars The Koenigsegg CC850 marks a milestone 20th-anniversary celebration for the niche Swedish supercar maker. Unveiled in 2022 and limited to just 50 examples, the CC850 pays tribute to the first production of Koenigsegg – the now iconic CC8S from 2002. Beneath its evocative retro-inspired design lies some…
Polo R Rally car made by Volkswagen hatchback seems an unlikely candidate for high-level rally competition against purpose-built race cars. But Volkswagen Motorsport cleverly optimized multiple generations of Polo from 2010 onward into giant-killing rally cars competitive in S1600 and GRC classes. Punching above its weight through extensive modifications, rally versions of the Polo provide…
