The Motor Report Auto News Blog

I still remember the first time I saw a photo of the Z32 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo. This was the late 80s and like most Americans that had been fed a steady diet of Detroit muscle, I didn’t even like Japanese cars. But the 300ZX was sexuality on wheels.

In the post-Regan world of faux fender vents and plasticky trim that covered American cars, it was like like an iPod in a universe of silver boomboxes. There were no unnecessary scoops or side strakes, the headlamps and taillights were completely flush with the bodywork, and it looked like an ultra-high-tech weapon from Cybertron.

Plus, it had the performance to match. Equipped with a 300hp V6, pumped up with dual turbochargers, it even trounced our beloved Corvette in magazine comparos. Soon after, the Acura NSX, Mitsubishi 3000GT, FD Mazda RX-7 and A80 Toyota Supra appeared on our shores, brewing an all out battle royale.

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Of all of Japan’s new entrants into the supercar market, the much-anticipated 2010 Acura NSX has been the one most shrouded in mystery. Whereas the Lexus LF-A and Nissan GT-R made regular and highly-visible forays onto test circuits and public roads around the world, the new NSX always seemed to lurk in the shadows, hiding from the long lenses of the automotive press. Even when Honda did take a development prototype to the Nurburgring, it was simply a chopped-up S2000 drivetrain mule and offered no clues as to what the finished product would look like.

Much of the secrecy was largely due to the negative reaction from the public and the press to Honda’s Advanced Sports Car Concept (above), which was meant to represent the next-gen NSX. Honda has since gone back to the drawing board, corrected their mistakes and have now emerged with a newer, cleaner, more muscular design that properly befits the NSX’s high-performance aspirations, even if it makes no reference to the design of its predecessor - the NA1/NA2 NSX that was sold between 1990 and 2005.
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As more and more drivers find their way on to the intarwebs, the greater the average person’s understanding of car technology is becoming. Hell, my only real interest in cars has always been design and the driving itself, but even I can tell you how an engine works.  …Sort of.

So with more people now holding a greater understanding of what makes a good car, and what makes for a good driving experience, the more manufacturers are starting to find themselves forced to offer you more for your money than they might otherwise be inclined.

Give me a bloody example, you command?  Right then. » Read Article

One unique facet of Japanese society is that there is genuinely not a single type of gadget, device, object, piece of clothing, or vehicle that is not fair game for hardcore customisation.  You need only search for “square watermelon” or “poop hat”—I kid you not, dear readers—and you’ll end up at a page you’ll soon be forwarding to your workmates, creating yet another annoying email chain. Steane, stop sending me links to poop hats.

One such craze that is now experiencing a touch of exposure here in the west, is the highly customised scooter scene.  These junior hotrods look like big cruiser motorbikes, but are often nothing more than Yamaha Majesty and Honda Fusion scooters with various aesthetic and vaguely functional bits thrown on.  From massive car-style exhausts and glittery paint jobs to immense bodykit modifications and extreme lowering, there’s nothing which can’t be done that hasn’t been done. For those of you that grew up on Japanese anime, you’ll love this Akira-inspired mod.

Check out a collection of various custoscooters after the jump.  Did I make up the word custoscooters?  Yes.  Will it catch on?  Likely not. » Read Article