What do you think it needs
PHls#54
ITP#1:45.281
Theres some more time in this if someone wants to put the time in, I shared the tune its called Phls
Attention racers,
The final round of the Bennett Cup 2026 is over, and here are the abridged results, with full results and more on the event sheet.
The results for the little experiment is two points for Germany and @TBAR19804064, and two points for the US and @im2fast4u711. Is there any conclusion to draw from this? I donât know.
If you have opinion on this little format, get in the comments. Otherwise, letâs drift into the next event.
PHLS#55 officially starts now. The theme is the destination of the next Forza Horizon, the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. You will have three weeks to compete across three groups. Each group is ranked independently, and if you submit a time for every group you will be entered into a combined leaderboard to see who is the master of JDM.
Group 1 are JDMs from the late 80s and early 90s, the Golden Age. All modifications allowed and encouraged. PI limit A700.
Group 2 is a collection of racecars from Japan. There is, very intentionally, one car from a bunch of different racing series. All modifications allowed. PI limit S800.
Group 3 is the Sierra Sierra Lancer Evo. Stock only, tuning allowed.
See up in the top post for the full list and details. Or if you want a no so brief history of the automobile in Japan, see the post below. (Part 1 & Part 2)
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The Before Times
The late 18th century was the beginning of an Age of Revolution, which lasted through the mid 19th century. You, hopefully, know the greatest hits, the American Revolution, that led the United States to secede from the British Crown, the French Revolution, that led to the French crown to secede from the kingâs neck, the Industrial Revolution, that saw the rise of capital, coal, and machines, for better and also definitely worse. From Greece to Mexico, from the gold miners of Australia to Native American tribes, with varying degrees of success and varying motivations, the world was traversed by a wind of change.
Meanwhile in Japan, it was business as usual.
It wasnât until the fall of the shogunate and the rise of Emperor Meiji that the country caught up to that wind of change and opened up. During his reign, from 1867 to 1912, Japan abolished its feudal system in favor of a centralized government, and entered the industrial age. Itâs sometimes said that the British influence during the industrialisation of Japan led to left-hand driving there. If it is true that British engineers had a heavy hand in building the railroad network in Japan, it was already customary to ride on the left side of the road long before the Meiji era. The practice was simply cemented with the arrival of trains, and later became law for motor vehicles in 1924.
With such a considerable delay in an era of rapid changes, it should be no surprise that the automobile came to Japan only in the early 20th century. Hybrid vehicles and motor racing had already been invented before Japan ever made a single car. And just a year later, Henry Ford and his Model T would make a big splash on the market. The early Japanese automobile industry was dominated by foreign automakers, and the Model T built in Yokohama was a best seller there like everywhere else.
The Takuri, Japanâs first car, 1907.
Ford Yokohama assembly plant, c. 1930.
Dry Dock No.3, Mitsubishi Shipyard, Nagasaki, c. 1910. The Giant Cantilever Crane in the background is still standing and is now a World Heritage Site.
The big names we know today were barely recognisable then. Toyota was a maker of automated looms for the textile industry, Nissan a loose collection of small automakers. Though Mitsubishi is considered to have made the first Japanese production car, the 1917 Model A (an unofficial copy of the Fiat Tipo 3), it wasnât a car company. The Model A was made to order for the officers of the Japanese military. Mitsubishi was just one of Japanâs Big Three zaibatsus, a conglomerate, a shipping company that grew to control every step of the process from mining its own coal and iron to providing its own marine insurance to its own boats, then diversified beyond into real estate, paper mills, or beer.
Japan was still a relatively poor country by Western standards, and car ownership was very much a luxury. If people owned a motorized vehicle, it was more likely a motorbike, a cheaper and more practical choice in bustling cities. Things started to change in the 1930s, with the lead up to WWII, increasing expansionism, nationalism and militarization led to laws limiting the presence of foreign manufacturers. But rather than profiting to the people, the developing automotive industry was geared towards fulfilling the needs of the military, fueling the expansion of the Empire of Japan in Asia-Pacific, before the conflict inflamed the rest of the world.
The Miracle
It shouldnât be news for you, Japan lost the war, rather brutally. World War II ravaged both the country and its economy, through intense military spending and the widespread destruction from USAAF raids. If nuclear bombings are a painful memory, the truth is that the country was already in ruins by that stage. Then, it was occupied by the United States. Zaibatsus were broken up. Large land owners were forced to sell their land. The old elite held responsible for the war was stripped of its power. A new constitution was drafted. It was nothing short of a new revolution.
Mitsubishi factory destroyed by the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, 1945.
Shibuya crossing, Tokyo, 1950s.
Japanese society and economy was radically transformed by the war and occupation. With the Japanese government having lost control of its own defense and foreign policy, the focus was put on the economy and rebuilding the nation. What became known as the Yoshida initiative, from the name of prime minister Shigeru Yoshida, led to an unprecedented economic boom. At the onset of the Cold War, Japan became a poster child for the âFree Worldâ capitalist ideals in East Asia, in stark contrast with its neighbors. In less than a decade, Japanâs economy recovered, and from 1955 until the 1973 oil crisis, Japan entered a period of so-called economic miracle, becoming the second world economy after the US.
But while motorcycle production resumed quickly after the war, and US ideas on urbanism and mobility made car ownership more desirable than ever, resources were still scarce, industry was still recovering, and income level was still relatively low. There was a need for something of an intermediate step, and that missing link was found in 1949 with the first set of kei car regulations.
A restored Mazda-Go. The Type GB Mazda-Go was the first kei car (or rather kei truck) produced under the first set of regulations in 1949.
Ad for the 1960 Suzuki Suzulight. The Suzulight was the first kei car made under 360cc regulations.
Cover of a 1969 brochure for the Datsun Bluebird 510. $2000 was comparable to a VW Beetle, about $17500 in 2025.
The original 150cc engine limit allowed manufacturers to reuse bike engines, while the strict size limits ensured costs and material use could remain low. Japanese manufacturers could quickly make kei cars, building back their production capacity and increasing their technical knowledge, while giving the people something they could afford. And though the kei car became the first automobile for a lot of Japanese families, itâs perhaps kei trucks and vans that were the most influential, filling a vital role in the countryâs everyday logistics, further helping the recovery of the economy.
Kei cars, trucks and vans were an important contributor to the economic miracle, and served as a stepping stone for the Japanese automotive industry. By 1970, car ownership had gone from practically zero to over a quarter of households, with some transitioning from kei cars to more full-sized models. In this time, domestic automakers, firstly came into existence, and secondly entered into a fierce competition for market dominance. The relative isolation of the archipelago made the material cost of spare parts and fuel a major consideration for Japanese automakers, and they consequently developed a strong culture of reliability and efficiency.
The FJ20ET engine of Nissan Skyline R30 2000RD-Turbo.
In the rest of the world though, Japanese cars initially received a lot of criticism, often undeserved and fueled by memories of war-time anti-Japanese propaganda. But when the oil crisis hit in 1973, the reliability and fuel efficiency of Japanese cars became an incredible competitive advantage. They started to earn a positive reputation with buyers, and the attitude of the Western automotive press quickly changed. Through the 1970s and 80s, Japanâs contribution to the boom of consumer electronics also helped Japanese cars become more technologically advanced, from fuel injection to various digital doodads and early infotainment systems. Once ridiculed, âMade in Japanâ became a seal of quality.
If the dominance of foreign automakers had prompted the pre-war Japanese government to take protective measures, this time roles were reversed. European and US manufacturers were scared enough of the popularity of Japanese cars that they lobbied their governments to enact import restrictions, perhaps most notably the 25-year rule in the United States, which is still active. But this was hardly a deterrent. Sometimes Japanese automakers simply opened brand new factories in North America and Europe, sometimes even splitting the cost with local companies, like Toyota and GM in the US, or Honda and Rover in the UK. Sometimes they just built in third countries not covered by those bans.
All the measures that were meant to put a damper on the influence of the Japanese auto industry arguably it only made it stronger, allowing them to build more cars out of more places, and to export their production philosophy.
United Auto Workers smashing a Toyota in protest, 1981. Incidents like this inspired a bonus stage in Street Fighter II.
The Toyota Production System, also known as just-in-time production, or more simply Toyotism, was a revolution in manufacturing on the level of Fordism. Whereas Henry Ford pioneered mass standardized production through a physical reorganisation of assembly lines, Toyotism was a new management philosophy that sought to reorganise production beyond assembly lines, striving to make only what is needed, when needed, in the amount needed. When I mentioned a culture of reliability and efficiency, that was Toyotism in a nutshell.
Though the TPS takes its origins to Toyotaâs pre-automobile period, it took on a new life after WWII, influenced by lean manufacturing concepts imported from the US during the reconstruction, even becoming an object of academic study in the 70s. The emphasis on reducing waste, continuous improvement, deep problem solving, involving workers in quality to the point they can stop the production line, that was the magic sauce that made their cars reliable and cheap. The system born out of necessity to face the economic difficulties of post-war Japan ended up becoming an incredible asset. Principles of the TPS became a global standard, not just in the automotive industry, but in the manufacturing sector at large.
July 1968 issue of Road Test, exploring Toyotaâs factories and methods. The Toyota Production System was later codified as âThe Toyota Wayâ in the early 2000s. By then, many aspects of the TPS had become industry standards.
How do you do fellow kids?
But it wasnât just Japanâs economy that was changed by WWII, it was also its society. The occupation meant Americans had some level of control and influence over the reconstruction and government policies, at least in the first few years, and that American GIs and their families came over to live in Japan, bringing their own culture with them. This had an influence on the school system, on liberal ideas such as free speech or womenâs suffrage, on the central place of the car in a modern society, but also on the disillusionment of the youth that lived through a global conflict.
Many young army veterans, including pilots destined for kamikaze missions, were left scarred by the humiliation of the defeat and occupation at the hand of the enemy they were trained to fight to the bitter end. Their system of values instilled by military training was suddenly forbidden, and they felt at odds with a Japanese society reconstructed under foreign influence. In response, they developed their own counterculture that was loud and reckless, in open defiance of what they saw as a submissive and quiet society. Outsiders started to call them the thunder tribe, Kaminarizoku.
Kaminarizoku riders, c. 1959.
Kaminarizoku was characterised by two things. First was post-war scarcity, leading them to ride whatever motorcycles they could get their hands on, often military surplus from the Imperial Japanese Army or the US occupant. There was no uniform style, no standard ride of choice, it was whatever you could get your hands on. Second was loudness. This is where the name comes from, the Kaminarizoku modified their bikes to be as loud as thunder, and rode into town with little care for rules. Quickly, they became targets for the authorities.
The Bosozoku movement evolved from the Kaminarizoku, becoming a sort of catch-all for youth that felt left behind by the economic boom. Bosozoku incorporated elements of greaser culture imported from the US, but kept its uniquely post-war Japanese twist. With more resources available through the Miracle period, the style became more flamboyant, more colorful, while retaining some military elements, jackets, rising sun emblems, or hachimaki headbands. The name, usually translated as âviolent running tribeâ, reflected the increased negative attention these groups had garnered through the 1950s.
While most Bosozoku were simply tinkerers and street racers seeking a sense of belonging in a rebellious movement, some became proper motorcycle gangs. These gangs became recruiting grounds for the Yakuza and fell into organised crime, attracting even more police attention for the Bosozoku as a whole. As the automotive industry developed, cars invited themselves on the scene, with the same mix of defiance towards orderly society and thrill seeking attitude. And of course, with equally loud modifications.
Modern Bosozoku Girl. One police record from 1980 indicated about 4% of suspected Bosozoku were female.
Bosozoku style on the more over-the-top side of the spectrum. Itâs hard to even tell what car is under there.
The street scene wasnât the only influence on Japanese car culture. While Kaminarizoku rode into town, others went to the track.
Motorsports in Japan predate WWII, the first purpose-built racetrack was Tamagawa Speedway in Tokyo, opened in 1936. But the weakness of the Japanese auto industry and general lack of interest of the public, combined with this whole expansion and war business Japan had going, led to the demolition of the track just two years later in 1938. Itâs after WWII that motorsports really grew. The reason was simple, racing had always been a test bed for innovation, and the Japanese auto industry had a lot of innovating and catching up to do. Automakers were the main driving force behind the construction of purpose-built tracks. Suzuka, Japanâs second and now oldest track, was built by Honda in 1962, and it was built for purpose indeed.
The level involvement of the auto industry in the development of motorsports was relatively unique. In old Europe, racing was born as an aristocratic pastime. When tracks were built, it was partly driven by the needs of racing clubs, and later as arenas for international anatomy-measuring contests. The US joined the movement a little later, unsurprisingly attracted by the potential gains in terms of advertising and ticket sales. Japan coming so late to the party meant they skipped straight over the fun and games phase to directly focus on the R&D aspect of motorsports. As a result, Japanâs tracks were often shorter and more technical than existing European circuits, to say nothing of US tracks that were more often than not ovals. They were, after all, meant to be testing grounds.
However, the fun and games werenât far off the corner. There was, after all, an appetite for illegal street racing, so a legal alternative was also very welcomed. Accessibility was helped by the geography of the country. Japan being very dense, major cities usually had at least one track reasonably close. Track racing was encouraged by both local governments and specialised media as an alternative to street racing. The post-war scarcity that influenced Kaminarizoku and Bosozoku drove a strong DIY approach to car culture, and with the economic boom came disposable income to pour into mods. Those mods justified frequent visits to the track. Every time you tweaked something, every time you swapped a part, that would be a good reason to go test it out. More than in any other country, amateur track racing really took off in Japan.
Construction of Suzuka, near the grandstands, c. 1962.
TOMâS 83C and Mazda RX7 at Fuji Speedway, 1983.
Track day at Tsukuba, 2016. Lots of Japanese cars, but also a Corvette and a 911.
In this context, it should be no surprise why Japan is home to a variety of aftermarket companies. Names like Rocketbunny, HKS or Tommykaira are known for their cosmetics, performance parts, or full builds, and there are a lot more like them. It goes beyond just Japanese cars, Rauh-Welt Begriff made a name for themselves modifying Porsches, and whether youâre looking for aftermarket body kits, turbos or wheels, youâll find a company that makes it for pretty much any make, Japanese or otherwise. Even manufacturers played the game. Autech was launched by Nissan to pimp their own cars for discerning (and loaded) customers, while Mugen and Spoon were set up with the blessing and support of Honda for motorsport dominance.
Whether it was to support weekend racing or less legal activities, the demand for modification was there, spawning a very lucrative industry, and a number of visual styles, from the original exuberant and over-the-top Bosozoku style, to motorsport-inspired liveries, to the more luxury-focused and Yakuza-inspired VIP style.
By the 1980s, street racing groups rode highly modified cars on open roads, always seeking more power and speed. The mountainous back roads gave rise to toge (or touge) racing and drifting, while highways such as the Wangan-sen and Kanjo-sen, respectively Tokyoâs Bayshore Route and Osakaâs Loop Route, became known hotspots where souped up cars would weave through traffic every night. Hashiriya, street racers, played a cat and mouse game with the police, leading to ever increasing crackdowns and regulations. Chases were rare though, Japanese police avoided risky high-speed pursuits and favored checkpoints and roadblocks, or simply waiting for the morning to knock on some doors.
Honda Civics from Osakaâs Kanjozoku scene. The Civic is the tool of choice for Kanjozoku, being small, light, agile, cheap, and of course pretty good.
Team Mid Night, Japanâs most infamous underground car club, riding a mix of domestic and exotic cars, on public roads of course.
Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 police car. High-performance cars like these were used for deterrent or for outreach, not for cinematic car chases.
To avoid strict regulations on them, members of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association came to a so-called gentlemenâs agreement to limit the power output of their cars. The cap was set to 280 metric horsepower (approx. 280 horsepower), about where the most powerful Japanese sports car already sat. But manufacturers understood their clientele expected power and modability, or else they might lose market shares to foreign automakers that had no such agreement. If the 280PS limit was followed on paper, none of the manufacturers respected it, and most Japanese sports cars came out with more power, and often suspiciously overengineered internals inviting you to add even more power yourself.
This was the height of a golden age.
The Golden Age
If they sold some models abroad with great success, Japanese manufacturers were firstly focused on their own domestic market. One cause and consequence was their dealership structure.
Back in the 1950s, Toyota was recovering from the war and thanks to large orders from the US military for the Korean War, was selling a lot of trucks. In 1955, Toyota released the Crown, the first car fully designed and built by Toyota, and their first mass production model. To separate the trucks from the Crown, they opened new dealerships to showcase their new vehicles to a new clientele. If itâs not unheard of for manufacturers to have split dealerships between commercial and passenger vehicles, whatâs less heard of is splitting it again when you introduce a new model. But thatâs what Toyota started to do.
Dealerships in the Saitama prefecture, showing various chains. Some of these donât exist anymore.
Spot the differences in these Toyota X80 (Mark II/Cresta/Chaser).
Toyota repeated the process several times to accompany the sale of just one model, sometimes opening new stores, sometimes repurposing old ones. Their lineup was split by vibe and trim level across competing Toyota dealership chains. And this is how you get 50 shades of Japanese mid-sized sedan, Camry or Vista, Chaser, Mark II, or Cresta, cars that you can scarcely tell apart, sometimes just rebadges of each other. And thatâs just Toyota.
Mazda, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi followed the example. Less strictly than Toyota, but you could still find competing stores, Nissan Blue Stage vs Nissan Red Stage, Mazda vs Eunos, etc. The amount of overlap in the lineup of these competing chains was largely a function of the overall companyâs cashflow. Subaru, being a much smaller player, was an exception. For the others, as long as the cash flowed, this was not a problem.
The multiple dealership system was a symptom of the outrageous financial health of Japanese automakers. By the late 80s, they were swimming in cash. The Japanese industry was reaching a peak. Lines were going up. Some manufacturers started to diversify into financial and real estate assets, Toyota even started building homes. Everything was just going great. And the period was fertile for quirky passion projects.
E80 Corolla and friends at the hottest car meet in the world, Osakaâs Daikoku.
Nissan developed the R32 GT-R with a clear intent to dominate Group A touring circuits, and dominate it did, especially in Australia. As it was winning F1 championships with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, Honda used their experience to develop the NSX, intended to compete with European supercars, except better, cheaper, and more reliable. Mazda continued its rotary adventure, despite the many problems and inadequacies of the engine, they had found a niche with the RX7, and they were certain their endurance programme would yield big results. Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi started to bet big on rallying, eventually eclipsing the once great Lancia. And on the road, they kept pumping affordable sports cars and over-engineered, tuner-friendly engines.
An engine to decimate them all. The 2JZ-GTE, used on the MkIV Supra and S140 and S160 Aristo, is legendarily overbuilt, from 280PS on paper, to preps on stock internals reported up to 700PS.
They were eager to showcase their best engineering, and money was no object. They had the Japanese market on lockdown, and they were already making international moves. When the Japanese government enacted a voluntary export restriction, you might think that would have been a problem, but no, if the volume was to be limited that was only an incentive to bump up the price tag. It was time to show the world Japanese cars werenât just cheap and reliable, but that they were simply the best.
The wheel of a first generation Acura Legend.
Honda was the first to react. They developed two new vehicles, the Legend and the Integra, sold them as Hondas at home, and in 1986 exported them to the US as Acuras. It was the first of the premium Japanese brands to come to the US, but it would soon be followed. Toyota took more time to execute on the same idea, and for good reason. If Honda was making a premium sedan, Toyota was simply designing the best car in the world, in direct competition with the S-Class and 7-Series. Sold as the Toyota Celsior in Japan, it was known in the US as the Lexus LS400, and it found its public. Nissan with the Infiniti Q45 luxury performance sedan was less successful, but still successful enough to gain a foothold.
And then of course as we all know, Mazda did the same with AmatiâŚ
The Lost Decade
Alright, you probably donât know Amati and that might be because it never existed.
What goes up must come down eventually. The multiple store chains, the top-of-the-line sports cars, the luxury divisions, all of this had a cost. A cost these companies could afford while the economy was going strong. The thing is, all that capital, it wasnât the Japanese economy going strong, it was a bubble.
The 1990s opened on a small recession in the United States, and on the Japanese asset price bubble popping. Japanese manufacturers had overplayed their hands. The formula of overexpansion, overengineering, overlapping lineups and overreliance on a domestic market that was just about to crash was a recipe for disaster. If people were still buying Civics and Corollas worldwide, sales of premium and sports cars started to falter, especially in the US, which is to say especially where they had invested big yens. And by early 1992, the Japanese economy was entering a decade of stagnation.
Definitely not stonks at all.
When it unfolded, Amati was ready to launch, with models already in production, ad campaigns rolling out, the whole shebang. But with the forecast suddenly looking cloudy, Mazda chose to cancel their plans. They were one of the small ones, not part of a massive keiretsu (a different kind of conglomerate from a zaibatsu, donât ask) like some of their competitors. They were saved thanks to an existing partnership with Ford. Ford injected cash by increasing their stake, and cleaned up the mess. The period for Mazda meant more platform sharing, more cost rationalisation, a slashing of R&D and motorsport budgets, and of course the end of their premium ambitions.
Nissan didnât have a Ford to save them. With a lineup even more bloated, expensive halo projects, a myriad of sports cars they had trouble selling, weak exports, and significant investments into finance and real estate that had just blown in their face, Nissanâs exposure to the crisis can only be described as deadly. When the bubble bursted, Nissan flirted with insolvency. Renault looking to expand into Asia swooped in and offered a deal they couldnât refuse. Nissan went on as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, effectively a subsidiary in all but name. It lost a big chunk of its identity, though at least it survived to live another day.
Ad for the Amati 500. If Amati never was, the car still came out under various names: Mazda Xedos 9, Mazda Millenia, and Eunos 800.
Nissan Micra and Renault Clio at the Renault factory in Flins, France, where both cars are assembled. Synergy!
The Lancer, the Impreza and the Celica battled on rally specials during the 1990s. For both Mitsubishi and Subaru, that kind of brand recognition was very helpful. And for Mitsubishi, being part of one of Japanâs biggest conglomerates containing one of Japanâs biggest banks also helped.
On one side of the spectrum, Subaru was too small to be seriously impacted. They had found their own loyal AWD niche and having built a business model on it, they werenât significantly impacted. On the other side of the spectrum, the Mitsubishi keiretsu tanked the hit because it was still fundamentally a gigantic shipping conglomerate. Though it may have given the impression Mitsubishi Motors was doing better than it really was, in reality, the sales werenât good. No drastic measure was taken, it would have been relatively unimaginable for the keiretsu to axe one of its companies unceremoniously, especially with rallying glory keeping the Mitsubishi name in the public consciousness. But the 1990s was a decade of slow decline for the car company.
Honda was less bloated and less exposed to the bubbleâs effect than its competitors, and they were selling Civics and Accords like hotcakes all over the world. Honda still took cost rationalisation measures to protect itself. The NSX was perhaps the biggest victim on Hondaâs side. Plans for continuous improvement were scrapped, and it quickly became unable to compete with evolving Ferraris and Porsches. What started as an honest competitor ended up a decade later laughably inadequate. But that sacrifice was perhaps not in vain. By the end of the decade, Honda was in a strong enough position to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a brand new sports car, the S2000.
Toyota was very much bloated and exposed, but Toyota was also very, very big. The Toyota Production System proved extremely important in cutting down costs when it mattered, and with the sales of the Corolla and Camry it had the meat to take the shock. But there would be no elfing around from there on. The Supra and MR2 were axed, Toyota became the more serious, rational, conservative company we know today. For them it was perhaps a blessing in disguise, this restructuring allowed them to rise up as the top manufacturer in the world, capable of doubling down on hybrids despite the costly and massive flop of the first generation Prius.
1995 Honda SSM concept, which became the S2000. Honda did fine in the 90s.
1996 Toyota Prius concept. The first generation was originally only sold in Japan, and as a premium vehicle to cover the high manufacturing costs of the hybrid system. It didnât sell very well, and it wasnât profitable.
I wonder if you know
Although the shock of the Lost Decade immediately following the late 80s golden age didnât kill Japanese sports cars, it definitely put a damper on all the craziness. There was a sense that this wouldnât happen again, that there would never be another Supra, another NSX, another GT-R. It was fertile ground for nostalgia.
Japanese pop culture had depicted racing almost as soon as it began. Mach GoGoGo, also known as Speed Racer, came out in 1966. In the height of the golden age, Shakotan Boogie and Wangan Midnight told stories around two different street racing scenes. Initial D wasnât necessarily novel when it came out. Except for one thing. It came out in 1995. It prominently featured late 80s/early 90s Japanese sports cars, and a street scene in severe decline after government intervention. It wasnât a witness of its era like its predecessors. Initial D was perhaps the first media franchise to mythologised this bygone era, a pure nostalgia trip to the glory of a lost Golden Age.
If it took some years for the manga to cross over to Europe and the US, something else brought that nostalgia to the western youth. For a generation of people, the release (and massive success) of Gran Turismo in 1997 was the first point of contact with a lot of these cars that had never made it out of Japan. Even if import scenes existed outside, they remained fairly confidential, with most JDM cars banned in the US and not imported in Europe. The scene was slowly coming into public consciousness in the West, until it reached critical mass with 2001âs The Fast and the Furious.
Cover of the first issue of Initial D, with the AE86 Sprinter/Corolla in the background.
Japanese cover of Gran Turismo.
Shibuya Crossing depicted in Tokyo Drift. The film uses movie magic to mix real cars in fake Tokyo filmed in Los Angeles, and fake cars in real Tokyo filmed without permit on location.
The cultural impact of these franchises gave Japanese manufacturers a signal that they still had a market waiting for them. A new generation of sports cars arose, the S2000 perhaps the first one, followed by the RX8, the 350Z, new Evos and WRXs, and the final boss of Japanese sports cars, the R35 GT-R. Then came the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis.
Though the causes, starting positions and effects were different from the 1990s crisis, the consequences were largely the same. Subaru weathered the storm in its niche. Mazda and Nissan swapped their 90s fates, with Nissan surviving thanks to its partnership with Renault and more restructuring, and Mazda nearly disappearing. Mitsubishi further dwindled away, and eventually rejoined the Renault Nissan Alliance. Honda stood on their solid foundations, while Toyota absorbed the hit with the sheer mass of the company.
Nissan GT-R Proto at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show.
Mom: âWe have Mitsubishi Eclipse at homeâ - Mitsubishi Eclipse at home:
Cutaways of the plug-hin hybrid system of a 4th generation Prius. If the 1st gen was unprofitable, it laid the foundation of the massive success of the Prius starting with the 2nd generation, and Toyotaâs dominance on the hybrid market.
By the 2010s, Japan could be argued to be the leading nation of automobile, in sales, in innovation, in pop culture. Toyotaâs bet on hybrid proved to be a huge success, and rather than cashing in the the carbon credit that came with it, they eventually used it to offset new passion projects, renewing with the golden days of Japanese sports car by developing the 86 with Subaru, the Supra with BMW, and the GR Yaris and Corolla with themselves. Toyota is also one of three manufacturers engaged in WRC, has had continuous engagement in Nascar and endurance series, and is even dipping toes into Formula One.
While this is sure to please enthusiasts, there is one tiny blindsport in that strategy, and itâs a blindspot shared across Japanese manufacturers: the world is moving towards electrification. Manufacturers like Renault and Volkswagen started a hard pivot after the dieselgate scandal that tarnished their bread and butter, while China has launched a massive offensive on the global stage, leveraging their industrial capacity in high-tech manufacturing. The competition also comes from South Korea, with Hyundai-Kia having already built a reputation of cheap, reliable cars, moving into the premium segment with Genesis, an almost play-by-play repetition of the Japanese strategy of yore, except they too made significant investments in EV.
Hyundai Inster and BYD Seagull. Hyundai and BYD are relatively new challengers, and already ahead of Honda in sales.
Japan, by and large, is lagging behind. The Japanese auto industry rose from virtually nothing after 1945 and came to challenge the old automotive world order with great success. Today, they, and perhaps more specifically Toyota and to a lesser extent Honda, are the old automotive world order in a prime position to be taken down. But the future isnât written. If the competition is nipping at their heels, they survived existential crises before. Only time will tell who will be king of the hill when the dust settles.
Any ideas on whatâs going to the best cars?
The easiest way to know is to look at the leaderboards. I think for A class on suzuka its the silvia. Then if youâd like you can download a tune off the leaderboard if you donât want to use your own
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