Japanese Car News: Classics, Civic Type R, Mazda at SEMA 2016
Japanese Classics from the 80s and 90s at New Southern California Car Show
The first annual Street Neo Classics Car Show was held October 16th in Southern California, marking the first time a major car show has featured cars from those decades together in the same lineup.
Over 200 cars were registered for the event, and 160 actually made it to the show (the dropouts were largely the result of the weather that was less than stellar; a drizzly October Sunday), and there wasn’t a dull car in sight: Skylines, GT-Rs, NSXs, Civic Type Rs, Civic EK9s, Supras, RX-7s, and RWD Corollas rebuilt for drifting or racing were everywhere. Best described as walk through JDM Dream Car Land, every major manufacturer and several now-defunct manufacturers were represented.
Show founders, Terry and Koji Yamaguchi, also run the famed Japanese Classic Car Show in the SoCal area, a strictly pre-1985 car show. The thing is, so many owners with later 80s and 90s Japanese cars began requesting to join the JCCS that they decided to add a separate show just for those collectors, builders, and owners.
Most Japanese cars from the 80s and 90s are not yet considered legitimate “collector” cars just of yet, but every year sees greater interest, whether from the drift crew or from collectors.
Frankly, car collectors are missing out on some real gems by ignoring the car models on display at these shows, and it becomes increasingly more evidence every year that these vehicles will only appreciate in value over time.
Remember that you can import JDM cars directly to the US with relative ease if they are over 25 years old, so contact us if that is something you want to do.
2017 Honda Civic TypeR Prototype Interior: Red Hot!
Any Honda enthusiast knows the true meaning of the color red. Only the top-tier performance Hondas bear the esteemed red "H" logo -- the Honda Type R. And only select models have been bearers of the red badge in the manufacturer’s history: The NSX, the Integra, and the Civic. The current title champion remains the Civic, though Americans have yet to experience a US iteration of the Civic Type R.
As the hot-hatch market continues to heat up worldwide, the US is finally going to get their own version of the Honda Civic Type R for the 2017 model year. Unsurprisingly, this hot little tomato is drop-dead gorgeous. Scoops, wings, body kit, carbon fiber, triple exhaust, and 20-inch wheels are like the gorgeous jewelry draped on a classy model at a fashion show.
The combination of black leather and red fabric is eye-popping to say the least, and the leather-shrouded shifter is topped with a grip in brushed metal finish that can also be found on the clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Red and black leather adorn the steering wheel, creating a graceful contrast that is crowned by the red Honda badge as its centerpiece.
Exterior photos were not permitted as the car’s design is still in the prototype phase, but the red-on-black interior screams classic Honda performance style. Americans are in for a real treat when these cars hit showrooms next year.
Japan's Car Makers Get Serious About Connected Car System Security
Last year, two merry pranksters/hackers managed to remotely take over the computer systems of a Jeep Cherokeey. This exposure of how vulnerable vehicles with internet connectivity are to electronic attack resulted in the recall of over 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles. But this incident was not the first case of an internet-connected vehicle being hacked and commandeered.
In 2013, the same hacker whiz-kids who took over a Jeep remotely last year pranked a Toyota Prius driver from the back seat. They were able to honk the horn, change the fuel gauge level, and even alter the speedometer readings. But most worrisome of all, they were actually able to manipulate the car’s steering wheel from their laptop.
Despite this troubling evidence, many Japanese automakers have been reticent to adapt their connected cars with an added layer of security against cyberattack. As self-driving tech becomes increasingly more common, the dangers of these kinds of vulnerabilities becomes more and more obvious.
In order to thwart further exploitations, and to build stronger security for their vehicles, Japanese automakers are in the process of establishing a multi-manufacturer database of information about hacks and data breaches. Their aim is to speed up the process of identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities that will keep their cars safe from black hat hackers around the world.
Similar groups have been long established in Europe and the US, with Germany leading the way with connected car security standards since 2010. Japan’s efforts have been decried as “better late than never” solutions to a growing threat to public safety and security.
Toyota is currently leading the way in terms of cutting-edge connected car cyber security and firewall systems, though many Japanese manufacturers who have been polled regarding what they are currently doing to close security gaps in electronically controlled vehicles systems have declined to respond or comment.
Of course, part of this could be that they don't want to advertise what they are planning and implementing to the hackers. However, there has to be some kind of balance between necessary secrecy and reassuring transparency.
Mazda's MX-5 Speedster and RF Kuro Concept Cars AT SEMA 2016
With two new Mazda Roadster / MX-5 / Miata spinoff concept cars at SEMA 2016, Mazda looks to be going for the brass ring in terms of small sports coupes this year at the Las Vegas-based auto show. Designed and built at the Mazda studio in Irvine, California, the MX-5 Speedster and RF Kuro are two sweet looking little two-doors.
The magicians at Mazda somehow managed to take 100 pounds off the MX-5, reducing its weight to a mind-boggling 350 pounds under the weight of their soft-top production model. It is a roofless model as opposed to the traditional convertible-style top, and the White Ether paint job is a highly reflective, eye-catching color that will continue to turn heads as it makes its rounds on the car show circuit. I don’t know if I would want to drive this on the circuit, but I would love to take it out for a pose!
The second concept car is the RF Kuro, a hard-top convertible with a matte finished black paint job. The coloration should be no surprise, as “kuro” is the Japanese word for “black”, but what sets this model apart goes beyond the fancy paint. Mazda thew in some 17-inch RAYS forged wheels and added an MX-5 Cup suspension, making it as fun to drive as it is sharp looking.
More is scheduled to be revealed when these cars arrive in Vegas, but the preview available so far is enticing enough to make me wonder what else Mazda may have up their sleeve with these two concept models.
