2015 Tokyo Motorshow - Those Without a Rotary (Part 2)

"Flavien Vidal" (flyingfrenchy) 10/29/2015 at 08:30 • Filed to: None

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And we’re back with the photo report of my little trip to the 2015 Tokyo Motorshow! Part 1 can be seen !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

So let’s first continue with Daihatsu who was coming up with an nth version of their FF sports kei-car that you’ll never get to drive, the Coppen Cero.

Very nice interior. Not too sure the double exhaust is required on the 660cc car but well, it looks alright so I won’t complain. The autotragic is actually kind of normal on Coppens, as most customers of this car tend to not be very sport cars oriented in the first place. Sport cars afficionados usually prefer the Honda S660 (ex-Beat) or older Cappuccinos/AZ-1.

Then came the Noriori which you can read about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . If you like having the interior of your car to look like a very clean metro, go ahead! Nothing better for a personnal car to look like these public transports you hated so much when you DID NOT have a car.

Also the D-Base concept... they better change that name before the car reaches anglophones shores.

The Himata, kind of a caricature of an “eco-car”. Juste look at the tires...

Then I did check out Subaru very quickly, mostly to take a look at the WRX Sti S207 but I arrived at the Subaru booth right in the middle of the press conference... way too crowded, so I only took a couple of pics of the new 5-door Impreza concept which I actually really liked!

The Goodyear booth was also near-by and these tires really impressed me! Not sure how well they work and really, not sure how they work at all, but I’d love to test them out!

Lexus: Grill. GRILL!!! This LF-FC was impressive to say the least. You can read more about it !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

The drivetrain of the car... It’s nice. Whished it was a little bit less “concepty” but if the goal was to attract people, it worked for sure!

Has a new hydrogen concept car... gives away Lexus branded bottle of water... Well played Lexus, well played!

But let’s stop with all this eco bullshit and let’s go back to serious fossil fuel guzzlers!! The BMW M4 GTS!! Holy crap, is it awesome looking!

That was the only BMW that made me feel like a 4 years old who just met Santa. The rest was rather classic and not really worth drooling over (i8, i3 and all the other typical Series). Oh yes, I also got to see a car MOVE! Yes, on its own, without being pushed by people in suits wearing satin gloves! That’s a really rare sight in a Motorshow. It was an hybrid 7 series.

And what do you see in a Motorshow, parked right next to the BMW booth?? Alpina!! I’ve always had a thing for Alpina. Sure they are a bit flashy, some would say tacky even, but I just really love them. Actually secretly saving for a C1 or C2 (E30) right now... I just hope my wife will like Alpina too the day she’ll discover that new purchase I wanted her to see :)

Only desappointment with Alpina was that they had a LOT of diesel engines... Not new from them, but I just thought it was a lot.

Despite the Diesel engine, that D4 BiTurbo was simply jaw dropping nice!

They also unveiled their new B3 Biturbo, which well, looks a lot like all the other ones :)

Thank you for the cookie too Alpina!

In the same area, there was Mini. I think this picture sums up very well what I think of the brand.

But the big surprise of the Motorshow was, for me, Ken Okuyama. The guy is a (rich) designer who just doesn’t keep his designs on a drawing board but actually get them built (getting them sold is a whole other story though...). It can be a tractor, gardening tools...etc anything. Oh yes, he also likes drawing sports cars...

And the specs do keep up with the look. According to the press kit, the Kode 9 developpes 370hp out of a supercharged 4 cyclinder engine.... wtf?? Ken Okuyama also seemed like a genuinely nice guy and spent the entire day talking to everyone who wanted to talk to him. Impressive.

Just next to him the Brits were coming with Radical. Small booth but very impressive car nonetheless.

Road legal... yeah sure, why not...

A quick stop by the other Brits present at the 2015 TMS, Jaguar... Nothing jaw dropping there, appart from the AWD version of the F-Type R

A bit further, Honda had lots of people moving around those little rolling seats. That looked nice, but I forgot to ask if I could try one.

There was this thing which can power your house... It’s a nice generator, but a nice car? Meh...

This little fella that sells A LOT even today, which is insane considering that it was first produced in 1958 and hasn’t really changed since.

And this little fe... Oh wait, yes, thanks a to a really nice “bouncer” at Honda (not sure he is a bouncer but he seemed to take care of security and journalists appointments), I got to spend a few minutes inside the new 2017 NSX!!!! Still exited just writing about it over 24 hours later! So there you go, 2017 NSX and its newly announced 573hp hybrid engine (500hp gasoline engine) that will be able to commute on electric power alone. As for its price, that’s where it hurts a bit considering that the original NSX was a much affordable car... It is rumored to cost around 170k$ which is A LOT. A special photodump inside the photodump.

Also, the key was there...

And this was written on the dashboard... (339 miles on the clock too)

Needless to say that the temptation was running high...

They also had the new limited edition Civic Type R (750 units only)

With stock Brembos... On a Civic. Impressive.

and this cool project car...

I took a little bit of time to sit down in the new Beat also, the S660, and I was quite suprised by the massive amount of legroom the car has. I’m 6’2 and usually don’t fit that easily in sports-kei. Headroom was very limited for me though as my head was touching the roll bar, or whatever you call it.

And to finish, there was this branch of Nissan, that focuses on utility vehicles. I could show you my pictures like this one:

But that would not be nice to the 8 year old who learned to use photoshop and a camera, who spent A LOT of week ends to do the press kit... So to finish this article, here are a few pics taken from the press kit of the “Nissan Shatai” branch (Nissan Body).

So if you are a graphic designer, a photograph, an actor or a just someone who can use 3DSMax a little and want to work in Japan, you can send your resume to Nissan Shatai Co., Ltd - 10-1, Amanuma, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 254-8610, Japan. :)

Next stop for me will be the world of tuner cars with the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon in January:

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Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:42

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Could you run faster after the cookie?

Flavien Vidal > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/29/2015 at 08:45

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I mostly felt more expensive... :)

Ninety-9 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:47

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Vin > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:48

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That Kode 9 = Speed Racer’s Mach 5.

The Honda 2&4 is too brilliant to stay a mere project, but it's Honda sooo...

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:50

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Looks safe enough. Carry on.

This brought to us from a country that had a concept vehicle that all the occupants stood so there’s that.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:50

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I don't know I guess that's a good start.

Flavien Vidal > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius 10/29/2015 at 08:51

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Sure it doesn’t look safe, but what shocked me the msot is how cheap that stroller look like. Who the hell would buy something that looks this cheaply made!! Tssss...

LongbowMkII > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/29/2015 at 08:53

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Smoother and more luxurious. although it turns your insides dark blue and green. not that there is anything wrong with that.

Gary Yogurt > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:54

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I’m an inch taller and didn’t need the cruel fantasy of owning an S660. But here I am.

muttons > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:54

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Nissan: We Have No Idea How to Design a Van.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:55

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Great stuff, Flava Flav!ien.

http://oppositeblog.kinja.com/

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:56

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I always find it hilarious how Honda puts lawnmowers, snowblowers and ATV's in their autoshow displays.

The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 08:58

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Awesome write up Flavian. I regret not being able to go this year! Oh well, maybe next!

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:00

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True, but that car comes packaged like this so it fits the theme.

Flavien Vidal > Gary Yogurt 10/29/2015 at 09:00

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If your legs are an inch taller than mine, you’re good to go... if your upper body is an inch taller, you will need to run the car without its top. I’m at the absolute limit for headroom...

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > LongbowMkII 10/29/2015 at 09:00

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I’ll pass on the cookie then.

Flavien Vidal > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/29/2015 at 09:01

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Thanks man :)

Flavien Vidal > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius 10/29/2015 at 09:02

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hahaha, thanks for the good laugh :)

greggotron > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:07

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Socks???

Hey, Man > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:07

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WHAT ARE THOSE?!?

Vince Pack > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:10

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Kode 9?! OMG everything about those two cars makes me happy, though I'm sure the cost would make me sad.

OneHeadLight > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:10

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The Lexus grille has gotten out of hand. An attempt at branding gone wrong. But I love the Nissan bookmobile!

Anand Sivaraman > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:12

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Great to see some love for Ken Okuyama~ Nice one!

Its ridiculous that Ken’s cars aren’t well known :( He was the head of design for the Enzo Ferrari, Maserati Birdcage & Ferrari P4/5 for god sake.

Error: No Display Name Available > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:17

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More proof that everything’s better in Gulf livery.

And for the Copen, for the life of me I did not realize that was FF. Thought it was FR the whole time!

Good pics, Flavien!

ecafsub > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:18

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Honda NSX: WANT

Flavien Vidal > Error: No Display Name Available 10/29/2015 at 09:18

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Somebody spelled my name correctly!!! Somebody spelled my name correctly!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

But yeah, it’s FF and not that great if you enjoy sports cars...

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:24

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Yeah. I need this.

Flavien Vidal > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 10/29/2015 at 09:27

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Don’t we all... don’t we all....

I think my goal in the near future will be to get an interview with mister Okuyama. His cars really blew me away!

DIGITALUnderworld > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:28

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Speed Racers Mach 5

Loki240SX > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:28

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I thought drugs were illegal in Japan. How is Lexus coming up with these designs? That grill is....unreasonable.

Flavien Vidal > Loki240SX 10/29/2015 at 09:31

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The psychotropic power of sushi and ramen man... Eat A LOT of those and look at a white wall... You will see things, I promise you, you will see things...

adamftw > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:32

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I started and rev-limited a GTR at a press day at the NY Auto Show in 2010. 10/10 would be removed and banned from the Nissan booth again.

Error: No Display Name Available > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:33

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It’s not that hard to read :)

And plus, I’m amazed someone read my in-the-grey comment!

Dave-O > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:34

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Decent event coverage, but I don’t think I’d be making fun of Nissan’s graphic designers when it looks like you can't find the focus button on your camera. Sorry

Flavien Vidal > adamftw 10/29/2015 at 09:35

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hahaha would have been awesome, but the guy who got me in the car was so nice, I wouldn’t have wanted to put him into trouble. Had the car been freely accessible, that would have been different :)

Mark Bour > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:36

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Separated at birth?

Flavien Vidal > Error: No Display Name Available 10/29/2015 at 09:38

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I see and read every comment written on what I write... It’s not like I wrote 10 articles a day, I can afford spending a bit of time answering to people :)

I don’t answer to all of them, but still read them.

900turbo > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:42

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You can’t fool me.

I know the Kode 9 is the Mitsuoka Orochi in disguise.

CP, bitches!

Flavien Vidal > Dave-O 10/29/2015 at 09:43

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lol, I do everything with really cheap ass gear (spent the whole day with a T3i and a 18-270 do it all Tamron) that has trouble focusing as soon as things get dark. I try to focus manually for some cars, but it’s a pain and takes too much time.

If you are willing to buy me better camera gear with proper autofocus in the dark, I’ll gadly take it :)

This is what I do when I take the time to focus manually on cars that matter the most:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/a-few-more-det…

PS: Neither Canon nor Nikon have a “focus button”

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:47

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Yeah, that’s some pretty incredible work. I’ve never heard of him before.

Thanks for these posts, by the way. Great stuff.

Error: No Display Name Available > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:48

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Well, I appreciate that! Thank you!

adamftw > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:49

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It was towards the end of the day, and I was just wandering around the floor. Sat in the GTR, saw the keys and looked at the Nissan guy with a twinkle in my eye, and he gave me thumbs up. I figured that was an “ok” to start the car. It apparently was not.

adamftw > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:50

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Yea they do. Hold the shutter button half way down. Also, its better to use AF and focus points (to get the DoF you want) than MF in any indoor shot.

frankenheidi_LIIIIVES > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:57

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I was an engineer on, and the business manager of, a hydrogen fuel cell car project (undergraduate engineering competition). When it came time to present my business case at the end of the year, I had water bottles branded with our team logo as schwag for the judges. This was back in 2013!

Copycats.

2wheelmission > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 09:58

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Thanks for taking the time to share this with us Flavien! I'm super jealous that you got to walk around the place where I can only dream about. Also the NSX pics were an added bonus

Bazza, Delta Blues Man > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:08

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Fixed the goddamn light position for ya Laxas... I’ll take a cheque plz

Flavien Vidal > adamftw 10/29/2015 at 10:08

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lol I do all that :)

When shooting manually on static objects indoor or outdoor I use video preview with x10 zoom, turn off the video preview and take my shot. There is nothing better to be perfectly on focus. As for the focus button it’s useless if too dark like on the Rx-Vision or on most cars with weird reflections from the spots... Some cameras/lenses are much better for that, but a 250i$ used t3i combined with a 200$ Tamron 18-270mm won’t do the trick. The enormous amount of people around the cars forces you to take shots quick also.

So yes some shots are very slightly out of focus (worst one being the picture of the NSX key), but if someone is willing to pay me for slightly better camera gear along with the 500+$ for 3 days in Tokyo that this trip cost me, I promise to take the extra time to take GREAT focused pictures and do everything manually if needed :)

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:09

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The M6 is pretty damn nice looking; one that's been through Alpina treatment is perfect. I love this and want it so much.

barreto > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:10

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Are those blank button covers on the left side? They brought an NSX that wasn’t fully optioned out?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:14

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Sure thing. You got the front page again, too - nice!

Flavien Vidal > barreto 10/29/2015 at 10:14

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First let them figure out what the options will be lol, I think it’s a bit early for all this :)

RedHotFuzz > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:26

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A bit further, Honda had lots of people moving around those little rolling seats.

THE FUTURE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!!!

RedPir8Roberts > Vince Pack 10/29/2015 at 10:34

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Please Mazda, buy this guy’s designs. Or Spyker if it still exists, the door cards are already a little Spyker-y. Seriously good looking and refreshing. A rear window in the coupe might be nice.

glrobichaud > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:41

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Bloody hell, their front end is ugly!!!

dataPOG > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:53

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It is good to see Japan’s WTF factor applies to tire engineers and not just to TV and food.

Flavien Vidal > dataPOG 10/29/2015 at 10:57

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Well, it is a Goodyear tire so it’s more of an Ohio WTF factor :)

Will Warren > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:58

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Blank switches. On a 170k supercar?

dataPOG > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 10:59

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Is it me or am I seeing some Corvette C2 influence...

Der Sportwagoner > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 11:08

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I still feel like this line of Bimmers are like cars with microcephaly.

soFreshAndsoClean > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 10/29/2015 at 11:12

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You may not have heard of him but you’ve certainly seen and lusted over some of his work...

Enzo Ferrari
996 Porsche 911
Ferrari 599
Maserati Birdcage 75th.

Oh yes, he’s made some beautiful cars.

WarShrike > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 11:28

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Mouthwash bottle or NyQuil?

Dave-O > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 11:29

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Those are very nice pics

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > soFreshAndsoClean 10/29/2015 at 11:34

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Indeed!

Almost A Wooden Bird > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 11:38

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But that would not be nice to the 8 year old who learned to use photoshop and a camera, who spent A LOT of week ends to do the press kit...

Haaaaaaaaaahaha

Dake > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 12:19

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Oh good grief, it has anime eyes.

Dake > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 12:21

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Lexus: We hear you making fun of our Predator Grills - we’re doubling down bitches! The car after this will be ALL GRILL! Just one big grill with four wheels with grills, how you like us now?

Dake > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 12:25

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The Autobot’s chief medic Ratchet!

wpanik: now owns zero automatics > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 12:26

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I thought this window was horrifically scratched at first glance.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 12:32

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wpanik: now owns zero automatics > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 12:36

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I want these gorgeous seats in an array of colors for every car I ever own.

Anon > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 13:21

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I love that little honda motercycle! What are they called?

Simon L > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 13:33

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Lexus is really doubling down on the ‘chain mail in a vacuum cleaner’ look, yeah?

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 14:14

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eww

Joe_Limon > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 14:20

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I'm glad Subaru hasn't given up on the Advanced Tourer styling cues!

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 14:42

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Save a D3 BiTurbo wagon, this is the dream right here.

jonnybimmer > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 14:46

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Hold on a sec, what’s going on here? The car wears a Honda badge like the JDM models do, but it’s LHD...

Euro model? Or are they LHD even in Japan since the NSX is now produced in the US?

Skyline908 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 14:56

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I have a hard time waiting on a package to arrive in 7 days.. I can’t imagine what Jay Leno is feeling right now

acbc32 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:07

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I’d recognize the Lotus Elise/Exige interior from a mile away no matter how extensively or how many people modify it! Great platform to start with.

Leeroy Jenkin's Chicken > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:26

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Holy crap, is it awesome looking!

Are you asking?

axiomatik > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:38

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Hard to say from the photos, but judging by how thin the structure of that stroller is, it is probably expensive.

BrianMadigan > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:43

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66.666% Pure Hydrogen.

BrianMadigan > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:49

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I do want an LMP car I can drive on the street. I want it to be a Porsche 962 long tail, but this will do.

BrianMadigan > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:51

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Yeah looks like step on brake, gas, hit start button at the same time. But then you notice the arrow only points to the brake.. too late blew up the oil pump.

BrianMadigan > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 15:51

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Interesting lines here..

mk16 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 16:15

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I think this is just a cut out to show the internal structure of the tire.... not actualy the contact surface for the road. But who knows... either way good luck driving on that thing

A Weatherman > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 16:16

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One of my best memories with my dad when I was a kid was going to the NYC International Auto Show when I was in 9th grade. My dad called me out sick from school one day and we took the train up to the city and headed to the Javits Center. We had such a great time just oogling all the cars and displays and wandering around without a purpose or a schedule we wanted to keep to. We were there for hours and hours and hours, almost literally from open til close.

I came into school the next day with all these neat pens and brochures and posters and catalogs and postcards and pictures, I felt like the coolest kid in homeroom that day with all my classmates gathered around wishing they could have seen it all in person.

Thanks for these posts, they take me right back to that day.

mk16 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 16:19

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Someone got little too excited about new NSX

mk16 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 16:21

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its designed so if you accidentaly hit a dog only small cubes of it fall out into a bucket on the other side....

Prikkas > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 16:32

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Am I the only one who thinks that M4 GTS looks really tacky?

me > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 16:58

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This looks way too much of an addon; I feel that the “GTS” bit should be far more integrated into the badge. As is, it looks like it’s about to fall on the floor. The top of the G and T don’t even align.

Icchan > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 18:58

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Joel Schumacher is responsible for this.

Flavien Vidal > mk16 10/29/2015 at 19:18

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haha, no, alcantara seats :)

Flavien Vidal > jonnybimmer 10/29/2015 at 19:22

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Nah, probably an american car brought to Japan and rebadged for the show... As I said, the car had 339 MILES on it, so it was originally setup in mph... And not many countries use mph :)

Flavien Vidal > Anon 10/29/2015 at 19:24

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Honda Super Cub. It’s the most sold motorcycle inthe world by quite a margin... Over 60 millions were sold since 1958.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 20:06

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I want this done to the M6... I only require 2 doors

soundman98 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 20:46

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as a singular piece, i still remain impressed by the design of the grille. i find it mesmerizing. but on the front of a lexus, in that shape, it’s UG-LY

soundman98 > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 20:49

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someone got confused at which direction the flare was going

dataPOG > Flavien Vidal 10/29/2015 at 22:48

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Wouldn't that be how we got the Aquatread? So that covers the Ohio WTFery.

KARNITO > Vince Pack 10/30/2015 at 00:36

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Ken Okuyama also designed the Ferrari F60 Enzo!

And the Kode9 screaming Speed Racer Mach 5!

KARNITO > Flavien Vidal 10/30/2015 at 00:49

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Here was my interpretation of the Honda 2&4 when it was introduced without the Right seat. So I added the Right seat instead.

And now I see that the Right seat is added with steering for JDM..

Honda! You know you want 2 seats instead of 1 !!!!!