The Nissan S-Cargo is one of those cars that looks like it drove straight out of a comic strip and never stopped to explain why it was in the real world. Built by Nissan’s Pike Factory in the late 1980s (the same eccentric group that gave us the Figaro, Pao, and Be-1), the S-Cargo was […]
Congratulations. You’ve made it to the weird and wonderful end of the JDM collector car pool, where the waters are deep, the odds of running into a second example are zero, and the badge on the hood will leave even seasoned car spotters scratching their heads. Today’s next feature is a Hino Contessa 1300 Coupe […]
The Nissan Atlas is one of those funky, utilitarian right-hand-drive and Japanese Domestic Market (JDM yo!) rigs that makes every sensible compact pickup in the Home Depot parking lot feel deeply insecure. This quad-cab workhorse was imported from Japan and rocking a 2.5L TD25 diesel engine, 5-speed manual with legit high/low 4WD, and California plates […]
If the average American car is a cup of drip coffee, the Suzuki Cappuccino is a ristretto shot—compact, buzzy, and not for the faint of heart. Today’s example comes straight from the land of vending machine ramen and 9000 rpm shifts, and features a turbocharged 3-cylinder F6A, rear-wheel drive, and an automatic gearbox…and is miraculously […]
This next car comes as a tip from Spencercat who writes: “Have you ever seen one of these?” Of course, we’ve seen many dingy brown/grey colored Toyota Corolla penatly boxes in basic condi…wait… “Full Time 4WD” on the side? Manual gearbox? Right hand drive? This keeps getting better!! DIESEL! What could make a whatever-generation-this-is Corolla […]
This next car is a bit of a mystery to me. At first glance, you might assume that the “Ferio” designation has something to do with the retro-style body kit (or maybe the Pontiac Fiero), but Ferio was the name used on base model Civic sedans in Japan from 1992 through 2006. Don’t ask me […]
The Subaru Sambar is a small van that complies with the Japanese kei-car (keijidōsha or light automobile) regulations for size but offers a surprising amount of versatility for its overall dimensions. But don’t adjust your television set just you — because a modified Sambar does a remarkably good impression of a 3/4 scale VW Transporter, […]
The section generation Honda Z was introduced as a 2-door version of the Honda Life in 1998 with one of the most unique engine locations for a subcompact people mover you’ll ever see. Honda called it UM-4, which stands for Under Midship 4-wheel-drive. This thing had a centrally mounted inline-4 under the rear seats in […]
This next car has a healthy asking price, which made me ask why I’d want a Glanza V anyway. Glanza. Sounds like some prescription creme you’d apply twice daily till symptoms subside. Do not take Glanza if you are allergic to Glanza or any of its ingredients. <cut to smiling mildly overweight middle American> “My […]
This next car is an interesting combination of Honda build quality, Subaru looks, and a name that came straight from a pharmaceutical company. Orthia? Yeah, I get an injection of Orthia each morning to help with my meat cravings. So far, it hasn’t helped. Anyway, this Orthia GX (based somewhat on the Civic platform) should […]