You may or may not know that one of my daughters lives and works in Japan. She’s lived in several places during her tenure there, but is most currently based in Tokyo, and currently riding out the Co-19 wave in a lovely, historic city called Kanazawa (which I’ve visited and highly recommend).
Mo isn’t an entirely car freak young woman, but being my kid for her whole life has at least made her highly automotively conversant. And she knows I love to share all kinds of strange, wonderful, and hopefully in some way cool cars with you. So as she snaps them as she spots them. And she’s just sent me a fresh new batch that I hope you enjoy. In no particular order, here we goes….and remember you can doubleclick any shot to see it full screen
Without question among the world’s most significant, and most excellent, mid-engined exotics is the first gen NSX. Please note the Honda badge on the nose, because in the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) its badged a Honda because the Acura brand isn’t sold there. Nice cad plate colored wheels, carbon fiber lower front spoiler, and way cool Japanese license plate.
I’d happily own one of these cars today, as they were world beating when new and still a joy to drive now
Other than the Nissan sticker at the base of the rear window declaring this white box is a Nissan, I don’t otherwise know what it is. And I’m guessing that the fart-can muffler must add at least 1.7 horsepower
What is a Nissan PAO you might ask? This. It’s Nissan’s somewhat retro spin on the original Citroen 2CV and Mini theme. Produced from 1989-1991, and belting out a perhaps not so thrilling 51 horsepower, and roughly 50,000 or so — right hand drive only — of the cute little buggers were produced during those three model years
Notice the hinged flip up rear windows, and the “corrugated” side body panels — all definite homage to the French 2CV for sure. I’m sorry you can’t see the cuddtly panda like face in these photos, but trust me, the whole car suffers from terminal cuteness and a wonderful simplicity
Thanks so much, daughter Mo!