Collision Course

What do you get when you plaster vinyl decal characters from Japanese animation and video games all over fast cars? I dont know either but they call it "Itasha," the name sort of has a complex background since "Ita sha" has been the short name for Italian cars. The current usage of itasha comes from "itai" the Japanese word for painful or Japanese slang for ugly. Therefore, itasha means "ugly car" and some of them are pretty ugly.

Comically Spaced Out

These mini vans on steroids seem only to come out a night, sporting huge spoilers and fins that could quite possibly send them the next universe. Comic Space Vans which they are dubbed, usually have large air brushed Japanese pop icons, along with disney and comic characters adorned all over the van. Their style is pretty similar to the Decorative Trucks I posted before, but on a smaller scale.

Fine Tuning

To me, I think a big part a Japanese car culture is tuning. For those who aren't familiar with the car term "tuning" it is "an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and presentation and improve the owner's driving style. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics of the vehicle to the owner's preference. For example, they may be altered to provide better fuel economy, produce more power at high RPM or the ride comfort may be sacrificed to provide better handling."

I just enjoy what people can create out a of a stock car and make it preform better than expected.





"Car Tuning." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Nov. 2010.