Given the position of the 964 iteration of the Porsche 911 somewhere in the middle of the complex mêlée that is the 911's family tree, it is little wonder that this 20-year old model is often overshadowed by the aesthetic purity of its oldest ancestors and the technological prowess of its youngest progeny.
But what's a girl to do when her star's on the wane and her once glamorous demeanour fails to elicit even the most cursory of second glances? The answer: put on her best frock - preferably in a beguilingly vivid hue - and paint the town red, or in this case green. This far from subtle tactic certainly worked for the 964 yesterday, as this example, resplendent in its original Signal Green, sashayed out from the parking garage of an exclusive department store in central Tokyo. It may only have been a bog-standard Carrera 2, but its captivating green lustre (surely one of Porsche's finest experiments with the paint palette) ensured that it was elevated far above the mundane, upstaging the far more au courant exotica that littered the VIP parking area with their prosaic shades of grey and black.
This charismatic appearance of a 964 in such a captivating colour, although fleeting, also succeeded in catapulting the model to the upper echelons of my Porsche wish list, and had me rabidly scouring the classifieds for a suitably green example. All efforts were however to prove futile, as not only do I lack the financial wherewithal to purchase even the most world weary of 964s, but Signal Green 964s appear to be as elusive as fairy dust. While there is an apparent plethora of 964 Carrera 2s in various shades of silver, black, red and grey, the more florid colours of the spectrum appear to be the preserve of the highly desirable but terrifyingly dear Carrera RS models. A search through the classifieds does however reveal an alternative selection of intriguing hues almost comparable to Signal Green in their compelling exuberance. How about Rubystone Red, Maritime Blue, Mint Green, or even Gulf Blue?
Gulf Blue
Maritime Blue and Rubystone Red
Signal Green and Rubystone Red
Mint Green
Postscript: As I was not fast enough on the draw with my camera to capture the car in question, the photographs in this post are of the Signal Green 964 Carrera 2 owned by Japanese automotive journalist, Takumi Yoshida, and are taken from his official blog.
Through countless limited editions, derivatives and collaborations the (BMW) Mini has been unashamedly bastardised to within an inch of its life. So hackneyed and omnipresent has the once leftfield Mini become that it is now on the verge of falling from grace as the hipsters' default mode of transport.
However, should the Mini topple from its lofty perch atop the oh-so-trendy supermini pile, there is a chic young Gallic pretender waiting in the wings to assume the Mini's throne - the Citroen DS3. With youth on its side, and a trendsetting design that blazes a trail into the future rather than paying homage to the past, the DS3's star is tracing a rapid upward trajectory. Even as Citroen head off down the same treacherous path as Mini and attempt to bolster the DS3's cult status with a deluge of limited editions and collaborations, the DS3's sheen remains untarnished. DS3 Black, DS3 White, DS3 Racing; with the introduction if each successive variant the DS3 becomes ever more alluring, and its canonisation as a true design icon draws that little bit nearer.
With the launch of Citroen's new collection of Orla Kiely-designed special editions however, the DS3 has perhaps reached the apogee of cool. Add bold, brightly-hued leaf and acorn motifs to the roof of any other vehicle, and you would automatically render it unsaleable to all bar the most famished of squirrels. It is therefore a testament to the design integrity and innate coolness of the DS3 that it carries off such idiosyncratic visual flourishes with aplomb. In addition to a choice of four vibrant roof designs, showcasing the Irish designer's signature stem and acorn patterns, the Orla Kiely collection cars also feature her distinctive emblem on the rear windows and exterior badges, while the interior reveals Orla Kiely embossed multi-coloured headrests and stem or acorn print carpet mats. The eye-popping carnival of colour and pattern is further supplemented by coloured wing mirrors, white or black 17-inch alloy wheels and a choice of four exterior paint tones. The overall effect can only be described as visually arresting and wholly unique.
Only time will tell if the DS3 can usurp the Mini as the king of the hatchback brat pack, but as the Orla Kiely collection attests its credentials remain in near perfect order. With both the DS3 and the Mini Countryman set to compete in this year's revised format WRC, the battle seems set to intensify.
In the sleepy, bucolic hamlets of Northern England they border on the ubiquitous: hoary unkempt Land Rover Defender 90s, the lustre of their earthy green paintwork obscured by a healthy spattering of farmyard detritus, every panel riddled with blemishes from tussles with over-enthusiastic livestock. With its rugged demeanour, all-terrain prowess and simple mechanicals, the Land Rover Defender is the de facto vehicle of choice for rural practitioners of both crop and animal husbandry alike.
But what of the urban agriculturalist? What is the city-dwelling farmer, who perhaps dabbles in a spot of recreational drug dealing, to do? Fortunately Land Rover have the vehicular answer in the shape of the Defender X-Tech Limited Edition. The X-Tech takes the rustic charms of the standard Defender 90 Hard Top Commercial and gives them a contemporary urban makeover, embellishing the old agrarian favourite with decorative flourishes normally found on its more ostentatious Range Rover siblings. Gone are the down-to-earth steel wheels, replaced instead by unique 16-inch Saw Tooth alloys finished in a menacing gloss black. To expunge all remaining vestiges of the countryside from the X-Tech, the Defender's iconic form is finished in Zermatt Silver, with contrasting Santorini Black enhancing the cosmopolitan feel on the roof and wheel arches.
While the X-Tech may seek to cast aside its utilitarian roots in favour of a more metrosexual identity, the presence of a 2.4-litre common rail diesel under the bonnet and its sizeable 360Nm of torque, suggest that this limited edition remains a dependable workhorse at heart - in essence a true, and very desirable, Defender.
Porsche 918 Spyder - Geneva 2010 - The Concept Car of 2010?
Following the “Apocolypse Now” style proclamations of doom and gloom that sullied the years of ‘08 and ‘09 for many in the automotive industry, 2010 has represented something of a great leap forward for automotive kind - a leap forward perhaps even tinged with a hint of optimism.
Derelict Fisher Body Plant (Buick/Cadillac), Detroit (Photo: Sean Hemmerle)
Down and out, and with the death knoll seemingly sounding for Detroit’s Big Three in 2009, 2010 has seen emphatic comebacks from the brink for the Big Two, Ford and GM, at the very least. Both these motor industry leviathans have leveraged revitalised, timely and improved quality product lines to take advantage of the post-depression upturn in new vehicle demand, and, in so doing, are forecast to return ten-digit profits for 2010. It remains to be seen whether Chrysler can recover in quite so prodigious a manner as GM, after the two companies declared bankruptcy, scurrying cap in hand for multi-billion dollar bailouts from the Federal coffers. However, a raft of new and improved product in the pipeline augurs well for the rehabilitation of Chrysler in 2011, under the management of Sergio Marchionne and Fiat S.p.A.
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento @ VW Group Evening Paris 2010
The renewed sense of optimism was also clearly evident in 2010’s concept car output. After the motor industry’s collective loss of confidence in 2009 manifested itself in lightly embellished future production cars parading as “concepts” and the austerity enforced hibernation of anything remotely unorthodox, 2010 saw extravagant glamour restored to the global Auto Salon stage. Enthralling, often fantastical and always desirable, exotic concepts were omnipresent in 2010. This frenetic orgy of flamboyant concepts came to a notable crescendo at Paris in the autumn, with the debut of Lamborghini’s flyweight 999kg Sesto Elemento with its exposed mechanicals and exquisite use of carbon fibre and composites, Lotus’ concept car ejaculation in the form of the five Es - Elise, Esprit, Elan, Elite and Eterne (all admittedly looking like subtle variations on a single theme) and Audi’s evocative paean to the 30 year old Ur-Quattro, the Quattro concept. Elsewhere concepts such as Porsche’s 94mpg 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid and Jaguar’s C-X75 range extended electric vehicle paired exotic desirability and the lure of high performance with environmental credentials.- the Porsche by mating three electric motors producing a total of 218bhp with a 500bhp RS Spyder derived V8; the Jaguar by combining a 195bhp motor at each wheel with two 94bhp gas micro-turbines, which can be used either to extend the 68 mile EV range by replenishing the car’s batteries or to provide supplementary power directly to the motors for Vmax runs.
Jaguar C-X75 Range Extended EV - Paris 2010
The most seismic shift in 2010’s automotive landscape however came in the realm of the Electric Vehicle. 2010 will undoubtedly come to represent the most significant watershed in the wide scale acceptance and popularisation of private electric vehicles since the failure of GM’s EV1 project, for it was in the last month of 2010 that both Nissan and Chevrolet finally made the first two truly mass-produced and family-oriented electric cars available to the general public, and both at price points tantalisingly close to verging on the affordable. While the universal adoption of electricity as the automobile’s tipple of choice is still some way off, and while both members of the EV forward guard, the Leaf and Volt, each have their own particular compromised crosses to bear, the electric car’s ascendance is set only to continue in 2011 as more manufacturers jump on the EV band wagon and governments continue their EV subsidies in the face of spending cuts elsewhere.
Nissan's Leaf - European Car of the Year 2011
Optimism, the Big Detroit 3, Outlandish concepts and EVs. These are the themes that have come to dominate the wider automotive world in 2010, but what of the the themes and vehicles that have come to define Carkichi’s insignificantly small slice of the automotive pie over the course of the last year? Carkichi’s automotive worldview has also seen a number of tumultuous changes in 2010, as previously held notions of vehicular good taste were rent asunder and new and exciting automotive fetishes established in their place. A selection of the themes and vehicles that influenced Carkichi's 2010 will be covered in a series of forthcoming posts.
I'm not a surfer, but this Morris Minor Traveller, complete with boards and fantastic fog/headlights, could have me persuaded to submit to a sound beating at the hands of Poseidon.
1993 Honda CRX Del Sol SiR
Total Lottery Spend to Date: ¥230,000
So, the Honda CRX Del Sol. You may be forgiven for thinking that this is not the most auspicious of starts to a feature that claims to go by the title “Dream Garage”. Nor perhaps is this the best vehicle with which to establish myself as a self-proclaimed arbiter of automotive taste. However, were the planets to align in such a way as to bequeath me with a sizeable lottery win, I would like to think that my reaction would be a little more considered than to simply head for my nearest purveyor of Italian, Bavarian, or Great British exotica to select the newest and most expensive offerings from their shelves. While my spending spree would doubtless involve trips to the auctions of Bonhams and Coys, and may even take in the occasional Porsche or Ferrari dealership, the majority of my time would be spent in the motor trade’s less salubrious establishments, passing on my new found wealth to dubious stereotypes clad in sheepskin coats in exchange for overlooked and oft maligned metal from the annals of automotive history. My ultimate goal would be to craft a collection so eclectic it would utterly confound the classic car commentators of the day, were it to be unearthed from beneath the years of accumulated dust at some point in the distant future.
It is with this goal in mind that this unmolested silver example of the CRX Del Sol has been selected as the first entry in the Carkichi dream garage. While the Mazda MX-5 and other Japanese machinery of a similar vintage - including the Del Sol’s older brethren, the first and second generation CRXs - have already cemented their positions as classic driver’s cars, the third generation CRX is often seen as something of a superficial poseur in this company, lacking the full credentials required to attain classic status. A quick Google Image search for “CRX Del Sol” reveals what is perhaps the primary reason for the diminutive Honda’s perceived lack of credibility. It would appear from the resulting images that more gaudy hate crimes against tasteful modification have been perpetrated against the Del Sol than any other vehicle on the road, with owners having an alarming proclivity for fitting scissor-style doors and vaudeville appendages both fore and aft. With an abundance of bad taste and ostentatious showmanship seemingly de rigueur in Del Sol driving circles, it is little wonder that the car remains neglected by more retiring members of the automotive community. Yet, even without the best efforts of the tasteless tuning brigade, the CRX manages to back itself into a cul-de-sac with its deceptive styling. At first glance, the lines of this little targa seem to promise that the holy grail of powertrain configurations lies within, for the Del Sol looks to all intents and purposes as though it sports a mid-engined rear-wheel-drive layout. The reality of the Civic-derived front-engined front-wheel-drive powertrain therefore comes of something of a shock to those purists who insist on rear-wheel-drive in their sports cars.
Look beyond the questionable accomplishments of the modifiers and the less than ideal FF layout however, and there is much to recommend this perfectly proportioned targa. For a start there is the effervescent and characterful 1.6-litre VTEC B16A engine, which, in this the top of the range SiR model, produced 170ps at 7800rpm, tipping the Del Sol over the magic 100bhp per litre milestone. Then there is the Del Sol’s party piece, the Trans Top automated roof stowage system. While the standard manual targa top and its promise of open top motoring may prove enough of a lure for some, the coveted Trans top system fitted to this car adds a further layer of drama to the wind-in-the-hair experience. Pull up at the lights, activate the Trans Top system, and wait for the crowd to gather as a structure reminiscent of a Stannah stairlift emerges from the rear of the Del Sol, extends its mechanical arms and snuggly stows the targa top in the rear luggage compartment. Admittedly, the Trans Top may sacrifice luggage space and add an additional 50kg to the Del Sol’s 1090kg kerb weight, but the engineering spectacle is surely worth the extra ballast? Finally, proving that the pleasing lines of the CRX Del Sol can be tastefully enhanced, this particular example is finished with a rare and fetching set of period Mugen NR-10 wheels, paying faithful homage to classic Campagnolo wheels of the 60s. To my mind these wheels alone go a long way towards justifying the 230,000 Yen asking price.
While the introduction of the Nissan Leaf perhaps represents a tipping point in the wide-scale adoption of the electric car, for car enthusiasts the world over it could be seen as the harbinger of something far more lamentable - the disappearance of enjoyment from the motoring experience. Specifically, the demise of the winning internal combustion engine / manual gearbox combination and the associated aural stimulation and tactility it brings.
However, with this, the Nissan Leaf Aero Style Concept, Nissan are attempting to sweeten the electric car pill with a hint of dynamic aggression. Although the Leaf's 90kW AC motor remains as standard, the rakish stylistic additions begin to hint at the wider range of design directions which could be pursued as a result of an electric drivetrain's more flexible packing. This is most noticeable up front, where the absence of an ungainly alloy lump with a prodigious appetite for air liberates the front end of gaping oxygen hungry orifices and hunkers the whole front end preciptously downwards with sporting intent.
The Leaf Aero Style Concept makes its debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon on the 14th January 2011, and promises to place modified EVs alongside appropriately suited and booted Priuses (Prii, Priora?) on my list of automotive guilty pleasures.
As is often the case when it's looking all quiet on the Japanese automotive front, those oddballs over at Mitsuoka have managed to conjure up a modicum of excitement by pulling yet another unorthodox new model out of their hat.
After 16 years in production, and the launch of two successive generations, we should by now all be familiar with the Nissan March/Micra based, Jaguar MkII emulating Viewt. However, with Mitsuoka recently announcing that production of the second generation Viewt is to end in December 2009, in preparation for a Viewt-less future, the company appears to be exploring other March-based avenues, this time in the form of the newly launched Cute. In perverse Mitsuoka fashion, the Cute isn't actually a new car at all. Instead, it is a new used car, with Mitsuoka carefully selecting a pre-loved example of the Nissan March, which is then put through a rigourous 67 point inspection before being sent down Mitsuoka's production line to commence its transfiguration into a Cute.
As is evident from the accompanying photographs, the March's mutation into the Cute sees the little Nissan titivated with the addition of the Viewt's visage, while the rear bumper and flanks are suitably embellished with chrome rubbing strips. The end product is thus essentially a Viewt, save for the absence of that vehicle's curvaceous derrière. Sadly, however, it is an absence which leaves the Cute looking a little unresolved. Indeed, would the Cute's inspiration, the Jaguar MkII, still be regarded as a design classic today if it too had been brought into this world as a hatchback?
Still, with prices starting at 1,080,000Yen, dependent on mileage, there are few cheaper ways of getting yourself into a hand-crafted Mitsuoka.
Please say it isn't so? Odious financial crisis by all means take GM, but don't take the icon that is Lada. The world would surely be a less colourful place without the boxy cars that have mobilized most of the former Soviet block? If this BBC report is to be believed, Avtovaz, owners of Lada, may be out of business within weeks. Although this seemingly has very little to do with the Japanese car industry and everything to do with the impact on Russia of the global financial crisis, the rash of cheap second-hand Japanese market cars entering Russia through its Eastern ports such as Vladivostok has surely provided one of the nails to seal Lada's coffin?
In what amateur psychologists would no doubt attribute to a childhood bereft of Tonka Trucks, I am, somewhat disturbingly, becoming increasingly smitten with the Japanese phenomenon of Decotora. Decotora, or decoration trucks, are the Hinos, Isuzus and Mitsubishi Fusos of this world which have been festooned with more tawdry neon than the Las Vegas Strip, bedecked with conspicuous stainless-steel protrusions both fore and aft, and, to finish, meticulously graffitied by someone intimate with the ins and outs of Japanese art. The end result could easily be mistaken for any one of three things: a fairground ride with a vomit inducing moniker such as Super Regurgitator 5001, a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Shinto shrine in neon and stainless steel, or an abstract contemporary masterpiece which has unwittingly found its way outside the confines of the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art.
While trucking all too often becomes synonymous with the squalid underbelly of human existence, the Decotora movement, with its cultural references and allusions to the world of art, manages to elevate itself above many of the dispersions commonly cast on the trucking community. Indeed Decotora emphasise much of what is great about Japan: an unerring, almost maniacal commitment to detail, exhibited even by the weekend hobbyist; the ability to contrive new and evermore idiosyncratic fads seemingly from nothing; and the epic juxtaposition of all that glitters and is resolutely modern with venerable customs and relics of ancient culture.
The Decotora phenomenon allegedly has its roots in the city of Hachinohe, in Japan's northern Aomori prefecture. Legend has it that, plagued by prematurely rusting trucks due to the high salt content of their cargo, local haulage companies specialising in the transportation of seafood from the city's port were left with no choice but to adorn their fleets with stainless-steel panels to ward of the advances of the malicious oxide. It was however not until the advent, in 1975, of Toei Studios' highly successful film franchise, Truck Yarou (トッラク野郎, or 'The Truck Guy', to provide a polite translation), which sees dissident Decotora trucker Ichibanboshi battling all and sundry, that Decotora became a nationwide phenomenon.
Today, constructing a Decotora of your own is certainly not an endeavour to be entered into lightly - what with several miles of electrical cabling required for the lighting rigs alone. Fortunately however, for the Decotora fan lacking the inclination, time and financial wherewithal to take their pastime to its logical conclusion, help is at hand in the form of a wealth of affordable Decotora related paraphernalia allowing you to live the technicolour dream vicariously. So without further ado, here we have the definitive guide to Decotora memorabilia:
1. Yanmama Torakka (Young Mother Trucker) DVD. A rather unfortunate title when written in English, but the Japanese doesn't quite carry the same connotations. Judging by the cover image and the dubious tagline, 'Leave the difficult cargo to me!', this is an attempt to meld the worlds of decoration trucks and soft porn. Corroboratory video evidence is however unavailable.
2. Young Mother Trucker not your cup of tea? How about a little Decotora gaming in the form of Bousou Decotora Densetsu (Runaway Decotora Legend) for the Playstation 2, or Zenkoku Decotora Matsuri (Nationwide Decotora Festival) for the Wii. Both of which, somewhat surprisingly, involve spending a disproportionate amount of time driving around various landscapes in Decotora. Rather tediously, it would also appear that you are required to make full use of your truck's indicators - not something I would normally associate with truckers in the non computer generated world.
3. In at number 3 are miniature pullback versions of Decotora from Takara Tomy's longstanding ChoroQ series of caricature-like toy vehicles.
4. The Decotora Yarou Film Series on DVD. As previously mentioned, it was this series of films which secured the Decotora's place in the pantheon of Japanese contemporary culture. Between 1975 and 1979 Toei Studios produced no fewer than 10 Decotora Yarou films, each starring mildly psychotic and highly irreverent protagonist, long distance trucker Ichibanboshi. With titles such as 'Your Honorable Opinion is Worthless', the films themselves are refreshingly anti-establishment. The Japanese term yarou, could be translated in any number of ways, meaning anything from 'old rascal' and 'arsehole' through to 'dude'. I will however let you view the clip below and form your own impression of which most appositely describes Ichibanboshi.
5. The Decotora no Shuu (Decotora Eagle) Film Series. Arguably a modern interpretation of the Decotora Yarou franchise, the 5 Decotora Eagle films produced since 2003 provide a contemporary glimpse of the world of the Decotora. As the clips below show, the world of the Decotora may have lost some of its rebellious spirit, but it is every bit as flamboyant. That exhaust note has certainly come a long way since the 70s.
6. Radio Controlled Decotora. Model company Aoshima, which actually owns the rights to the term Decotora, have kindly gone to the trouble of creating a number of radio controlled trucks allowing Decotora fans to recreate their fantasies in 1/32 scale. All the models are based on trucks which appeared in the Decotora Yarou films.
7. Decotora Photo Book. Perfectly capturing the ethereal neon beauty of the Decotora movement, photographer Tatsuki Matsaru spent 10 years living amongst the Decotora community, recording his experiences through the medium of film. His work can be seen interspersed between the paragraphs at the start of this post, while more information on his motivations can be found in this interview from the sadly now defunct Ping Mag.
Since the demise of the Celica and MR2, it has become all too easy to criticise Toyota for the distinct lack of anything of interest to the keen driver within its vehicle portfolio. While Celicas from the 70s, Hachirokus from the 80s, and Supras from the 90s are now revered as collectors items, it is almost unthinkable that any of the offerings within Toyota's current line up will garner the same level of affection from the automotive community in years to come. Despite the current unprecedented state of affairs which sees Toyota facing its first operating loss in 71 years - and what a loss it is expected to be, at 400 Billion Yen ($4 Billion) - there are signs that something of a quiet revolution may be taking place at the company; a revolution which could see some of the desirability and excitement restored to its product line. The first glimmer of hope comes in the form of Toyota's soon to be inaugurated new president, Akio Toyoda, an inveterate petrolhead, who has not only participated in the Nürburgring 24-Hours, but who has also taken a lead role in the development of Lexus' performance derivatives, the IS-F and LF-A.
There are however more palpable signs of the sea change currently afoot within Toyota. While other Japanese manufacturers race to extricate themselves from their global motorsport commitments, Toyota continues to push ahead with plans for a full season of worldwide motorsport in 2009. One could even go as far as saying that Toyota is expanding its motorsport presence in 2009. Indeed, when the Japanese Super GT Championship kicks off later today at Okayama International Circuit, the dated and unsightly Lexus SC430, which has competed in the GT500 class since 2006, will be joined on the grid by Toyota's new challenger in the GT300 class - the Corolla Axio apr GT. This is not however merely motorsport for motorsport's sake. There is growing evidence to suggest that this increased motorsport activity is filtering back into Toyota's road car line-up, for, slipping imperceptibly under the radar in February, Toyota launched its new Corolla Axio GT, directly influenced by its new GT300 challenger and aiming to revive the lightweight, sporting spirit of the Corolla, not seen since the days of the AE86. On paper and aesthetically the GT certainly seems to herald a return to sporting form for Toyota. Its 1.5l powerplant has been breathed on by TRD (Toyota Racing Development), and now includes a custom turbo and intercooler unit, in addition to a revised ECU. These modifications help to push power up to 150ps, while torque stands at a not inconsiderable 196Nm. Meanwhile, the GT's handling should prove to have been suitably ameliorated by way of a full TRD sports suspension, damper and anti-roll bar package. Visually, the car is distinguished from its inferior brethren by a somewhat menacing black mesh grille, imposing front spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels. For those of you that remain unconvinced, delving into the options list enables the transformation of the GT into an even more extreme sporting proposition, with the addition of a mechanical LSD, high response exhaust and ostentatious TRD graphics. The word on the ground is that the Axio GT is a worthy rival to the Honda Civic Type-R, despite the Toyota's obvious deficiency in the area of power output. Regardless though, the GT certainly represents a step in the right direction for Toyota, however small that step may be.
Gulf Blue
Maritime Blue and Rubystone Red
Signal Green and Rubystone Red
Porsche 918 Spyder - Geneva 2010 - The Concept Car of 2010?
Derelict Fisher Body Plant (Buick/Cadillac), Detroit (Photo: Sean Hemmerle) 
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento @ VW Group Evening Paris 2010
Jaguar C-X75 Range Extended EV - Paris 2010
Nissan's Leaf - European Car of the Year 2011
