Tag Archives: Toyota

This Stanced Toyota Previa is the Shaggin’ Wagon of the Century!

October 28, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

This thing is badass, I don’t care what anyone may think. It’s just so ’90s in all the right and wrong ways.

Many Previas even came with a supercharged engine, which I’m just going to assume this one has given the fact that someone deemed it worthy of customizing. They were also on a rear wheel drive platform, offering all wheel drive as well.

My dad had a light blue Toyota Previa back in the day. I don’t remember what year, or whether it was supercharged or not, but it is the first car I actually remember him buying when I was a kid. It was the car I began my 13 year ice hockey career in, and it got us to many-a 5 A.M. practice. Because of that, the Toyota Previa will always have a special place in my heart.

Previas are quite interesting, as minivans go, so I’m always glad when I see them getting some love from the enthusiast crowd. We saw this one recently at First Class Fitment.

-Nick Walker

Car Shows

Highlights From First Class Fitment 2015: Part 1

October 21, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

First Class Fitment is a stance/modified car show held at the Airport in Princeton, NJ every fall. People come from all over the region, bringing nicely done rides of all sorts. The event is mostly stanced cars, as you might expect, but there are a few other gems sprinkled in for good measure.

This year was quite good. Lots of really well built cars with interesting details. That’s one thing I love about modified car shows, each car has so much personality. They’d all stand out parked on the street alone, but the ones that catch my eye at the show are always extra cool.

I took quite a lot of photos at the event, so there is much more to come. Enjoy the first gallery!

Continue reading Highlights From First Class Fitment 2015: Part 1 →

Opinions

2016 Toyota Prius, Designed By The Blind, For The Blind

September 9, 2015 ndubs77 4 Comments

I’m all for equal opportunity employment, certain issues may hinder some people from doing certain jobs. At Toyota, it would seem that their design team is entirely made up of people without eyes, and they have brought us this hideous new Prius for 2016.

But what about sales, surely they expect people with eyes to buy the new Prius, otherwise it would be a total market failure. But I doubt anyone blessed with the gift of sight would want to be seen in something like this. So with that, I will have to assume that anyone driving a brand new Prius is in fact blind, and I will be sure to notify the authorities at once!

Look, I’m all for Toyota employing blind people, just not in the design department. My guess is the same person who designed the new Prius also brought us this automotive abomination:

Seriously, though, how on earth did either of these designs make it through quality control. They are both utterly hideous, and if the designer isn’t actually blind as a bat, they should be fired and encouraged to pursue a new career path.

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

1985 Toyota Corolla AE86 Sprinter Trueno spotted in Somerset, NJ

June 16, 2015 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

Last weekend down the street from my office, AnimeNEXT was in full swing. After a few drinks with a former manager of mine, I headed home, oblivious to the increasing levels of traffic (and the havoc it would create on the local streets of Franklin Township, NJ). As I approached the Crowne Plaza just before the intersection with Easton Avenue, a small hatchback with black wheels and white paint caught my eye. Continue reading 1985 Toyota Corolla AE86 Sprinter Trueno spotted in Somerset, NJ →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

2015 Elks Lodge Car Show (Lodge 2414) General Gallery

Gallery May 19, 2015 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

This past Saturday, I was in a conundrum. I knew that the local Elks Lodge up the street was putting on a car show, but I wasn’t sure if they’d let me put my Miata in the show. I decided to just drive it over and see what would happen. I was the first guy to show up in an imported car (there was already a Toyota Truck in the show) but they let me in for a few bucks and I gladly obliged, hiding the Miata, in all its scratched-up, four-cylinder glory, in between a few Corvettes. For my efforts, I was rewarded third in class for import cars–which came with a nice $25 gift certificate to the local Italian establishment, Mama Rosina’s.

In all, this was a very well-done show. While the variety of cars was a bit limited, the people made this a very friendly, neighborhood-type show, with people from all over the local area coming out to show off their best cars. We had everything from a 1956 Bel Air (that was all original and awaiting restoration) to a late-model Maserati GranTurismo, C7 Stingray, and a 2014 Super Snake that shook the ground on startup. Enjoy the photos from Riverside Park in Piscataway, New Jersey. Continue reading 2015 Elks Lodge Car Show (Lodge 2414) General Gallery →

Auto Idolatry

Toyota Land Cruiser in the Desert

April 17, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Drive’s Mike Musto takes on the Arabian desert in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Is the ultimate off-road Toyota up to the task?

-Nick

Opinions

Okay, fine! The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ Are Mediocre

January 28, 2015 ndubs77 9 Comments

Yea that’s right, people, I’m saying it! Toyota and Subaru’s supposed christchild of a sports car is actually pretty meh, and sales are dropping off. Here’s why…

So Much Hype

The GT86 may well be the most over-hyped car in recent memory. In reality, people liked the idea of the car more than the actual car itself. And because they wanted more companies to make cars like it, everyone raved about the GT86.

I really liked the manual FR-S when I drove it, and I hated the automatic. The reason comes down to the fact that all the FR-S really has going for it are its wonderful driving dynamics. In many respects it actually does feel like a Porsche Cayman, and that’s awesome! But when you remove the manual gearbox from the FR-S or BRZ, then you remove most of the driving engagement. That leaves the car’s more mediocre aspects completely exposed, and in my opinion, ruins it entirely.

Continue reading Okay, fine! The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ Are Mediocre →

Opinions

2016 Lexus GS-F, Stupidity Or Genius?

January 16, 2015 ndubs77 3 Comments

Lexus has unveiled the long awaited F version of their GS sedan, the aptly named “GS-F.” It aims to take on the heavy hitters of the high performance luxury sedan market. You know, the BMW M5, Mercedes E63, Audi RS7, and Cadillac’s daring new CTS-V. With such hefty competition, we were all sure that Lexus would really come prepared. We waited with baited breath as we saw test mules running through their paces, hoping it would be another a bombshell like the Cadillac.

Now out in production form, we see that Lexus has given the GS-F a big naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 that produces all of 467bhp. And that would have been great… if it were still 2003.

Continue reading 2016 Lexus GS-F, Stupidity Or Genius? →

Opinions

Consumer Comparison 2015: Accord vs Altima vs Camry

December 10, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

The Honda Accord, the Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Camry, these may seem like mundane machines, but they wage a battle royale for the hearts and minds of the average buyers that make up a huge percentage of the automotive market. And make no mistake, if you are looking to buy one of these three cars, then you are very much an average, Joe-Blow sort of car buyer. That said, do not despair at your C+ automotive clout, because you represent the very backbone of the auto industry, and you are about to make an extremely important decision.

Honda, Toyota, and Nissan are basically seen as the “sure bet” manufacturers for anyone who just wants a reliable form of transportation. That is why we grouped these sedans together. But how are you supposed to choose between three decent options that might as well be carbon copies of one another? Well, dear reader, that’s where we come in to help!

Continue reading Consumer Comparison 2015: Accord vs Altima vs Camry →

Cars We've Seen, Obscure Autos

Spotted! Toyota 2000GT, Carmel, CA

November 28, 2013 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

After a day of walking around the Quail, driving Porsches, Jags, and a bunch of other great things, the day was not yet over. As we drove into Carmel for some spotting on Ocean Ave, I caught this little Toyota 2000GT out of the corner of my eye sitting in a side street. I scampered out of the rental car and after finishing with taking pictures of it, I later caught up with Nick on Ocean Avenue and continued spotting cars. I’ve never seen one before on US roads, and it looks just as fantastic in person as it does in any publication. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Spotted! Toyota 2000GT, Carmel, CA →

Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

Obscure Auto: Toyota Prius

November 15, 2012 ndubs77 1 Comment

Yes, the Prius. A different sort of car than we normally feature in this section, yet a car that has had a resounding impact on the automotive world in recent years. Everyone knows a Prius when they see one, and most people know that the car has become as much a political statement as a mode of transportation. Whether you buy into the whole Green movement or not, there is no denying that the Prius has been an incredible marketing success. It paved the way for an entirely new sort of car in the world, one that puts priority on efficiency and cleanliness over all else. We all know the car, but behind every car there is a story to tell. This is that story.

Continue reading Obscure Auto: Toyota Prius →