The Golden Era of Japanese Sports Car - Magazine Page Release

update:
sorry i totally forgot about chinese new year, and because family events and such. i have not been able to touch the reviews at all the last 2 days…

but i’d like take this chance to ask. the reviews ends up quite a lot longer than i thought it would, i don’t think i can release the complete reviews quickly

which would you prefer?

  1. regular ‘shorter’ car reviews
  2. wait longer, for longer reviews per release
2 Likes

I would be happy with either, with a slight preference for shorter reviews.

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I’d rather wait for good quality reviews than get short ineffective reviews now, IMO :grin:

1 Like

ooh no. i’m not, by any means, rushing it. i’m gonna take my sweet, sweet time and edge you all into eternity :stuck_out_tongue:

no, but really though the quality should be the same across the board. and by ‘short’ ones i’m talking about 3-4 cars per release. out of the 21 entries total

or. the ‘longer’ ones is like 7 cars per release

Oh, OK… In that case I have no preference as there’s no real difference on my end.

Just do what ya gotta do, it’s all good! :smile:

I think smaller easier to digest reviews are best, I enjoyed the way Strop doled out his reviews in the last one he did, as I got to enjoy reading each car with out feeling like I had to sit down and commit to reading all of them at once.

Post at whichever rate you decide.

doesnt matter how long it take, i cant spent my time on game so much lately so this benefit me :stuck_out_tongue:

Review (Part 1)


disclaimer: this ended up longer than i intended. so i can understand those who doesn’t want to read the whole 1st ‘level’ of reviews. and such :

There will be a ‘summary’ part after all the reviews are done and you can just read that

you’d have to wait after everything is done though


Only after about 5 minutes of random driving from the car dealer later they stumbled upon a boqliq dealer.
Kei: well this isn’t what I expected to come across first in japan. But would you think deserve a visit Rog?
Rog: of course, even though this is boqliq, we still want to know what are they offering here in japan.


1) Boqliq Katrina 2000GT (@HighOctaneLove )

Parking the car outside and walking into the dealer, the salesman turned around with vigor and started walking towards us and greeted us in Japanese, but as soon as he realized the person coming was 2 foreigners he instantly became visibly hesitant and probably a little nervous. Understandably, Rogi talked to him in Japanese asking for what they’re offering as a sport car over here, the salesman seemed to relax a little bit after hearing Rogi able to talk Japanese. This seems like it could be a reoccurring pattern.

We were shown quite a few cars, but this one caught our eye the most, the Katrina 2000GT. We asked the sales for a brochure and a complete spec sheet for the car. So he asked us to wait, and he walked towards a desk near the corner of the dealer, while waiting, we walked around the car inspecting the exterior styling.

  • Kie: the styling really reminds me of the cars back home doesn’t it?
  • Rog: yeah I get what you mean. It is seems like a mix of both American and the Japanese car styling that we’ve seen so far
  • Kie: exactly. Not in a bad way though. It looks modern, but simple and still makes a statement.
  • Rog: yeah, until you get around the back.
  • Kie: what are you talki…walks to the back of the car oh…… well I mean, it’s not bad
  • Rog: no, not at all, just a little bit inconsistent to the front of the car. I do like the rest of it though
    the sales has came back and gave Rogi the papers, and the key to the car
  • Rog: right, let’s see what’s inside. opens lock and opens left door oh wait, this side is the passenger seat. I’m gonna keep doing this mistake aren’t i?
  • Kie: well, probably the both of us will. Let’s just get inside jumps in car
    _at this point the sales starts saying all of the usual sales talk and explaining stuff to Rogi _
  • Kievan asked the papers so he can, at least try to, read the Japanese brochure
  • Kie: yeah I think I can interpret some of this. 2L i4, yeah the car name already assumed that, 121hp though, rather low for the displacement, 9.6km/l what’s that in MPG again? scribbles 22.5 MPG, damn it may not make much power, but it’s economical at least, just hope this car is lig… 1111kg eeeeehhh it is quite light compared to what we’re used to back home, but this is quite the smaller car. Macpherson strut on the front, and trailing arm on the rear for the suspension. Kinda weird they listed that specifically in English, or is it because it’s just a term?
  • Rog: can you even read the sheets?
  • Kie: oh you’re done? Well I can read most of the numbers at least.
  • Rog: yeah okay here’s what get from him explaining to me. 5 speed manual, as you can see already, this thing points at the radio is a 8 track player and am/fm radio combo, there is no power steering on this car
  • Kie: oh so that’s why the steering wheel is so damn big. I just hope they reduce the steering ratio enough though or else this is gonna be a chore to drive
  • Rog: well we’ll see about that, maybe, there is ABS in this car though, and maybe if you somehow didn’t notice, another 2 seats behind us
  • Kie: turns around yes I didn’t notice, full sizes seats too, but this is still a 2 door sport car, dunno how useful the rear seat is gonna be, for us at least, Japanese people seems to be a bit smaller.
  • Rog: right, I think that’s as far as we want to go if we still want to see as much car as we can in this 2 week. We’ll decide on which to test drive later, you agree?
  • Kie: you have a point. Let’s get moving then.
    And so they thanked the really friendly but bit awkward salesman and asked if they can take a photo of the car, they got an approval, and so Kievan took a few and they walked out of the dealership

Optional Interlude 1
  • Rog: so, how to find the next one?
  • Kie: is that rhetorical or are you really asking me expecting me to know how to answer that?
  • Rog: probably both. Though, I think we need a map. Both to remember where our hotels are and where we have travelled.
  • Kie: How………. How did we even not even prepare for this? We are woefully underprepared aren’t we?
  • Rog: Yup. Totally blinded by our dreams of seeing our paradise of sport automobiles.
  • Kie: whatever, just, where do we get one around here?
  • Rog: well I hope this works, you just wait in the car hands keys
  • Kie: grabs the keys what are you planning this time?
  • Rog: nothing big.

Then Rogi ran back inside the dealership, and he looks like he’s talking to the sales again, the sales seemed to point to a general direction, east of the storefront, Rogi ran back out and despite Kievan trying to call him and ask what he’s doing, he just keeps on running, out the dealership area, took a right, and then stopped in front of what seems to be a small makeshift street side newspaper ‘store’, one that Kievan didn’t even notice it was there. He bought something, not sure what, but Kievan sure hoped it’s a goddamn map. But it seems like he bought something, more than one. A stack of paper?

  • Kie: what did you buy?
  • Rog: lots, And lots of magazines, and a map. Man magazines over here are cheap.
  • Kie: please explain why you did this?
  • Rog: so apparently, grabs a magazine, open the car review page and shoved it to Kievan’s face you see here?
  • Kie: see what? What am I supposed to be looking at here? other than that nice car picture on the page, I can’t understand a thing. Remember?
  • Rog: oh right, sorry. Anyway, apparently is a thing, Japanese car magazines always lists the address of the headquarter or the main dealer of the car brand that they’re talking about for the release. So I bought a bunch of magazines just for the address of the cars that we might be interested in.
  • Kie: that’s……… sounds waaaay too convenient to be real. Besides, can’t you just open the page and note the addresses down instead of buying all these mostly useless magazines?
  • Rog: there you go with your usual cheapskate view again. C’mon man, the guy selling this looks like an old man that could use some business, plus these things are cheap over here, and they’d be a nice souvenir we could take back home.
  • Kie: which only you can understand, and thus useless to me.
  • Rog: well, go and learn some Japanese then. Maybe start this night when we’re done for the day? I can teach you the basics at least.
  • Kie: nah, can’t be arsed.
  • Rog: I’ll make you do it some time, but for now, fine, let’s just go

2) Dragotec Gladius (@Dragawn )

About 20 minutes of plotting the route on the map, another 20 minutes of driving to the general area, and another 20 minute of getting their spine slowly broken in by the piece of junk they’re riding in while going around, and around, and around the same place again, getting lost.

  • Kie: THERE!
  • Rog: where?
  • Kie: just about 200m, 11 o’clock direction. I can see the dealer sign
  • Rog: it’s about time man. how is a dealer building that big so hard to find?
  • Kie: yeah, even the bilingual map didn’t help either

Parking the car in the corner of the dealership parking lot as not to attract too much unwanted attention of seeing 2 massive foreigners getting out of such a tiny car and walking insi…… just towards the entry door, a salesman ran out greeted them and opened the door for them. Unlike the previous dealership, the sales doesn’t seem even slightly fazed by the fact that his new potential customer are 2 foreigners.
Then Rogi does the talking to the sales, and Kievan starts taking out his notebook and started scribbling. A minute later they got pointed to this car shown slightly to the back of the showroom, and this was on display

  • Kie: this is……
  • Rog: Just
  • Kie: Perfectly Japanese…… in a good way though. Very modern. Simple but really modern looking, dare I say even a little bit futuristic?
  • Rog: I get what you mean, but I’m not sure about that, I don’t think we’ve looked at enough Japanese sport cars to really get their styling trend, maybe this really modern look is in these days over here?
  • Kie: but the rear end, I kind of see a resemblance of an American car approach, but with a lot of Japanese touch to it
  • Rog: ………. What? I see nothing of the sort. Anyway, wait a bit.

Rog asked the Salesman for the pape…… actually the moment he turned around to the sales, he’s offered the brochure and spec sheets along with price tag that he was going to ask. “is this what ‘japanese hospitality’ I’ve been hearing about is like?” he thought. They’re perspective, friendly, but not too pushy about selling the car, rather seems to like to be a friend that does casual chat about the car.

  • Rog: hey, the car is unlocked he says, get in
  • Kie: opens left door dammit, passenger side, see? It’s me this time
  • Rog: you did say that before, anyway, just get in. sits on the driver side ooh. It’s pretty ploosh
  • Kie: ploosh?
  • Rog: oh yeah, it’s a family thing I use sometimes. An abbreviation of posh and plump. and I mean these seats. They feel sporty enough especially with these side bolsters, but also feels like a little bit too posh, like they’re a shared part of another car. Good, but not really fitting of a sports car
  • Kie: I’d argue that, that comes down to preference, and maybe they’re aiming for this car to be a more daily drivable car
  • Rog: good point, that is possible. We’d have to see how it does on the road, driving aids, suspension setup and such.
  • Kie: yep, now how about while closing the door wait. That sounds a bit off. opens and closes door again yeah okay that’s not just me, I don’t think the door is made out of steel, or it is, but it’s made out of a new steel mix, or possibly just damn thin sheets. knocks on the door panel
  • Sales: dat is Arumuninumu siru
  • Kie: surprised at the sales unexpectedly talking to him WHAT NOW???
  • Sales: kore points at door Arumuninumu
  • Kie: glances at Rogi, silently begging for help because he can’t understand what the salesman is saying
  • Rog: I think he meant Alumunium, as in the panels and the doors are not made out of steel but alumunium.
  • Rogi to Sales in Kievan’s ears: blablablablaALUMUNIUMblablablablablablaDUSTKA?
  • Sales : Hai nods
  • Rog: yup he just confirmed it. Damn fancy for the price.
  • Kie: agreed on that, and it doesn’t look like any corners were cut while doing that either.
  • Rog: Anyway moving on from that. Lemme just read out the interesting stuff on the spec sheet.
  • Rog: oh damn……. Damn…… really? Hmmm
  • Kie: what? Tell me already, you goddamn tease, you know I don’t understand it.
  • Rog: oh right, sorry, and I’ve told you to cut down on the swearing,
  • Kie: SCREW YOU
  • Rog : sigh anyway. This thing has double wishbone suspension front and back, 2.5L Single overhead cam Turbocharged Engine making 203hp, a surprisingly simple 4 speed manual though. Next up is the limited slip diff, optional, but it’s so cheap it’s a no brainer, ‘normal’ 8 track player here, just 2 seats sadly, but has variable speed steering and ABS. this thing is packed to the brim with technology man
    Glancing Kievan, Rogi discovered that his head is now as deep as humanly possible buried in his neck, with eyes open wide like he just saw something impossible happened in front of him and is now frozen still looking at his general direction….
  • Kie: ……………
  • Rog: …….Kie?
  • Kie: ……… what was the price again??
  • Rog: in our currency it’s 16k or so based on my rough calculation
  • Kie: ……16??? how……. How are we not getting half these features in cars costing double or more than this car does back home??? What kind witches are they employing in their factories? Or is the American car industry just THAT massively behind?
  • Rog: I have no answer to that. But. I think it’s time for us to move on.

They get out of the car, thanked the salesman, and proceeds to walk out. That is until kievan realized he hadn’t took any picture of the car and ran back inside. Some really broken English, and a lot of hand gestures later, he can be seen taking just a couple of pictures of the car and then getting back out again.


Optional Interlude 2
  • Kie: this has been an exhausting morning and we’re overdue for lunch. You got something in mind?
  • Rog: of course. We’re in japan. Sushi! And also let’s add this challenge to our trip. Japanese foods only. I mean while we’re here, might as well experience everything this place has to offer, right?
  • Kie: ……. You like my surprised face don’t you?
  • Rog: ……. no comment.
  • Some banter and a whole load of sushi later. They can be found on the parking lot of the next dealer’s parking lot

3) Mat-sushi-ta Crista RS12 18 (@conan )

  • Kie: NO. PLEASE. DON’T SERVE ME ANOTHER SUSHI, I’VE STOPPED ALREADY DON’T MAKE ME DOWN ANOTHER BARREL OF SUSHI AGAIN!
  • Rog: ……………………did you really lost your mind over some sushi?
  • Kie: I TELL YOU MAN, the cook must have slipped some drug in there or something, I just can’t fucking stop eating it. I couldn’t control myself.
  • Rog: yeah well this car in front of us isn’t a food…… nor does it resembles one, rather looks shiny metallic, as is the paint shown to us here.
    Here they are in the Matsushita dealership, in front of the Crista RS12 18.

  • Kie: The name just Rolls off the tongue really nice is and totally isn’t confusing isn’t it? Nope. Not at all
  • Rog: well, we’ve heard or well, tried to pronounced worse before. But I do agree even the germans and their code………… actually I take it back, they’re both just as confusing. Anyway. Visually. What do you think?
  • Kie: well, honestly. It’s really good looking to the point I can’t really comment much about how they styled it. Except for one thing…… it is not sporty looking. It looks more like an executive car
  • Rog: well I think it’s….
  • Kie: SHOOSH. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me. At least not after you decided that we have to get some drugged sushi(s). also. I’m picking the next meal. Moving on. The interior.
    The both of them proceeds to right door, and instantly realizing the other was doing the same thing
  • Rog: nope, I’m sitting on the driver seat, you go the other side.
  • Kie: pfft whatever. goes to the left door
  • Rog: ooh, again, similar to the last car. Ploosh
  • Kie: hmmmm. starts to move around massively in the car
  • Rog: just what exactly are you doing? You’re embarrassing us here.
  • Kie: I’m trying to figure out is the suspension is really that soft, because as I saw you getting in the car, the car did move a little bit. Well as I learned, it’s not really the case. Kinda. It is somewhat soft though.
  • Rog: you really are weird. Anyway, again, to the spec sheet. Let me see. This one isn’t as tech packed as the last car we saw, but as you can feel already, I’d think, instead they put some extra time and care to the quality. Similar tech on the engine, but it’s a 2L i4, and it’s a reasonable 132hp with turbo, that seems low. But then again the economy is rather impressive 10.7km/l or uh… just a sec
  • Kie: 25mpg-ish. See? I think either the sales misunderstood you, or they don’t have a specific sport car model. Anything more than ‘acceptable’ fuel economy should have just been turned into power. I bet that turbo must be tuned for efficiency instead of power. Turbo lag for not much power
    Rog: how are you so fast to jump to conclusions? Remember this is the Japanese, we shouldn’t judge them based on our standard because we’re used to everything american. Open your mind man. I say wait until the test drive to make up your mind. Maybe something else would blow your mind. Again. Also they have the price going for them. It’s quite a bit cheaper than the previous ones.
  • Kie: okay fair enough, but the car is not off to a great start in my eyes. Where the hell is the salesman anyway? This is the first car we’ve gone through without a sales right beside us all the time.
  • Rog: well as you can see…. This dealer has quite a few “potential customers” and they seem like they’re a bit understaffed. Well at least, when one of them gave me the papers he also gave me 2 small bottled green tea and a pack of nuts for the each of us for being unable to serve us he said
  • Kie: ‘japanese hospitality’ huh. Well let’s just go to our next one.
    The moment both of them reached the doors every single staffed yelled uniformly at them
    Sales: ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU
  • Kie: GAH. What!? Oh. That’s their greetings? Is that normal? Gave me one hell of a scare
  • Rog: me too. But from the places that we have been, it seems like a lot of them does that doesn’t it?
  • Kie: yes, that sushi place did that too, but only the staff near the door did it. This is on a different level. Kinda amazing somehow.
  • Rog: you know what actually is amazing? Our piece of junk we call car, it was almost abandoned and it ran just fine apart from the occasional backfire the whole day, and our luck of not seeing a single police yet.
  • Kie: ……careful now… you’re gonna jinx us
  • Rog: huh, I never knew you’re the kind of guy that’d believe that kind of thing turning the keys to start
    Nothing happened
  • Kie: what are you doing? Start it and let’s go
  • Rog: ……… glances at Kievan ……. I think I jinxed us
  • Kie: you mean you did tried to turn the key and then nothing?
  • Rogi nods
  • Kie: Isn’t that great?

Optional Interlude 3

After getting a jump start from another car owned by someone also getting out from the Mitsushita dealership the car ran again

  • Kie: Hey Rogi… why did we need a jump start again?
  • Rog: what do you mean why? The battery died.
  • Kie: yeah but… this is an old fashioned 100% mechanical car with no electronics except for the spark plugs and the lights
  • Rog: just get to the point already.
  • Kie: this thing probably weighs less than our full sized American fridge back home. Why did we spend 15 minutes trying to get a jump start when I could push the car with just 1 hand and simply do a push start?
  • Rog: ………………………………………
  • Kie: ………………………………… we’re dumb
  • Rog:……………………………. What’s the next dealer again?
  • Kie: Jaste-something I can’t remember. But I will remember the need for a push start anytime that happens again though
  • And then they drove in silence all the way to the next dealer

4) Zasteros Satori S (@yurimacs)

Coming in to the weird dealer that was located on the end of an almost barren street. Stepping out the car. Someone can be seen walking towards them

  • Kie: you really sure this is the place? I feel unsafe here. You said before this was from a magazine? What kind of magazine, or on what section of the magazine was it from?
  • Rog: I dunno, I just noted down all the addresses I could find out of the magazine and didn’t actually read the articles
  • Kie: well, at least the place does look like it’s a modern dealer, that has cars in them.
    By this time the salesman has come too close for them to pull out again, so they just stood up and see what has they got to offer
    The usual, talking to the sales. Then he showed us the way to……………hell is this?

  • Kie: ……………. should I be blunt?
  • Rog: just write everything on your note and take a few pictures.
  • Kie: But I’m still gonna say this. This may be just me, no I’m VERY sure it is just me but the front end looks like a stretched the screaming painting thing. You know that painting right?

  • Rog: yes, and yes it’s just you.

  • Kie: and I don’t have a single word for the rear.

  • Kievan’s note:

    • Not a single theme, everything seems random, nothing is cohesive with each other. Square headlights. Oval front lower vents. Square-ish middle grill. Circular taillight, rectangular side indicator, rear grille for whatever reason, square door handle, massive oversized mufflers so high up it could fog up someone else’s front windshield on traffic in cold weather.
    • Front brakes with only a single piston caliper with TIIIIIINY disc. I don’t even want to imagine how the brake works, or failing to. How did that even pass the vehicle regulation test or something or the sort?
    • Fully covered under cladding, complete and absolute waste of money. Nothing but the highest level of supercar could even remotely go that fast to take full advantage of it. At least for now in 1985. It’d just get removed in real world anyway because added weight, and making access to service much harder for no real benefit
    • Even when putting aside mechanical ‘quirky’ness. One does not dream and put a poster up of a Lamborghini Countach because of it’s “EXCELLENT VISIBILITY”, or “AMAZING RADIO UNIT”. Simply, one buys supercar and to that extend, a sport car, because the car invokes emotion. Which this car has failed to do to me in every single step.
  • Kie: okay I’m done here. How about you?

  • Rog: you know. The ugly decisions part is really apparent here. But is less apparent is everything underneath it?

  • Kie: of course it’s not apparent. It’s covered by some damn annoying under cladding

  • Rog: nononono, not literally under the car. As in, the basic engineering of the car. it’s an FR layout, not a silly FF for one. The quality of most things are acceptable. The engine is a reasonable 3.2L i6 with twin cams. It has LSD as standard, dunno how good it is, but it’s a thing that’s available. Sound to me like someone took over the project which was okay halfway through and wanted to change everything too far, with no direction, and end up being this…. Seemingly horrible thingy, but whatever it does have, it looks like it was made with some quality….

  • Kie: no, not seemingly. It’s an abomination. Who cares what went on in the background? We see, want, and use the end product. And the end product is horrible no matter what happened before it.

  • Rog: sigh okay. It’s also getting late and it’s been a long day, I get why you’d be grumpy

  • Kie: what? I’m not grumpy

  • Rog: let’s just go back to the inn now

Kievan just walked away from the car, Rogi thanked the sales and followed him soon after. Before the got in the car, they pulled out the map and finally realized


Optional Interlude 4
  • Kie: how the heck are we going to get back. Where are we now even?
  • Rog: you see. I’m smart, and I actually marked where we have been all this time. This is where we started, this was the Boqliq dealer, then here, to the Dragotec, the sushi place was around here, then we continued on to Mitsushita, and this is where we……are……now. fuck.
  • Kie: OH? It’s rare for you to curse. Just to make it clear. What is it exactly?
  • Rog: you see where we are now? And the distance to the inn? And what time it is now?
  • Kie: yes, yeah we’ve gone quite far, and after matching my watch to the clock back at the airport, it should be about 5:50pm.
  • Rog: well for one, is rush hour a thing? If yes, how bad is it here? What about the police? We don’t have a license to drive, you remember? Even if no…… we’re going to spend how long on that car in a single trip
  • Kie: oh…… right………

To Be Continued……………

25 Likes

Reviews. Part 2

have fun reading :slight_smile:


The Next Day. Walking out of the inn

  • Kie: boy, their coffee is niiiiice
  • Rog: finally something I agree with you completely
  • Kie: even better is this nice packaging, keeps is closed and hot, but easy to carry, this isn’t something we’d found back home. What’s not nice is…… It’s Japanese sized
  • Rog: yeah, well. That’s debatable. now get in and drive please

5) Znopresk Zentai 2.7i Sedan (@NormanVauxhall)

  • Kie : It’s nice and quick to quick when we finally pre-planned our route doesn’t it
  • Rog: and who was the one who can’t be arsed to do that until I had to force him to do it?
  • Kie: Who? Me? No. That must have been my alternate personality, I must have been out then.
  • Rog: …………. Just shut up and park the car now

Walking inside the dealershop, this car was shown on the front corner of the dealer. It immediately caught their eye. As they walked towards it, a salesman appeared out of nowhere on their back and greeting them from behind. Both surprisedly looking back, “well it’s just another salesman doing his job” they thought, so Rogi, again, did the usual explaining, the stuff they are up to, and then asked for the papers and key to the car. While waiting for the sales to come back they’d inspect the car from the outside, until about 5s later, Rogi heard someone calling him

  • Sales : Sir? Here’s the paper for the car, and would you prefer to converse in English?
  • Rog: ………. that was fast, and yes please. I think it’s the first dealer we’ve come to in japan that has a salesman that would talk to us in English.
  • Sales: also here’s the key to the car, it has a remote unlocking system as well, so you don’t have to stick the key in the door everytime.
  • Rog: hmm… Fancy. Pushes the unlock button
    Car goes BEEP BEEP I’M A SHEEP while Kievan was trying to peek through the glass
  • Kie : WHOA, MAN. please tell me before you do that. Wait. You did that on purpose didn’t you? When I wasn’t looking your way.
  • Rog: what? No. I was just testing if it would really work. I mean it’s an unexpected feature from a car in this price range.
  • Kie: yeah right, of course you did.
  • Rog: anyway, what do you think?
  • Kie: well… it looks rather European
  • Rog: Well the Znopresk isn’t exactly a Japanese brand is it?
  • Kie: true. I guess they’re trying to cater to those who would like a less Japanese looking car? Though it does have some Japanese styling cues. Probably regulations over here that we don’t know about?
  • Rog: probably. It also looks…… subtle. As in, it does not expressively screams out sporty, but looks slightly muted like an executive car. In a good way though. They managed to make it look both at the same time, and did it good. I personally like it
  • Sales: would you like to see the inside sir?
  • Rog: yes please

both of them walked to the right side of the car

  • Kie: no. I’m sitting on the driver seat this time.
  • Rog: relax man. this is a 4 door, I just wanna seat in the back.
  • Kie: oh. Right. This is our first 4 door car that we’ve seen isn’t it? Get in then

Rogi jumps in the back, Kievan sits in the driver seat, and start adjusting his seat position

  • Rog: wowowowowow, don’t move back any……… actually… you fine at that position?
  • Kie: yeah, why?
  • Rog: this is a surprisingly acceptable amount of leg room.
  • Kie: it’s a 4 door and 4 seats. It better be.
  • Rog: may I remind you of the price of this car? And then take a look at the 8track player?
  • Sales: may I add that this car has 16” alloy rims, Variable speed power steering, ABS, 5 star safety rating. Plus suspension setup that would certainly please you on the road.
  • Kie: okay, okay I get it, this is one of those cars packed to the brim with tech and features. I still could not figure out how these manufacturers are selling these cars with this much stuff for peanuts.
  • Rog: it was what made us interested in Japanese cars in the first place wasn’t it?
  • Kie: still, are they even making any profit? Anyway, that’s not something for us to care about. Anything else about this car?
  • Sales: surely sir. It has a very smooth 2.7L twin cam inline 6 engine powering this car making 150hp, transferred through a 5 speed manual, and through a limited Slip Diff on the back. Oh sorry, I almost forgot, the seat also has a heating function.
  • Kie: it, what?
    Sales: heated front seats sir. And a separate AC vents control for the rear seat. Please turn on the car and try it yourself.
  • Kie: No thank you, I’ll just believe you on that. I still can’t believe this car’s price though. Well I think I’m done with this one here. Anything else you still wanna ask?
  • Rog: no, I’m also finished.

They thanked the salesman, which bowed to them, and they tried to bow back, which prompted the salesman to bow down lower, and they bowed more, and this happened a few times, making it very awkward, until the salesman stood up straight and then spoke to them

  • Sales: excuse me, but is this your first time in japan sir?

  • Rog: uhhh yes. Why?

  • Sales: may I give some some personal advice while you’re traveling here in japan?

  • Rog: what is it?

  • Sales: how low you bow to someone else means how much you respect that person. And in public places like this, the one serving you must always bow lower than you do, because you’re the one giving them business. So, when someone else bow down to thank you next time, either only bow down a little bit, or just give them a nod to avoid this kind awkwardness again. smiles profusely

  • Kie & Rog: OH. blushes

  • Kie: sorry, and thank you very much for the advice.

  • Sales: no problem sir. Enjoy your trip

(just a note, do this irl too. I have heard that this kind of thing actually happen irl to people traveling to japan :stuck_out_tongue: )


Optional Interlude 5
  • Kie: well that is a thing
  • Rog: it is…… and we also did it back in the sushi shop…… now that we understand
  • Kie: let’s just keep in in mind and carry on. What’s next?
  • Rog: Next is, Suzume. A brand I’ve yet to heard before.
  • Kie: I think that’s because we just haven’t heard of them back home at all
  • Rog: possible. Anyway, they’re pretty close from here. Let’s make it quick.

6) Suzume Hameda GS-R (@VicVictory)

  • Kie: well. Knock Knock
  • Rog: ?? uhh, Who’s there??
  • Kie: it’s the late 70s. we want our styling cues back. Hehe. No really though. This looks like it takes it’s styling cues from American trucks from the last decade. I dunno why they would want to do that. But apparently they did.
  • Rog: hmm, on one side, I can get what you’re talking about, but on another, it’s not like it’s a bad thing. It does look proper sporty. And proper brick shaped compared to what we have seen so far.
  • Kie: okay. Let’s pick it apart a little bit more. The front, as I said before looks like it’s taken from a truck, and retrofitted to a sport car, not bad though, but not fully enticing either,
    Rog: meanwhile at the back I see European sedan styling cues. so, kinda square-ish but also rounded squares… personally I think…. It’s a little bit inconsistent. The front and the rear doesn’t match that well.
  • Kie: yeah. I don’t exactly like the rear end, but personally as a guy who loves his American trucks. I love seeing them managing to fit the styling cues to a Japanese sport car of all things.
  • Rog: yeah, this one I think comes down to the preference of the buyer.
  • Kie: getting inside the car hmm 4 seats. Another similar level of impressive features like the one from before.
  • Rog: not quite. normal power steering, and no ABS is the main difference, and the passive safety isn’t as good either. Though, this is something you say you liked on another car
  • Kie: what?
  • Rog: the engine is a 2L i4, but it has a Turbo, so it’s making 153hp.
  • Kie: ooooooh, TUURRRBOOOOO.
  • Rog: what do you even like from a turbo man? I just don’t see the point. The turbo lag just kills throttle response, the whiny noise is annoying, and the moment it kicks in, the car usually just loses traction. Yeah you get more brute power, but at what cost?
  • Kie: tsk, tsk, tsk. While I am a big proponent of big burly American engines. I also appreciate technology in cars. New tech always comes with big costs. They’re crude, often problematic, but they also pave the way to a new possibility that might not even be visible when they’re first developed.
  • Rog: no, I’m not saying they’re bad. But I just feel like they have their places, and that’s in aeroplanes, not in cars. In engines where they just stay at an engine speed for prolonged amount of time. Not in cars where we constantly rev up and down.
  • Kie: you still don’t understand do you? Well it’s kinda hard to show you right now as they are new and still really crude. there’s a reason the Japanese cars we have been seeing are pushing small engines with tech in them, instead of making big brute force massive capacity engines like we do back home. Mark my words, these small high tech engines will one day be as good, if not even better than our burly carbed V8 with ancient but already refined OHV technology. But for the moment. Just enjoy the wheel spin when the turbo kicks in
  • Rog: yeah keep dreaming. Anyway, Let me jump in the back, I wanna try how bad is it back there
  • Kie: I don’t think it’ll be that bad, it may not have a door, but it’s a hatchback
  • Rog: we’ll see won’t we? Just wait for a bit shuffles in, and slide to the side to the back of the driver seat
  • Rog: huh. It’s kinda small, but if you could move forward a bit, I think it’s useable. And it’s supposed to be foldable if you want to take more stuff instead of more people.
  • Kie: well. I’m hungry. And I want a full portion of those ‘Raymen’ thingy instead of the ones they served as a side dish at the inn. And you didn’t have dinner last night, right? Only this morning’s breakfast.
  • Rog: yeah, just let me squeeze out of this car first.

And thus they got out of the car, thanked the salesman, took a few photos of the car and bailed out


Optional Interlude 6

Sitting down at the ramen shop.

  • Kie: Could ordering a bowl of noodle be more complicated?
  • Rog: you mean convenient. You can’t order the wrong thing unless you miss the button somehow.
  • Kie: yeah it just feels confusing to me, especially when I don’t understand a thing on the machine. Do have to admit it’s a unique way to order a food. I still prefer a waiter though
  • Rog: Japanese efficiency. It doesn’t apply just to cars. It seems like it’s a way of life for them. No need to pay waiters anymore.
  • Kie: yeah okay, I do understand the point of that thing, it still feels odd no matter what
  • The Cook, serving them their bowl to Kievan’s ears: blablablabla_here’s your order_
  • Kie: oooh. This must be one of the food I’ve seen that actually looks almost like to the ad picture. Now, meal time!
  • Rog: just eat.

7) Requiem 200XR (@slim_jim)

  • Rog: Isn’t is just our luck the dealer happens to be so close to the ramen shop?
  • Kie: oh yeah, totally. I’d prefer walking to it after downing that massive bowl of noodle. It should help me churn it faster
  • Rog: whispers it’s not a noodle
  • Kie: you said something?
  • Rog: huh? No, I was just saying there’s puddle there.
  • Kie: …anyway, this is a pretty small dealer isn’t it? I can only see 1 model shown…

Entry 7- Requiem 200XR

  • Rog: either way, I’m gonna get the sales, you start ahead.
  • Kie: huh………. Well…. It’s…… I dunno how I feel about this. Plain? No. ugly? No…. unique? Stretching it, looks a bit sad too, yet it doesn’t exactly look out of place either. i’m really confused as to how to describe this car
  • Rog: hey. Got the stuff. So what do you think about it?
  • Kie: …………
  • Rog: hey, I’m asking you know?
  • Kie: ………… just see for yourself… I can’t say anything about it other than ‘puzzled’

Rogi walks around the car, slowly, stopping every so often until he comes to the conclusion

  • Rog: yes. Puzzling. Well It’s useless to just keep looking at it, get in.

The both of them get in the car only to discover

  • Kie: there’s…… nothing here. Basic bargain bin seats from another manufacturer. No radio whatsoever. Everything’s manual, does it have ABS or power steering or the sorts?
  • Rog: …………. No, it doesn’t say anything about that on the brochure either. So I think we can safely assume there’s none.
  • Kie: okay the engine then? Tell me about the engine. We HAVE to talk about something
  • Rog: a small 2L v6 with Twin cams and 4 valves, port injection
  • Kie: that’s a lot of cams. And then?
  • Rog: but it’s only making 120hp. at the crank too, I’d assume, and judging by the peak torque compared to the rev cutoff, it’s also a pretty high strung engine. But I can say this, this is a very small company, and the sales also said this is the only car they’re producing right now, maybe with a few different trims available coming soon.
  • Kie: so I think it’s not unreasonable to speculate that, the reason that the car is so barren of anything is because they don’t have much R&D budget, and that all went into the fancy V6 engine. Which by the sounds of it, is also still rough and have a lot more to go.
  • Rog: reasonable. But at this point, this is only a ‘to be watched closely as it develops’ car, and doesn’t offer anything worth much to the end buyer. So sadly I guess this is the only other car that we’re not certainly not even going to test drive so far?
  • Kie: the other car?
  • Rog: oh please, like you don’t know what I mean.
  • Kie: oh. Right. Well anyway. I can’t really write anything more about this car. Time to move?
  • Rog: well aside from they do have a lot of room to grow, yes. Time to move.

Thanking the sales that looks like he barely cared anyway, they moved on.


Optional Interlude 7

Walking out from the dealership, they went to a nearby café to grab some coffee. Walking out the café going back to their car, past a vending machine

  • Rog: jeez, what is with these Japanese and their vending machines. They are literally everywhere.
  • Kie: what’s with it? It’s not like you’ve never seen it before, they just have a lot more over here.
  • Rog: yeah but fortunately for you, you don’t speak or read Japanese, so you don’t know what’s actually in them. sips coffee
  • Kie: what do you mean? sips coffee
  • Rog: you’ve seen the normal ones right? The drinks vending machines?
  • Kie: yeah, and the packs of smokes one, convenient for those who smokes anyway.
  • Rog: well have you also noticed the ones that you don’t know what they’re selling?
  • Kie: yeah. Several actually. So what does those actually sells?
  • Rog: well, the actually useful ones are selling eggs for example.

image

  • Kie: I don’t think I noticed one, but that sounds pretty convenient, as long as you don’t get the broken eggs.
  • Rog: how about umbrellas?

  • Kie: ooh, so those actually are umbrellas? Yeah that one I saw near the convenience store near our inn. That one is actually a good idea. sips coffee
  • Rog: how about other, more obscene ones.
  • Kie: like what?
  • Rog: the condom vending machines sips coffee
  • Kie: sips cof… HNNGHFF, almost choked well. I didn’t thought of that, but I guess that is a good idea, no need to be too shy to get some condoms from the store clerk for the shy ones.
  • Rog: the thing is, those thing are packaged nicely with cartoon characters on the box, so they look a bit like something that’s for kids. Like a box of candies or something sips coffee

  • Kie: ……… so that’s what that was. I did see one before, but I forgot where I saw it.

  • Rog: yeah there’s even better ones. How about female stockings and panties sips coffee

  • Kie: sips cof…… COUGH COUGH cough, actually choking this time a cough a fucking cough a fucking what now?!

  • Rog: you heard me. Leggings and panties. And probably any other kind of female underwear too. Heck maybe male ones too. I just haven’t seen one…… yet. sips coffee and that’s not the worst. apparently there’s a black market for used schoolgirl panties sold in there. freshly worn, taken off, and put into a box again, and put up into some vending machines. and only locales and some other few knows if the vending machines sells ‘proper’ underwear, or one of those ones. the roomkeeping lady told me about all of this

  • Kie: ……… sips coffee I got no words…….

  • Rog: and some porn magazines vending machines too……

WARNING, BORDERLINE NSFW

Summary

  • Kie: ……… sips coffee why am I not surprised anymore? … though that one…… you know? …… ‘souvenir’
  • Rog: yeah, go knock yourself out, I don’t really care as long as we don’t get in trouble for it.
    They reach their car, and drives aw……
  • Kie: …… I forgot this piece of shit is old and old car don’t even have a pocket to put your cup on.
  • Rog: same.

So they ended up making a makeshift cup holder out of the plastic bag they got before and some duct tape that Rogi for some reason have in his bag. And then drives away.


8) Vernum Scarfell (@alib)

Cars parked, Steps heard, doors opened, seconds passed, cars came into view

  • Rog: I have to say. The car name is pretty cool.
  • Kie: eh, it sounds a bit like they’re trying a bit too hard with the name, but it is not bad.

  • Rog: but. Although the name is cool. The car doesn’t live up the cool-ness of it’s name. still not bad though
  • Kie: that part’s true. We saw worse. Except for the super tiny ‘fog lights’, everything else is proper sporty blocky Japanese styling. I r8 5/7 m8
  • Rog: you what?!?
  • Kie: I said I’d give it a 7 for looks
  • Rog: no that’s not what you said…… well whatever. Imma go get the sales
  • Sales: do you like what you’re seeing sir?
  • Rog: oh, another English speaking one, this is convenient. Well, yes, I do like the car I’m seeing. Just hopes it comes in another color
  • Sales: oh we have 6 different colors to chose from. Or for an extra cost you can get any other color you wish, plus some extra waiting time.
  • Rog: yeah that’s acceptable. So do you have the brochure and other sheets for this car?
  • Kie: Nevermind that, could you give us the key, I want to see what’s inside please?
  • Sales: ah, here’s the brochure, and please wait a second for the key.
  • Kie: well okay then. Let’s start from the outside, looks wise, it looks could be improved pretty significantly with just a few slight changes……… the brakes looks like it’s just barely capable of stopping this car. And…… is the tires staggered?
  • Rog: huh, yeah, it is. 150 front and 165 on the rear. That’s… I wonder what’s the point of that? On this size of wheels, whatever difference is seems like it’s not worth the pain of needing 2 different tire sizes per tire change to the customer, at least not at this price point. Except if magically some Japanese managed to fit a mid mounted, or even rear mounted engine cars In the class.
  • Sales: here’s the key sir.
  • Rog: hmm. No frills key. Okay.

Opening the door reveals the

  • Kie: Bucket seats. Damn. This is a pretty serious track oriented car isn’t it?
  • Rog: yeah, no radio and, is there ABS installed sir?
  • Sales: no, this is a car for pure enjoyment of fun driving. It’s just barely above 900kg
  • Kie: ooh, damn light then.
  • Sales: yes, double wishbone suspension front and rear with adjustable camber and toe if you understand that and want to race this car.
  • Kie: oh what about the power then?
  • Sales: it has a 1.7L inline 4 overhead cam engine making a reasonable 112hp
  • Kie: heh, reasonable he says. That’s too low, even compared to the other Japanese cars we saw before
  • Rog: now, I’d like to argue, at this price point, this is likely meant to be an entry level race car for the amateur racer. And at the track, as an amateur, lack of power is probably actually good as the car could be more easily controlled and they would learn more.
  • Kie: that’s…… that might actually be a good point, and I guess the car does seem set up that way? But I still think that’s not enough
  • Sales: sir, this is off the record, but this engine has a fully forged bottom end components. And it is popular for this engine to be pushing another extra 20hp with just some simple and cheap aftermarket upgrades. Which I personally would also argue that it’s a good practice to work on your own engine. And some people are pushing 180hp with a turbo installed
  • Rog: ahaha, this is rather unusual, you’re not like most of the salesman we’ve met so far. May I get your personal business card?
  • Jac: sadly I don’t have one, but my name is Stile, Jacob Stile. Just call me Jacob if you will.
  • Kie: hey. that’s have a western name
  • Jac: yes. well, My father is British and my mother a genuine Japanese. Which probably for you, would also explain my English.
  • Rog: yes. Yes it does. I was thinking that you have excellent English for a Japanese. Anyway. What do you think of the car Kie?
  • Kie: I dunno. I’m not sure about it. Nothing about it is too bad. And I can kind of see the point the designer of this car has. But something still doesn’t sit right to me.
  • Rog: Well I think it’s an excellent amateur racing car that an amateur race could grow into, and grow with. But as for it’s everyday usability, it’s questionable. I’d have to look into it more to decide on that.
  • Kie: well, I think that’s enough for now? It’s getting a bit late. Dinner at the inn or do you have anything in mind?
  • Rog: no. Not yet. Let’s just decide on the way.

They both thanked Jacob and left the dealership only to find their car broke won’t start again. But lesson learned, they just do a push start and and the car lives again almost no problem. Except for the fact that Rogi fell and faceplanted after the car roared to life and jumped ahead while his weight is still on the car when pushing it.


Optional Interlude 8

Trips were made, dinner was had, window shopping was done, sleeptime passed, sakes were drunk, boobs were groped, and someone got slapped for it and 9 hours went by and it’s now morning again. But both of our heroes are still out and cold. It’d take a few more hours for them to get back into action. And this is a rather short and uninteresting Optional Interlude. But hey, you clicked on it. And I never said about this has to be something of quality. So fuck you and your curiousity. Now. Move along.

20 Likes

so ded

why so ded?

What u mean?

i mean… why is it almost dead.

this is not exactly what i was expecting. there’s no discussion, or feedback aside from the likes…

When I tried to tell you that I was liking what was going on on Discord you didn’t seem interested in further explanation at the time :slight_smile:

well it is some kind of feedback. but i’ve only heard from you alone, directly. i don’t really know what the others are thinking yet.

so i do want some feedback

I think since its still in progress right now, people are kinda waiting to see where this goes before they start discussion, idk. I for one am digging the narrative style. Wasn’t expecting that when I entered the challenge :grinning:

1 Like

honestly? neither did i. i went waaaay too overboard

i still have 6 cars to go. and it’s already at page 52 on ms word… send halp

3 Likes

I mean, these are cool, but don’t hurt yourself :rofl:

Too late… send a rescue squad with a wrist brace and lots of coffee…

You don’t have to do mine