Velocity Motor Show Pt 1

Last month there was a motor show organize by KevTec, a company that imports carbon parts from Thailand. So, I asked my close friend who owns both a Nissan GT-R R35 and Nissan Fairlady Z to go with me. Since it is a motor show, I wanted to drive my 350Z along with his R35. Despite the risk, I made it to the show and back without overheating. While I was looking for parking, I saw two other 350Zs and decided to park next to them. It appears like we came in a group for this show. I got to say I do not like the Nismo Ver 2 front bumper on my 350Z and that reason is because it is too common. The other two 350Z there also have the same front bumper but one of them had a special Esprit spoiler that I used to like. 

This motor show consist of four areas: Commercial Area, Drift Track, Parking Area and Stage. In the Commercial area there are companies that set up booths to display their show car and products they carry. There is a constant drift show/competition going on the track and lots of JDM sports car on display in the Parking area. My favorite is of course the parking area and below are some of JDMs I personally think should be highlighted in my blog. There were so many rare JDMs that I felt like I was in my wonderland. I separated the cars according to brands. Enjoy. 

MAZDA 

Mazda RX-7 (FC3S) - Re-Amemiya Front Lights

Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) - Modded

Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) - Veilside Fortune Wide Body

TOYOTA

Toyota Supra (JZA80) - Modded

Toyota Supra (JZA80) - Modded

Toyota Supra (JZA80) - Drift Video

Toyota 86 - HKS Supercharger

Toyota 86 - Chrome Wrapped

CONTINENTAL 

Lotus Evora 400 - Limited Edition

Ford Mustang GT - American Muscle

Batman with BMW E46 3 Series which could have a Japanese heart

Fast and Furious - Honorable Mention

While the 3 main articles posted before, focused on model names that made the most appearances in all 7 Fast and Furious movies, there were some models that were more memorable or personal favorites for someone like me. So, I will be featuring 3 JDM sports car in this article that are special for me. 

First up we have the Honda NSX Type R. We first saw Mia Toretto driving this baby in Fast and Furious (2009) to meet with Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Connor after they ran away from the bad guys. Many might have missed this scene but fear not because we get to see it later in the movie. At the end of the movie, Dom was sent to prison in a prison transport bus and we hear engine roaring in the background. Then we saw Mia inside the awesome and beautiful facelift NSX-R and straight away we knew, a prison break is about to happen but that was it. It wasn't until Fast Five (2011), we get to see more action from the NSX-R in the beginning of the movie. Mia was speeding in it, drifting with it and all sorts of action. No one knows what happened to it as the crew went abroad right after Dom was "rescued". 

At the end of Fast Five (2011), each of the crew took their share of the loot and went their separate ways. Then from a distance, we could see a glimpse of a Supercar and came the Lexus LFA. The LFA was one of the hottest, new Supercar from Japan when the movie was released and I am sure many enthusiasts were screaming like little girls. The LFA did not play much of a role but I did not mind the short cameo because the series needs more JDM. It definitely is a nice car to zoom down the Autobahn where there is no speed limit. You could say that is when the LFA gets to shine the most. Giselle was asking Han where they are heading next and this is where Han hints he would be going to Japan, "eventually" but we know wherever Han and Giselle plan to go, it would definitely be in style. 

Last but not least, one of the most memorable car in the entire franchise for me, has got to be the "out of this world" Mazda RX-7, dressed in Veilside Fortune widebody bodykit. Add on a bright and striking orange and black paint job into that equation, you get what is definitely close to perfect. It is the primary car driven by Han in The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) movie, up until his death inside the car. I was definitely overwhelmed when I saw the Mercedes hit the RX-7. It looks perfect and quick even when it is not moving. In the movie when it drifted around the Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, nothing could be more cooler than that and you get to get phone numbers from pretty girls. Not a bad night, indeed. 

So, there you have it. These above are my Top 3 memorable cars from the franchise. You might agree or disagree but feel free to comment in the comment section to give me your opinions. Which is your favorite of them all ? The photo below is really a great summary of the series.

Why not a "Lady" ?

As most readers of my blog know, I have been planning to purchase a JDM sports car on my own and have been looking for and researching for a suitable one. I even posted about the Subaru Impreza WRX STI which I would love to have and even went to look at one unit just last month. However, I found out that it was not that easy because although the price is cheap but not easy to obtain a car loan and not cheap enough to just buy it with cash. There are some JDM sports car that have reached certain prices that appear so attractive that you could just buy without much consideration. I wished it would be that easy because price is not the only factor you should consider especially in a country like Malaysia. One JDM sports car that is currently considerably cheap is the Nissan Fairlady 350Z (Z33). I remember when it came out during my high school days, it was cool but expensive. These days they are like everywhere. You can easily find a year 2003 350Z, both AT and MT for around  RM 57,000 to RM 65,000, depending on condition and modification. Let me give you some comparison to show you how cheap it is right. You could find an old like a 1993 Mazda RX-7 (MT) selling for RM 78,000 and a 1997 Toyota Supra (AT) for RM 95,000. Meanwhile something of similar age, a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII can easily fetch a range from RM 85,000 to even a ridiculous RM 105,000. It is very obvious that it is cheaper than some models made in the 90s and even lose out to its peers from the same time period.

Mazda RX-7 vs Toyota Supra

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII vs Nissan Fairlady 350Z

The biggest reason for being so cheap is the engine capacity. In Malaysia, car owners have to pay a road tax based on the engine capacity and the bigger your engine, the more you have to pay especially if it is 3000cc and above. For better understanding, a 2 liter engine costs RM 6xx and a 2.5 liter engine costs RM 8xx. It does not seem like a big difference but a 3 liter engine entitles you a road tax of RM 3xxx and the 350Z with a 3.5 liter V6 engine would cost you RM 4371 per year. Definitely for the rich only and because of this high tax, it makes the 350Z not so high in demand. Certainly not for someone like me and the next reason is the insurance issue. I have no idea how much its insurance premium is but I know it is difficult to find an established insurance firm to want to insure your 350Z and its sister, the Nissan Skyline 350GT (V35) with the same engine. Only those smaller firms would dare to insure. The last reason that affects everyone's consideration is the practicality of the 350Z. Being a 2-door coupe with only 2 seats and a small boot, the 350Z is more catered to a niche market for the rich and maybe singles or if you already have a daily drive. These 3 reasons mentioned above actually raised red flags with banks causing difficulty in obtaining car loans and directly caused demand for this model to be low. In the end making the 350Z cheap.

Actual 350Z Road Tax Slip

350Z 3.5 Liter V6 Engine

I do have other reasons that may only affect me personally which made me not considering the 350Z. If you know me personally well enough, you would know that I call the 350Z, a "FAT"lady instead of a Fairlady mainly because how round and overall big it is. I know 3 person who used to own one; a high school buddy who upgraded to a Nissan GT-R R35, a mechanic friend who is great at fixing Celica and an ex-gf who drove a convertible one but sold it. I once had my Celica parked next to my buddy's 350Z and you could easily see why I considered it fat. It does not look good stock but when it has a widebody Veilside bodykit, it shines. I also have some reservation regarding its power because back in the days, my buddy drove it like he was crazy and boy was it fast. However, when I drove my mechanic friend's 350Z, I could not feel the raw power even when I step on it. I also realized that the 350Z have many blind spots and the hood is too flat, making it hard to estimate the front. Finally, I am not a big fan of big engines. Look at how the Evos and STIs only have a 2 liter, 4 cylinder, Turbo engine and have more power than the 350Z has. I certainly do not appreciate the heavy car with big engine design.

My Buddy's 350Z vs My Celica (Front)

My Buddy's 350Z vs My Celica (Rear)

350Z with Veilside Widebody Bodykit from Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift

Although with this much said about how owning a 350Z is Malaysia is not ideal but its prices really makes me ask myself, why am I not getting one. I always this thought that if I ever buy a 350Z, the engine definitely has to go. I have actually seen a 350Z sold in Malaysia that has a RB26DETT engine from previous Nissan Skyline GT-Rs (R32 - R34) implant. That to me is a brilliant idea because with the smaller capacity engine, you get cheaper road tax but still maintain or get even more power than before. Definitely awesome and desirable but I know it is going to be a hell lot of work needed to be done especially since the 350Z is a RWD and the GT-Rs is a AWD. The RB25DET engine from Nissan Skylines (R33 - R34) is a better choice because it is also a RWD but everyone think it is far inferior to the RB26 engines. It does not really matter to me because either way, it is still better than the original V6. Anyway, in the end I have to say changing the engine is definitely a cool but troublesome process. I rather buy one that has everything I want, not just a cheap sports car.

350Z with RB26DETT