1988 Autech Zagato Stelvio

CRAZY JDM #17

This is the Autech Stelvio. It used to be a Nissan Leopard coupe but Nissan's slightly mad in-house tuner, Autech transformed it into this... thing. It's an exotic 'thing' nevertheless, styled by Zagato (when Zagato was drunk) and sold in limited numbers at interesting prices. A little over £100,000 (or $160,000) when adjusted for inflation! So this car was bought by those with more money than sense. And maybe no eyes.



WHY WOULD PEOPLE WITH NO EYES WANT THIS?
Okay, let me elaborate here. It's not the styling that turns away the 'people-with-eyes' demographic - as that's entirely subjective. It's rather something else. That something else is... the door-mirrors, or to be precise - the lack of them. So how can such a car be legal? Well, they're not quite door-mirrors anymore. Not even fender-mirrors. They're mirrors mounted on the bonnet (or hood)! Visibility ends up so poor you might as well not bother looking.
Furthermore, the people who bought this could potentially never drive it. It's just another way to say,
"Look at me, I'm rich!". Although to be fair, it would be best to look away to avoid getting conjunctivitis.
This car does at least have a legacy though. After Zagato 'styled' this, they copied the design and removed all the awkward bits. The result was the quirky but elegant Aston Martin V8 Zagato, and a presumably an enraged Nissan.

HOW FAST?
As fast as a Nissan Leopard V6 with slightly more horsepower attached...
316bhp (rounded from 315.622...)
0-60 in something slightly under the Leopard's 10.6 time
152mph

MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!

WARNING: View at your own discretion.

Behold, broken dinner plates minimalism within art.

Exhibit A: The mirrors! (Annotated by me).

Exhibit B: The same design but actually pretty! (The Aston Martin V8 Zagato).

Finally, I present to you - one of many proposed replacements to the Stelvio. Sadly, the economy's collapse coupled with the end of the Autech-Zagato partnership killed them off. Except to see an article on these soon!

CAN I BUY ONE?
If you're willing to import - I guess you can. It's even past the USA import cap - but would you want to? Also it's very hard to find these in the first place because 'limited production'. Despite that, I did find one on Goo net. And it had depreciated to less than an 8th of its original value. So... Bargain?

CRAZY JDM RATING!

Silly styling? YES

Silly engineering? YES YES (Handbuilt with bonnet-mirrors)

Silly idea behind it? YES YES YES

●●●3/3 A very silly car that also manages to be something really cool and unique.

1974 Mazda B-Series 'REPU'

CRAZY JDM #16

This is the Mazda REPU. Built in a time when Mazda was on a mission. A mission to scramble their rotary engine into anything they could get their hands on. Hence the Mazda RotaryEnginedPickUp, the first & only pickup with a rotary. The text on the tailgate claims 'Rotary Power' too. Wouldn't it be amazing to transport pickup truck things such as pigs, ladders and grandfather clocks in a vehicle that also has 'Rotary Power'?



IT'S AMAZING, RIGHT?
It was 'amazing' in many ways. Critics would compliment the power, driving experience and interior of the vehicle. It even went into motorsport and found moderate success. This vehicle clearly excelled at being a good car.
But was it good at being a truck? It was very good at being a toy truck for Mazda enthusiasts. But its functionality left something to be desired. While the rotary engine can create a phenomenal driving experience it has a few drawbacks that prevent actual trucking things from taking place.
Exhibit A) Towing. 'Rotary Power' means less power in the lower RPMs and a huge lack of torque, so expect to see it having a hard time towing anything heavier than a paperclip.
Exhibit B) Seals. Rotary engines will wear out eventually after a certain amount of miles, so the engine will have to get rebuilt. This is especially problematic in a pickup truck, where durability is key.
So this vehicle suffered its fate in 1977 and the concept was never touched again - meaning pickup truck owners had to move away from 'Rotary Power', at least they got to move towards towing objects heavier than a paperclip again.
...Oh and before anyone mentions this - yes. It isn't a JDM (as it was sold in the US), however it is still a long forgetten crazy Japanese car so it counts.

HOW FAST?
It's no RX-7 but not bad for a pickup of its day.
110bhp
0-60 in 11 seconds
Unknown mph, sorry.

MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!

Yellow headlights, nice touch.

Can't tow your random boxes? Put them in the bed instead, it also improves ride comfort.

Just your typical 70s promo advert...

Surprisingly cute looking car.

Yes, it had that text when it left the factory. Also circular tail lights exclusive to REPU.

CAN I BUY ONE?

You will not get this at all, unless you're in the US (or possibly nearby). Prices are usually a little under $10,000 (Dollars instead of usual currency because USDM). Prices may vary depending on condition though. It's up to you whether you think it's worth it.

CRAZY JDM USDM RATING!

Silly styling? NO (Apart from 'Rotary Power' on tailgate)

Silly engineering? YES

Silly idea behind it? YES

●●◦ 2/3 Although it's not the most bonkers JDM USDM, it's close.

1989 Mitsubishi Debonair V 3000 Royal AMG

CRAZY JDM #15

This is the Mitsubishi Debonair AMG. And yes, I know what you're thinking - This car was designed with aerodynamic capabilities of a house brick in mind. I know you're also thinking of another thing about this car but that's for later. For now, take in the fact that this was a slow car. It contained Mitsubishi's first ever V6 but it was front wheel drive and once badged as a Hyundai just so they had a limo for the Seoul Olympics. 

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER THINK I'M THINKING OF?

Which other thing? I don't read minds like that. ...Okay fine then, time for the elephant in the room. Or more realistically; The world famous tuning company in the roomy brick which is about as fast as an elephant. I may be exaggerating it a bit there but you must remember Mitsubishi was known more as a sewing machine company as opposed to the 4WD rally lords they became later. In an attempt to solve this AMG was hired. The real AMG. So did AMG turn it into a majestic, power-sliding beast? No. Too predictable. They decided to not touch the performance at all. Instead they bolted on a bodykit & plastered AMG badging like a contagious disease so no one would be the wiser. Except people noticed and nobody bought it. Not that it really mattered as a replacement was on the way at this point - now with styling by Hyundai! This wasn't the end of the AMG-Mitsubishi partnership though. There was one other car, but that's for later.

HOW FAST?

About as fast as Hyundai's limo for 1988 Seoul Olympics. But with a V6.

148bhp

0-60 in 10.8 seconds

112mph

MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!

The rear featuring a glorious spoiler & exhaust.

BEEP BEEP COMPUTERS! A contender for the most 1980s centre console.

Okay, I think it's safe to say the interior of this car is perpetually stuck in the 80s.

Promo pic. Spot the AMG badges (there's at least 4 in this picture alone).

Despite the lack of performance. The AMG looks 1000% faster than the regular model.

CAN I BUY ONE?

If you want one so you are either a fan of 'Gorilla' - a Japanese crime drama which features this car or that interior has got to you. It is quite old, allowing it to bypass some import restrictions and prices haven't risen that high. However it is rare. Rarer than any other car on this blog so far. This car is almost unobtainable. Fans of 'Gorilla' may be sad but this is the truth. 

CRAZY JDM RATING!

Silly styling? YES

Silly engineering? NO

Silly idea behind it? YES

●●◦2/3 Although it's not the most bonkers JDM, it's close.