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.

2000 Toyota WiLL Vi, 2001 Toyota WiLL VS & 2002 Toyota WiLL Cypha/VC

CRAZY JDM #10, #11 & #12

This is the Toyota WiLL. It spawned three generations, each of them wacky in their own way (see photo gallery). Pictured is the 1st gen WiLL, the WiLL Vi, purposely made to look like a Citroën Ami made from corrugated plastic. The next one, the WiLL VS, looked like the 2014 Vauxhall Astra - Yet the WiLL VS was made about a decade earlier. Oh, and there was one more WiLL, but that one was just silly.



WHAT WERE TOYOTA SMOKING?
Kao's WiLL OneWeek Room Freshener. Probably.
You see, the whole WiLL agenda wasn't just Toyota's thing. Several Japanese companies such as Panasonic and a lot of other ones that not many people outside of Japan know about worked to together to form the WiLL campaign marketed towards the youth. Because only truly youthful people drink Asahi WiLL Sweet Brown Beer, munch on Ezaki Gilco's WiLL black beans candy and operate on Panasonic's WiLL fax machine and attached headset. The youth will always drive what could be seen as one of the ugliest cars in the century, the Toyota WiLL, the vehicle that would drive you insane if it were your permanent car. For the youth.

HOW FAST?
Using the 1.3 litre engine it gets from the old Yaris, here are some estimates...
88bhp
A top speed near 100mph
0-60 in over 10 seconds.

MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!

Toyota's 'inspiration' - a Citroën Ami.

And... Soft top! You wouldn't want to be seen in that though.

The WiLL VS, a more angular Astra made about 10 years earlier.

Seriously, compare the little things like that rear window.

The final gen WiLL, The WiLL Cypha. The really very silly one. To put it bluntly, it's a bit chubby.

CAN I BUY ONE?

The fact that you ask that is rather odd. If you're in the US, then it's too new to be imported. If you're not, then you can buy one ready to import for £1,000 to 3,000, or second/third generation one £3,000 to £5,000. Use a currency converter to change to your desired currency.

I used the word 'desired' in the same article as the Toyota WiLL. Wow.

CRAZY JDM RATING!

Silly styling? YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!

Silly engineering? NO

Silly idea behind it? YES

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

...As sober as Asahi's WiLL Sweet Brown Beer at least.

1989 Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ

CRAZY JDM #7

This is the Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ. It is a kei car, a Japanese specification of car with limited size and power. No rules on turbos though, resulting in this 'fast' Minica. It is the first production car to have a 5 valve per cylinder engine if you're interested. This is one of many crazy versions of the 6th generation Minica, there was a tall one called the 'Toppo' and an asymmetrical one called the 'Lettuce'. At least 'Dangan' means bullet.


IS IT TOO POWERFUL TO BE A KEI CAR THEN?
It may look like it but no. It still has a tiny enough engine with a fair amount less than 100hp, but it's turbo,  4WD and accelerates like a bullet compared to other kei cars. So it's still an official kei car.

HOW FAST?
It's a kei car made before regulations got a bit more lax so it won't be too fast.
63bhp
0-62 mph in 8.9 seconds
93mph

MORE PICTURES PLEASE!

Asymmetric grille almost exclusively found on kei cars.

Rear view.

Next up, the Minica Toppo. They should've called it the Minica Topple.

The adorable Minica that replaced the 1989 model had a retro trim, looks like a London taxi.

Now that I'm running out of Dangan ZZ pictures here is another weird Minica, the lettuce. That's its actual name. No joke.

CAN I BUY ONE?

It all looks quite good. Is it cheap? Yes (£2,000 to £6,000)! Is an older model past the US import cap? Yes! Is it very rare and thus almost impossible to find spare parts for? ...yes.

CRAZY JDM RATING

Silly styling? NO

Silly engineering? YES

Silly idea behind it? YES

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

1991 Subaru Alcyone SVX

CRAZY JDM #6

This is the Subaru SVX. Aka the SVX Alcyone. Alcyone is the star in the Subaru logo and this car was the 'star' in Subaru's car range at the time. Replacing the oddballish and boxy XT this car is one of a kind. It looks ugly, then it looks pretty. It looks luxurious, then tacky. It was even styled by Giugiaro. And its windows were huge. It reminds me of the Renault Avantime but even cooler.


WHY DO I RECOGNISE IT'S SHAPE?
A certain article I found has an answer and it's simple; they could have stolen it. Although not proven, they may have 'magpied' some of the design cues off of a Ford concept (see photos for more). Despite all that, I can still appreciate the car for what it is. A pinnacle of Subaru's creativity. If it were something like a BMW I'd guarantee it would sell - but this factor combined with the economy's collapse made it owe the company a loss equating to about 75 million (Ouch). Regardless, I prefer its styling to the Ford concept. And remember, you can't drive the Ford concept though, but you can drive this.

HOW FAST?
Not a Ferrari, but not a slouch either. Compare & contrast with the Eunos Cosmo.
230bhp
0-60 in 7.1 seconds
154mph

MORE PICTURES PLEASE!

This is how they showcased aerodynamics in the 90s

A whole load of meaty camera shots

Looks like this picture is from a brochure

Its predecessor, the Alcyone XT. I might cover this car in the future.

The comparison from the article I mentioned earlier.

CAN I BUY ONE?

Why, yes. they were sold in the US. They also depreciate a lot too so you decide if that's good or bad. If you're in the UK then you're in luck (if you're reading this once that car is sold then I'm very sorry). But regardless of where you are remember that this car is very rare even if not that pricey (£2,000 to £7,000).

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.

1990 Mazda Eunos Cosmo

CRAZY JDM #5

This is the Eunos Cosmo. It may look ordinary, but this is a car with a very special engine. A Twin Turbo 3 Rotor engine. 'Rotary Power' may as well be Mazda's slogan and this certainly has masses of the aforementioned 'rotary power'. Released under Mazda's ill fated luxury brand 'Eunos', this attempt at a GT car is really something special.


ISN'T THERE THAT REALLY OLD MAZDA COSMO THING TOO?
Well, yeah. The original Mazda Cosmo was the first ever mass produced car with a rotary engine and later models such as this one continue the legacy. Also according to Wikipedia, this was Mazda's top of the line 'halo model' and contained many revolutionary electronic features for its time including; a colour touch screen controlling climate control, analog TV, GPS navigation, radio, CD, and an actual mobile phone. That's luxurious even for today's standards!

HOW FAST?
Yeah, it's pretty fast.
296bhp
0-60 in 7.5 seconds
155mph

MORE PICTURES PLEASE!

Rear view.

Comparison with Mazda's more famed rotary car, the RX-7.

What I'd call a 'sleeper car', you wouldn't expect it to be much faster than it looks but it's very quick.

A very interesting interior.

The original Cosmo, looks like an antique... In a good way.

CAN I BUY ONE?

Though only sold in Japan it is imported to fair range of places. Almost new enough to pass the USA import cap so wait a few months if you want one over there, prices vary a lot. I've seen these go from just £6,000 to the £20,000!

CRAZY JDM RATING!

Silly styling? NO

Silly engineering? YES

Silly idea behind it? YES (an ambitious idea at least)

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

2004 Toyota Porte

CRAZY JDM #3
This is the Toyota Porte. It is a sort of mini people carrier based on the Yaris but don't let that put you off. The Porte has a single sliding door on the left and rear seats that slide all the way back so you can stretch your legs without touching the front seats! (Doing that does nukes the boot space though). This car is aimed at people in wheelchairs due to its accessibility and because Toyota said so.


SO IT'S LIKE A PEUGEOT 1007 THEN?
Well it's based off a small car like the 1007. It has sliding doors like the 1007. It made its début in 2004 just like the 1007. But even though it may not seem that original, Toyota has improved over the 1007 in a very important way: it's quirkiness has a point as it is made to be useful for the disabled. In fact, it still manages to look cool and unlike the 1007, is continued being made today in 2014.
That's a lot of 4 digit numbers.

HOW FAST?
You asked that about this car? Fine, here's the specs for the '06 model with the 130i engine.
86bhp
No data for the rest though, try to look at a similar sized car with the same engine, I honestly don't know. Oh and don't look at a BMW 130i's engine. :)

MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!

Accessibility example. 

Interior view shown in a very weird commercial for it.

Sister model called the 'Spade' (above) and newer Porte (below).

New model in detail.

Modified one because... it exists!

CAN I BUY ONE?

If you're in the USA then its too new to be imported otherwise you can import one for £2,000 to 12,000. Alternatively go and buy a 1007.

CRAZY JDM RATING!

Silly styling? NO

Silly engineering? YES

Silly idea behind it? YES

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