JDMpire

Back in the 90s, when the Asian financial crisis was making the yen super cheap (hmmm, kinda like the dollar right now), American and European automakers were going on a shopping spree. Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki and Isuzu all became part of a larger automotive family. But then the economic tides, which I won’t even begin to pretend to understand, turned and now it’s the US companies that are divesting.

In 2005, GM sold off it’s 20% stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company of Subaru. The only thing that ever came out of that relationship was the short-lived Saab 9-2x. Toyota bought 8.6% of those shares, and while nothing has come of it yet, cars like the Toyobaru AE86 successor are in the works. Now Toyota has bought another chunk of FHI, increasing its stake to 16.16 percent

[Thomson Financial News via Autoblog]

What’s this, a Winter Warmer Edition of the Lexus RX 350 in the middle of summer? Stop being so hemispherist! In Australia, the intended market for the luxury crossover, it’s wintertime and the toilets are flushing in the opposite direction. Crikey! Only 250 of the RX 350 Winter Warmer will be sold. The package includes 18-inch shadow chrome alloy wheels, three unique exterior colours – including Arctic Blue, Burgundy and Onyx carbon – and an accessories pack featuring roof racks, nudge bar, tow bar, headlight covers, rear bumper protector, cargo mat and reverse parking sensors.

[Lexus Australia]

According to this story on Gotham Cable News, Wayne Enterprises has been on a multinational shopping spree buying up companies, mostly high-tech firms with military contracts. However, the montage of purchased companies included this image, which is the unmistakable dashboard of the 2007 Nissan Pivo2 concept, complete with R2-D2-like droid copilot. Does this mean we’ll see a VK56DE-powered Tumbler or a GT-R pulling out of the east wing of Wayne Manor? God, one can only hope.

Another day, another special edition. This time it’s the Toyota Wish X Aero Sports Package, which takes the base wagon and adds projector beam headlights, fog lamps, convenience lights, infrared filtering windshield, deodorizing pollen removal air filter and some leather accouterments. It goes on sale June 24.

[Toyota]

Toyota’s mid-size minivan twins, the Voxy and Noah, both have special editions debuting today. The main features setting them apart from run-of-the-mill versions will be standard dual power sliding doors and a bunch of cosmetic upgrades. The Voxy gets HID headlamps as well.

[Toyota, Toyota]

Ah, it must be nice to work for a big name auto website. Not only did Inside Line get to go to Portugal on a press junket to drive some Nissans around in scenery that’s probably more beautiful than my wildest dreams, they got a sneek peak at a new RWD coupe for the Infiniti lineup. It’s based on the 370Z and possibly will be powered by a 2.5L V6 while the upcoming Silvia successor will get an inline four.

[Inside Line]

So you’re all grown up now with a wife and kids, but you still can’t shake that burning desire to slide behind the wheel of a sexy sports car. What’s a family man to do? Mazda has the answer for you with their new Safari Man minisite. It basically shows how, with the purchase of a new RX-8, the modern Japanese man can go camping with the family, take the wife out on the town for a romantic evening, and then ditch the both of them for a surfboard and hit the waves on the weekend. Mazda RX-8, for all your mid-life crisis needs!

[Mazda]

In these times of high gas prices, Honda is offering the Fit Highway Edition for owners who can’t give up life on the open road. Road trip friendly features include a built in ETC tollbooth quick pass, tinted windshield, and heated door mirrors. G trim levels get ratcheting height adjustable driver’s seat and rear privacy glass, while L and RS cars get bonus HID headlamps and the uber-alphabetic RS S gets a leather steering wheel and a HEPA filter.

[Honda]

We just might be on the brink of another sports car renaissance, people. It’ll be like the early 90s all over again, when Honda, Toyota and Nissan unleashed the NSX, Supra and 300ZX on an unsuspecting American public.

According to Inside Line, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has commanded his minions to summon an NSX that will obliterate the Nürburgring lap times of the Nissan GT-R and Lexus LF-A. The rumored weapon of choice will be a 5.5L V10 with 550hp and 420lb-ft of torque mated to an 8MT and SH-AWD.

The idea of an all-out Clash of the Titans Japanese supercar battle royale is something I’ve been waiting for for 10 motherf’in’ years. I’ll be watching this one closely and hope with every fiber of my being that it will live up to the full epicosity potential inherent in the concept.

[Inside Line]

What would a new model launch in Japan be without a big campaign and cute, limited edition trinkets you can’t get anywhere else to lure you into the dealerships? The Exiga Debut Fair goes from June 21 to 22 in dealerships throughout Japan, where you can get your hands on these plush Exigas and possibly win a trip to Tokyo Disneyland.

[Subaru]