Yamato

Just finished Little Witch Academia. Watched it for the same reason I watched Kill la Kill, I thought the art style was neat. Show ended up being pretty alright. Now I'm in the middle of Space Battleship Yamato 2202, which I've been waiting a very long time for and I am hella hype.

Y'all can't tell me that the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie wasn't a work of art in its own right.

The year is 1983. Chrysler has just introduced America to the minivan, and it's a smash hit. Toyota, somewhat misreading the American market, introduces the LiteAce, which had been popular in Japan. Though surprisingly comparable to Chrysler's minivans in terms of performance and quite a bit cheaper, the Toyota LiteAce (sold simply as the Toyota Van in North America) was also noticeably smaller. Being an import didn't do much to help it, either. Most people understandably spend the extra money on the Chryslers for extra cargo space and parts that would be readily available. Two years later, Ford introduces the Aerostar minivan to compete with Chrysler's mighty Caravan, Town & Country, and Voyager. Toyota continues to sell the unpopular Van, and sales drop even further. The year is now 1990. Toyota finally kills the Van, and replaces it with something magnificent: the model year 1991 Previa, also known as the Toyota Estima in Japan and the Toyota Tarrago in Australia. Personally I love the styling, but I know that may not be your thing. It's definitely 90s, with some "spaceship" and "jellybean" thrown in. Bear with me here though, because that's not the best part about this van. For whatever reason, I'm not even sure Toyota themselves know why, the Previa is mid-engined. Well, front-mid engine. Not the standard style of mid-engine, but the entire drivetrain rests between the axles so it still counts. The Previa's inline four engine is mounted at a 75 degree angle, nearly sideways, underneath the front row of seats with the transmission trailing behind. This layout, similar to that of the Mazda RX-7, results in a vehicle with a perfect 50-50 weight distribution. Additionally, it gives the Previa the lowest center of gravity of any minivan ever. Completely unnecessary for a vehicle that will never see a racetrack, but totally awesome. The original 135 hp engine setup proved inadequate, so in 1994 the option of a supercharger was added, boosting power to 158 hp. This was comparable to Dodge's V6, though the Previa was heavier than the Caravan. Unfortunately, the addition of the supercharger removed the option of a 5-speed manual transmission. Can't have all the fun, I guess. The supercharger became standard equipment for 1996 and 1997. Rear-wheel drive was standard, while "All-Trac" all-wheel drive was an option. I don't know if it's just me, but the idea of a mid-engined, supercharged minivan is just so absurd that it's amazing. I have seriously been considering one of these for my next vehicle. Anyway, it'll probably be another 3 years before I post in this blog again. Keep it real.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Favorite automobile?

Trueno

Can confirm.

Ｑ　　Ｕ　　Ａ　　Ｌ　　Ｉ　　Ｔ　　Ｙ Ｕ Ａ Ｌ Ｉ Ｔ Ｙ

And I know exactly where it is, too. Got itself a fresh set of Königs.

I mean you're not wrong, but Jesus likes the 2JZ more. I mean, I may be just a little biased on that, but still... Guess while I'm here I'll post about my car, too. It's a 1995 Lexus SC300, which has been my dream car since I was a wee little babb. Actually pulled it out of the Houston area the day Hurricane Harvey was rolling in. Talk about a rescue! Put new wheels on it earlier this week. Actually the factory wheels from an R32 Skyline. And of course we have the mighty 2JZ-GE. Only 130k miles on it.

Truuuuuuuu King of the strip since 1979...

Yeah I feel ya, I like shifting too. I wish my car was a manual, unfortunately they didn't make very many like that. I would've paid twice as much or more if I'd got one with a standard in it. Foxbodys are a dime a dozen though. You shouldn't have too big a problem finding one you like.

Hell yeah, another car guy. I get lonely here sometimes, y'know? And JDM too? Right on.

It's a damn good thing the media can't hear me play Battlefield...

Casiopea - Take Me V

Maybe you should test it out.