|ENGLISH EDITION|
KURUMAG. N̊18 M a y 2 018 CONTE NTS
www.kurumag.net www.kurumag-store.net
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REINVENTING THE WHEEL
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Brand
page. 16 _
Hotel
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Culture
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Goods
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Attraction
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Motorsports
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Travel Tips
credit
Editor in chief :
Publisher ／
Shigeyuki Ishikawa
CROMO Communications Inc.
Photographer :
Coopatation ／
Shigeyuki Ishikawa
Cobalto Inc.
Yujiro Otsuki
Tarminal Inc.
Creative Direction :
Print ／
CROMO Communications Inc.
Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. DNP Multi Print Co., Ltd.
Art Director / Designer :
Yoshio Nakada（ terminal Inc. ） Designer :
Chihiro Wakai（ terminal Inc. ） Translator:
Jason Young Andrew Rosalind Wyatt Kazumi Sakurada Kenshu Tanabe Project Coordinator :
Masami Kurosawa（ Cobalto Inc. ）
Advertising Inquiries ／ KURUMAG Sales Division info@kurumag.net Copyright ©2013 - 2018, KURUMAG. All Rights Reserved.
KURUMAG. No. 018 REINVENTING THE WHEEL
REINVENTING [ C ov e r s tory]
Car manufacturing of a new era
text=Shigeyuki Ishikawa, KURUMAG. photo=Shigeyuki Ishikawa, Hack Rod, Faraday Future, Lucid Motors, Honda, Local Motors, Rezvani Motors
Califor nia, the symbolic car capital of the world, is now driving the movement of a new style of car manufacturing, leveraging cutting edge technology. We take a close up look at this page. 04
new movement of car manufacturing intimately linked with Califor nias car culture.
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No. 018 REINVENTING THE WHEEL
G THE WHEEL
page. 05
KURUMAG. No. 018 REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Hack Rod Generative Design In Manufacturing
St ar t up c o m p an y at t rac t in g wo rl d wid e at t en t io n . AI (Artificial Intelligence), Machine Learning, Generative Design, and 3D printing are the technologies achieving unprecedented advances in manufacturing. These techniques are now being adopted by the automobile industry, and car manufacturers all over the world are racing ahead with a new generation of car making. Hackrod, founded in California in 2014, is attracting attention as one of the manufacturers leading the way. The company is the product of a collaboration between three men. The first, Mouse McCoy, is now a Hollywood director known for the movie Act of Valor but was a professional motocross racer in his former life. The second, Felix Holst, was a designer at Hot Wheels, and finally, there's Frazier Campbell, also hailing from Hot Wheels. Together
page. 06
the three are reimagining the way motorcars are designed, engineered and manufactured.Hackrod s
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REINVENTING THE WHEEL REINVENTING THE WHEEL
No. 018 REINVENTING REINVENTING THE THE WHEEL WHEEL
approach blends the 1930 s California car culture
through a major transformation once every 100
of hot rodding - that is, modification of cars to
years. 1808 saw the first car powered by an internal
improve both performance and appearance- with
combustion engine. In 1913, the Ford Model T was
a tech-savvy hacker mentality, utilizing advanced
mass-produced on a moving assembly line. The next
technology to produce a new approach to automotive
major milestone in the future of car manufacturing will
manufacturing. The final result? Self-designed cars.
be about collaborative creation with consumers and cooperation with other companies. In particular, those
The process begins when the customer selects their
not traditionally associated with the car industry.
ideal parts on a computer and inspects the body design in virtual reality (VR). Using Generative Design,
Hackrod reflects this trend, however, they are more
AI and Machine Learning, and Cloud Computing, the
than just a car manufacturer. The company is creating
software will determine the ideal balance of material,
an effective process that allows consumers to exert a
weight, cost, and performance. After that, based on
great influence on product design, and work alongside
the data inputted to the cloud, industrial 3D printers
the producer in any area of engineering design and
form the car s skeleton from aluminum alloy. In this
manufacturing.
way, it is now possible to manufacture a bespoke car, according to the needs of users, without investing in
Their first model, the "La Bandita" is in development.
facilities such as large presses and welding machines.
It seems likely that the day the first AI-produced is almost here.
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sports car performs a "DONUT" in front of the world Historically, the automobile industry tends to go
KURUMAG. No. 018
REINVENTING THE WHEEL REINVENTING THE WHEEL
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Felix Holst Hack Rod's Chief Product Officer "D e mo cra tizing design and enab l in g c o n s um ers t o de sig n a nd build th eir ow n b esp o ke c ar." Felix Holst, co-founder of Hackrod, former vice
record deal, and it would take years to achieve.
president of design at Mattel, and design manager
But with Garage Band, it took the complexity out
of Hot Wheels, the famous toy car brand. What
of making beats and sampling, it was easy, just
inspired him to start creating cars of the future?
drag and drop. I saw that design and engineering
Surprisingly, it was his musical background.
would be the next industry to get revolutionized in this new world of cloud processing. You could
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I was a musician from the UK, but I left my
design and engineer a vehicle as easy as you
band and moved to the States for the job at Hot
could do music on Garage Band, You could
Wheels. One of the reasons was that the industry
drag the suspension and drag the motor and
had changed. At first, we saw the iPod and iTunes
all the hard work gets done by AI, and then the
and software like Garage Band making it so much
manufacturing doesn t require tooling because
easier than ever before for anybody to make,
3-D printing is suddenly coming of age, and 3-D
publish, and sell music. Before you had to work
printing now can make real parts. Last year it was
very hard, need a lot of money and luck to get a
resin prototype parts, now you can print a car.
"I felt the need for a simple and beautiful sports car like the Jaguar D type or the Ferrari 250
KURUMAG.
So in a nutshell, that s where it started, from Hot Wheels to Hackrod.
GTO. I want to create a Golden Age sports car that will continue to be loved for many years.
cloud-based computing framework and their
But beautiful car design is not easy for everyone.
generative design platform Dreamcatcher. He
From a design perspective, it s very difficult to sit
saw the time had come for his dream of a new
with a blank sheet of paper and draw a beautiful
generation of car makers to be realized.
car. Very few people in the world can do it. So
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Felix's destiny changed after seeing Autodesk's
our idea is to design and build that car from the "Advanced technologies such as AI and Machine
ground up for the first time. From that point on
Learning linked to Cloud Computing allows
every subsequent time you design a car you start
the production of a self-generated design.
with the original design and adjust certain things
For example, if you select your favorite engine
to make it your own. Every bit of design that gets
or suspension and drag it into the design, AI
done is then added to a library. So that somebody
will optimize the hardware design. With cloud
else can come in and take a bit of this and that
processing, this is now possible. It was a truly
and create what they want. The hardest challenge
exciting discovery for me, as I had thought that
we have is using 4-5 disparate technologies that
the only function of a cloud was to share photos."
aren't connected and putting them together into
Hackrod was founded on the back of this pivotal
technologies together with an easy interface so
discovery, ushering in a new era of automobile
that anyone just vaguely competent could actually
development and manufacturing. Their first
get online, drag and drop, anyone and design a
product is a beautifully styled 2-seater sports car
car"
by the name of "La Bandita". He told us about the
"In the same way that you
development of this modern
would use the configurator in
day hot rod.
a video game, like Forza, or
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
a process. The short-term goal is to join the
Need for Speed or whatever, Start with a good race car
and you go in the garage and
chassis. A car that a lot
you get to choose your wheels
of great drivers had used.
and suspension setup and it all
We decided we would scan
just like drags and drops into your design, and then you go
this chassis. We didn t
out onto the track in the simulator, and you run it
hacked reality (he laughs). To figure out how
to find out whether you like it or not and you take
strong it needed to be. We took it to the desert
it back into the garage and say that doesn't quite
and thrashed it to find out the hard points.
We
right or change the suspension settings, or I put
then formed a digital model to determine how big
wider wheels on it, or change the body kit. Well,
the cockpit needs to be to be comfortable to sit
our vision is that if you can do that in a video
it, etc. We then use Generative design to help
game, we want to do be able to do that for a real
us figure these things out. Algorithms work with
car. That's the big vision for Hackrod, that's what
nature and work through many iterations to solve
we are trying to do. It s hard now because the
for the parameters you give it. When we created
software doesn't exist to join it all together, but
a new chassis from the data, we were able to
in the future, that's the way we see it happening.
achieve 30% lighter weight while maintaining
With cars like the La Bandita we are experimenting
equivalent performance. Based on this data we
with that and trying to find the sticky points are
are now working on shaping the skeleton by using
and what we have to develop to make it happen.
12-foot aluminum 3D printers "
We designed that in VR."
Ordinarily, the process of creating a chassis
Felix says that in ten years time we will be in an
requires a huge amount of time, effort, and
age in which people around the world will be
experience. Hackrod achieves this feat with
able to make things more freely. Starting with car
surprising speed due to the application of
creation, this startup will be one of the pioneers,
advanced technology. Felix also told us about the
a
design process.
to produce products on their own.
Manufacturer of the New Age enabling people
page. 09
want to start from scratch. We scanned it. We
KURUMAG.
REINVENTING THE WHEEL REINVENTING THE WHEEL Emerging California car manufacture
No. 018
What is the "joy of having a car? Another EV startup challenger Like California's Tesla, which since its 2003
Besides superior performance, these car companies
establishment has become the leader in the world's
are also seeking to attract customers with superior
EV market in only 15 years, new automobile
design. The Faraday Future FF 91 is the design of
manufacturers continue to emerge from all over the
Richard Kim, who was involved in designing the iconic
world. Also hailing from California is Faraday Future,
i3 at BMW. Lucid Air s VP of Design is Derek Jenkins,
who has been drawing attention as a rising EV
who used to lead Mazda's North American design
startup. In the first 18 months following their 2014
department. His design philosophy for the Lucid Air is
establishment, their concept car was unveiled; and
to achieve true elegance and luxury and to deliver a
in the following year the FF91, their first production
car that has a sharp focus on passenger comfort.
model, was completed. The vehicle is designed for REINVENTING THE WHEEL
autonomous driving, with a range of 608 km and a
Many highly skilled designers, having formerly worked
maximum output of 1050 horsepower, providing it
for the major car manufacturers, are now moving to
with significant acceleration.
new EV startups to seek new challenges. With car sharing and pooling on the rise due to electrification and
Another emerging manufacturer is Lucid Motors,
automatic operation, individual ownership is expected
founded in 2007. They unveiled their concept
to decline. In years to come, the demand will be for
model "Lucid Air" in 2016, which recorded a
cars of outstanding performance and beautiful design.
maximum speed of 378 km/h, an impressive speed for an EV, and surprised the world with its technical
Designs from the likes of Kim and Jenkins reflect how the
strength.
future of car ownership will change in years to come.
Faraday Futre Lucid Motors
page. 10
No. 018
Cooperative Intelligence
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Honda
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Ho nda 's Op en Innovation pro gram t o ac c el erat e t e chno lo g y developm ent for ever yo n e At this year s CES, held in Las Vegas, Honda released
the sense of speed of innovation and rapid expansion
three kinds of robots that had been developed with
of the startup community, they have also begun to
a theme in mind: "Empower 路 Experience 路 Empathy
invest and collaborate with startups around the world.
(Expanding people s potential 路 Growing with people
This Open Innovation' program started in California,
路 Empathizing with people)". One of these robots,
was shortly followed by Boston, and has now expanded
3E D-18 (workhorse), is an AI that co-operates with
to reach Israel, Detroit, Japan, China and Europe.
humans. This robotic device is equipped with CI (cooperative intelligence) and is capable of collaborating
In order to realize speedy product and service
with people in industries such as firefighting,
development, which became impossible to ignore in the
agriculture and sports training.
new era of automobile creation, California's subsidiary.
Technology exists for the people": this is the philosophy of Mr. Honda Soichiro, the founder of Honda. In order to embody the idea, Honda has been focusing not only on motorcycles and automobiles but also on advanced technologies and robotics. Their objective is to make people's daily lives more comfortable and increase their level of potential. In subsidiary of California s Silicon Valley. Keen to tap into
page. 11
2015 Honda established Honda Innovation to be a
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Int era c t ive dialo gue Autom atic o p erat io n m in ib us M ay bring ab out changes to urb an c ar l if es tyl es
No. 018
In 2016, a little-automated bus by the name of Olli
computing capability. More than 30 sensors embedded
began giving rides in Washington DC. Olli is the latest
throughout the vehicle produce high volumes of
creation of Local Motors, a startup from Phoenix,
transportation data, which the system analyzes and
Arizona, whose designs have been attracting
uses to continually adjust to its passenger's needs.
attention from around the world. Since its foundation,
Passengers can even talk to Olli, who will respond
the company has shaped numerous innovations,
to their questions. In this way, Olli provides a totally
including producing the world's first 3D printed
new interactive user experience between car and
car and leading open source vehicle design. The
passenger, that has never been seen before.
aforementioned 3D printed car Straty is constructed of only 50 parts and can be manufactured in as little
The model went from concept to prototype, to
as 44 hours. The Rally Fighter is an off-road SUV that
market, and finally to taking orders for sales in only 3
was co-created by the online community.
months. It seems that Olli may help transform urban public transportation as we know it.
This latest model, Olli, is manufactured via an REINVENTING THE WHEEL
innovative "distributed direct digital manufacturing network" that uses multiple micro-factories and exploits cloud data. This system can produce one Olli in just 10 hours. The vehicle is equipped with IBM's artificial intelligence "Watson" to support human decision making. This not only utilizes AI as the driver but also works to improve the passenger experience by allowing interaction with the vehicle. Olli is the first vehicle to utilize cloud-based cognitive
Local Motors Self-Driving Minibus
page. 12
KURUMAG.
REINVENTING THE WHEEL REINVENTING THE WHEEL
No. 018
The designer vehicles
The desig ner vehicles B u ild-yo ur- ow n Rezvani Motors latest model TANK is an impressive
inspired by carrozzeria coach builder masters.
SUV with a powerful presence.
Customers can order the TANK online, and
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Rezvani Motors
choose details and specifications to suit their Established in 2014 in Irvine, located between Los
preference. Alongside ensuring specifications
Angeles and San Diego, Rezvani Motors is a startup
conform to the laws and regulations of each
attracting attention in the product development
country, the company also offers some interesting
world by deciding to turn away from the current
high-end customization such as bulletproofing.
direction towards of autonomous driving. Their
Custom orders are completed within about 12
vision is rooted firmly in the driving experience, and
weeks, and the price of the TANK starts from
one that remains controlled by the driver.
$159,000 (about 17 million yen). In this way, Rezvani Motors allows you to create your own
Before TANK there was BEAST: a supercar launched
car from the comfort of your own home. The
with the F-4 fighter aircraft in mind, aiming to embody
company has quickly latched onto this trend of
the slick design and powerful performance of the jet.
car creation and are leading the way.
2017 s TANK marked the company s change in direction towards the off-road market and West Coast car culture. Looking like a futuristic military vehicle, its intense image is akin to something straight out of a Hollywood sci-fi movie. At its heart, the TANK is equipped with a 6.4 L V8 engine that generates 500 horsepower. Its designer, Samir Sadikov, comes with an impressive resume, having previously worked on Ferrari Xezri and the Aston Martin DBC concept. page. 13
Rezvani allows you to design your favorite vehicle
KURUMAG. No. 018
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
Field Notes
Brand Hotel Culture Goods Attraction Motorsports Travel Tips
page. 14
http://www.honda.co.jp/GVP/
Brand
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
No. 018 Brand
H ond a :
ON E O K R O CK an d H o n d aJet team u p for Honda CM Honda s commercial Go, Vantage Point featured
"The hopes of a company cannot be realized in the
Change , a recent release by popular J-rock band
short term, we have to continue to connect the dots.
ONE OK ROCK. Topping 20 million views on YouTube
Eventually, it will become firmly rooted and people
on its second version, the video is an exceptional hit
will say Honda is a good company. This challenge
for a mere company commercial. Its viewing figures
continues.
continue to rise even three months on since its launch. Last year, Honda formulated the "2030 Vision" to "We are a mobility company. Honda is not limited to
lead the evolution of movement and living in order to
motorcycle or automobiles, there are power products,
provide the pleasure of expanding the possibilities of
and we also make HondaJet. This project started
life for all people.
because we wanted to convey Honda s unique values, such as product diversity and challenge to mobility to those who are not our traditional customers", said Mr. Higuchi, of the product brand division in charge.
"We will bring the universal passion of Honda to serve people worldwide with the joy of expanding their life s potential. To further this end, we will lead the advancement of mobility and enable people
"Last June, based on the hashtag #10969GVP listed
everywhere in the world to improve their daily lives."
in Shibuya 109, we produced a new Civic CM that inherits Honda's DNA with ONE OK ROCK. And from
The message of "Go, Vantage Point", is that in order
February this year, we have developed a second CM
to realize what we want to achieve, we need to change
using HondaJet. This project aims to convey that the
our perspective, to bring ourselves to a Vantage Point.
brand is has a fighting spirit.
And to get there requires strong will and determination. page. 15
text=KURUMAG. photo= Honda
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
Hotel
No. 018 Hotel
c ar avan ou t p o s t:
A unique California road trip to Ojai Blue sky, beautiful sunset, local wine with tasty meals
snowboard industry, famous for creating Bonfire
... California road trips provide a special experience
Snowboarding. He is fusing fashion, sports, music,
for those visiting throughout the year.
travel and various cultures in his way.
At Ojai near Santa Barbara, 90 minutes from LAX (Los
Staying onsite, there are many activities to try
Angeles International Airport), is a caravan outpost
out at your leisure. Maybe rent a bicycle to go
offering to lodge suited to such a special trip.
cycling through the Tangerine Fields, or take your time sampling some delicious wines at the local
Stepping onto the site, you feel like you are in another
wineries. At lunch, enjoy local cuisine at neighboring
world. 11 camping trailers, each uniquely designed, are
restaurants and come evening,
the best Airstreams of travel trailers born in California. There is a beautiful garden, decorated with small items,
relax around the fire pit with a little more wine.
and it is a space where the owner s passion is really felt.
Luxurious and comfortable, a stay at the caravan outpost would make a wonderful addition to a
page. 16
Owner Brad Steward is one of the pioneers of the
memorable California road trip.
text=KURUMAG. photo= Caravan Outpost
https://caravanoutpostojai.com
KURUMAG. No. 018 Hotel page.17
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
Culture
No. 018 Culture
S mar t Mob ile D i s c o :
Pa r ty a t t he p ark in g lo t ! Concerns about the present state of the nightclub
a product designer, also designed Doriades, Floss,
scene prompted Smart to create a special concept
Iittala etc., many of whose works are selected as part
version of their car! The unusual Smart car was
of a permanent collection of the Museum of Modern
one of the highlights at the preview of "Night Fever.
Art, New York（ MOMA).
Designing Club Culture 1960 – Today", which is on
page. 18
show from 17 March to 9 September 2018 at the
Surprisingly, similarities exist between the nightclub
Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The
scene and Smart. Smart CEO Annette Winkler said,
exhibition has been designed by Konstantin Grcic,
"The Smart mobile disco is a great symbol of the
and the Smart mobile disco was conceptualized with
brand's links with club culture – a scene that draws
this event in mind.
people together, forges bonds and brings joy."
From LED lighting, fog machine, mixer console, to the
Imagine gathering at the weekend with friends,
JBL sound system, this Smart design is packed with
dancing the night away and talking about the car.
everything to provide the ultimate mobile disco. Grcic,
Sounds good!
text=KURUMAG. photo= smart
https://www.insta 360 .com/
Goods
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
No. 018
Sh a r i n g a n eyewit n ess view o f the ro ad tr ip exp er ienc e Insta360 is a high-flying Camera brand that has swept
Goods
Ins t a36 0:
young generation really is the driving force.
the world. Their 360 °cameras have also garnered attention at the world's largest electronics show, CES,
The company has released several cameras to date; from
picking up a CES Innovation Award in 2017.
the Insta360 Pro for professionals to the more basic model Insta360 Nano. But it is the core model, the Insta360
Only 4 years after the company's foundation, they
ONE, that everyone is really paying attention to. While at
produced the world's first real-time sticking spherical
82g it is only small and lightweight, its capability of up to
video camera. They are now the market leaders,
7K, 24million pixels and 120fps slow-motion imaging is
delivering some of the best image quality and user
considered phenomenal in the 360 °camera world. Packed
experiences possible to the masses. With good software
with many features, it really comes to life when combined
and hardware design and engineering, they have brought
with the iPhone. The Smart Track application allows the
a whole new value to the 360 °camera. Their strength
user to track their subject and place it center-frame so that
lies in their understanding of their customers priorities,
you are essentially a single-person camera crew.
having created the ability for them to take stunningly clear pictures, easily edit them on their iPhone, then
The Insta360 ONE manages to achieve advanced anti-
swiftly post to social media. At their office in Shenzhen,
shake function by six-axis image stabilization, that works
China, 230 staff are working on delivering new products
even when placed on a car. Master these functions, and
and features at astonishing speeds. With an average
you too will be able to effortlessly capture and share the
age of 25, they are helping to reinforce the idea that the
feel and experience of your own road trips.
page. 19
text=KURUMAG. photo= Insta 360
http://www.suzukacircuit.jp/gpfield_s/duelgp/
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
Attraction
No. 018 Attraction
Suzuka Circuit Duel GP:
Wo rl d ' s f irst b at t le ro ller c o aster op ens at S u zu ka The world's first battle rollercoaster "Duel GP" has
"Since the real international racing course is right next
arrived at Suzuka circuit. Duel GP , located at the
door, we are committed to providing the real feeling
circuit s amusement park, Motopia, is the sixth
and power of motorsports," Mr. Umekawa, designer
attraction to open within the 56,000-Square metre
of Motopia said.
area, GP Field'. Motopia is handily located in the middle of the international racing course. Duel GP is a
Along with the opening of Duel GP, in order to make
1/14 scaled down version of the International Racing
the world of motorsports more familiar, we started a
Course and has faithfully reproduced the distinctive
"Racing Master" certification system for elementary
three-dimensional intersection and height difference.
school third-grade students (130 cm tall) up to
At the start signal, two players ride at the same
junior high school students. By experiencing the six
time, steering the car along the coaster rail as they
sports motorsport attractions, and collecting stamps,
compete for victory. The car even rotates up to 360
they can become a Racing Master, and watch big
degrees to reproduce the thrill of a circuit spin!
events(Super Formula JAF Suzuka Grand Prix, Sound of ENGINE etc.  in Suzuka for free.
The speed and thrill of the intense battle are fun for
page. 20
everyone from small children to veteran race fans who
"I want to give kids inspiration and excitement and
have been visiting Suzuka for years.
grow the motorsport fan base!"
text=KURUMAG. photo= Mobilityland
https://themint 400 .com/
Motorsports Ja p a ne se c ar s app eal to the Great Am eric an o f f-ro ad rac e On America s West Coast, an off-road boom is taking
downtown and the main race taking place in the Mojave
place! The trend is helping boost popularity for the annual
Desert across California and Nevada. This time around,
"MINT 400" event, which celebrates its 50th anniversary
fans gathered before sunrise to watch the modified
this year. This off-road race, which began as a PR event
buggies and trucks make jagged runs around the
in the Casino Hotel MINT in Las Vegas in 1968, created
course and ended up covered in sand thrown up during
a peak in off-road popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.
the race.
No. 018
MI N T4 00:
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
Eventually reaching Japan, Tamiya and Kyosho's radio controlled toy buggies, a 1:10 scaled down version of
The tournament featured popular driver Blythe Menzies,
the cars, made kids across the country very happy.
sponsored by Red Bull and Ford, who warmed the crowd. Meanwhile, Japanese-manufactured machines were also attracting great attention. Toyota's Tacoma
400 gradually scaled back over the years. Then in 2012,
and Honda's Ridge Line - the Nissan pickups popular in
present organizers brothers Matt and Joshua Martelli
the 1980's - and the buggy with the Subaru engine put
brought back the event and ignited today s second
on a good show.
off-road boom. For this year s March convention, 400 entries were made - a substantial number fitting for the
It is great to see the presence of Japanese cars
event s 50th year anniversary.
increase, and even more so that they feature at the
Motorsports
After the closure of the casino MINT, however, the MINT
forefront of off-road racing, a giant figure in American The race is based in Las Vegas, with a pre-event
car culture.
page. 21
text=KURUMAG. photo=Shigeyuki Ishikawa, Larry Chen, MINT 400
KURUMAG.
Field Notes
Travel Tips
No. 018 Travel Tips
GoUSA.jp is an official government site that
The "Hayatabi Drive Plan" makes Japanese
summarizes information from the Tourism
driving even more enjoyable! The ETC limited
Association of each US state into an easy
plan contains discounts to round trip highway
read. Written in Japanese, here you can find
tolls and tourist facilities, entrance tickets,
out about the main attractions, culture, and
shopping tickets, accommodation supplementary
history of each region.
tickets and so on. Applying online in advance
Once you visit the site you will be surprised by the
gives you a 30-40% discount on the highway
amount of information it contains, some of which
and expressway fees. Foreign visitors using
doesn t tend to get mentioned in the Japanese
rental cars can also benefit from the "Central
guidebooks. If you are planning on driving in the
Nippon Expressway pass (CEP)", a pass allowing
US, this site should come in very handy.
unlimited free access on the highways.
▶ GoUSA.jp：www.gousa.jp
▶ C-NEXCO：www.c-nexco.co.jp
The Takarazuka-Kita Service Area opened on
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is a membership plan
March 18 this year and is now the largest rest area in western Japan. It operates between the ShinMeishin highway Kawanishi IC between Kobe JCT. The building s architecture is elegant and modern, inspired by the Southern European scenery around "Flower road" in the center of Takarazuka city. This Service Area is a great addition to this long route since it provides drivers and passengers with a well deserved break, and would be a great place for you to stop the next time you are passing through. page. 22
▶ W-NEXCO：www.w-nexco.co.jp
that makes overseas driving more comfortable. In addition to being able to avoid tedious procedures at busy counters, with more than 1,000 offices in 26 countries, it is also possible to use "Gold Choice" which allows you to choose one of your favorite cars from multiple vehicles. Member benefits include discounts on rental fees and free vehicle upgrades, making overseas driving available at a more reasonable price. Annual membership is free. ▶ Hertz：www.hertz.com
www.kurumag.net
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