Rezz

(2006/09/23) Lexus LS460 incorporates the latest preventive safety technology and in doing so has achieved the mantle of 'the safest car in the world' title. Boasting collision safety technology and pre-crash safety technology that so far hasn't made it's way into a production car until now. The 'Pre-crash Safety System' adopts an obstacle detection system, a driver monitor, steering evasion support, and rear pre-crash safety systems to inform the driver of the danger of the collision, and to secure the vehicles stability when crash evasion is employed, and to decrease the collision speed if necessary. All these functions are applied the brakes automatically. The obstacle detection system reads information from both the shortwave radar at the front of the vehicle and the dual 'stereo camera'. The stereo camera that adopts a near-infrared radiation CCD is set up in the top of the fornt windscreen about 35cm apart. The near-infrared radiation CCD is irradiated from the near-infrared radiation projector long range beam and combined, they all project forward to the same area and can detect objects with an 'image data process'. As a result, pedestrians etc. can be detected even at night. Also in a world first, the steering wheel can be overidden if an imminent crash is detected by the pre-crash safety system by use of gearing set up in conjuction with the shortwave radar and near-infrared CCD. The steering override system only secures the posture and stability of the vehicle, so when the pre-crash sensors judge that there is danger of a collision, the chassis balance can be optimized. The effect is subtle and does not shake the steering wheel about furiously as some might imagine. In addition, the infrared camera (made up of 6 near-infrared high beam LED's) that monitors the driver is set up in the steering wheel column cover, and the direction of driver's face is detected regardless of day or night with an image processing computer. The infrared camera facing the driver can react faster in the event of a collision, thereby warning the driver (if his face is turned away from looking to the front) by means of a collision warning buzzer and dash lights. Another world first is the rear pre-crash safety system. The possibility of the rear-end collision is judged by distance, relative speed, and the direction, etc. with the vehicle behind detected with the special shortwave radar set up in the rear bumper. A hazard lamp is first flashed when the possibility of a crash is high, and attention of the driver is directed to the vehicle behind. The injury sustained when the headrest of the driver's seat snaps forward when there is a possibility to a collision from behind can be avoided somewhat too, as the system reduces the impact velocity of the car behind by moving out of the high impact zone and/or speeding up. An active steering wheel integration control was added to the steering called VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management). It is a sort of ballast and sensor in the front wheel along with the brake control system and is controlled in cooperation with VDIM to govern the behavior of the vehicle. For instance, when cornering and the car oversteers, VDIM applies the brakes to four wheels, then makes an electric power steering and VGRS (changeable steering wheel angle compared to the steering angle applied by the driver) cooperate and at the same time controlling the engine power, and also automatically counter steering to regain stability. The driving support system includes the 'lane keeping' assistance, radar cruise control (with a function that can follow of the velocity of cars in front), and intelligent parking assistance. The radar cruise control operates from high speed operation to low speed such as the in congested traffic situations and the sudden slow down situation that might occur on the high speed expressway. The position and the lane used by the car in front is recognized by information gathered from the shortwave radar and the stereo cameras, and it stops at an appropriate distance with the car in front. An intelligent parking system which uses proximity sensors as well as the rear facing camera both work in conjunction to parralel park the car when parralel parking is selected. The vehicle moves slowly moves back at a creeping pace, and the driver should use the brakes at any time if a complete stop is desried. When the parralel park in confirmed by the driver by using the touch screen prompt, the steering is released and normal operation is regained. The car in question, the Lexus LS460 with just a hint of BMW 5 series... The 'stereo cameras'. This pic shows the shortwave radar, stereo cameras and near-infrared CCDs working in conjunction to detect an object... in this case the system is foiling an attempt to run over G. Dubbya Bush. This pic shows the display when radar cruise control is set, showing the car in front and it's movements either further or closer to the LS460.

Neg camber will cure alot of what you posted... still lipping would be a good idea as would getting narrower tires for the rim to stretch the sidewalls.

I think you'll have problems with the rim contacting the front strut with 9.5 + 25. I've got 9.0 +27 on my Silvia but with an 18mm spacer and it clears with heaps of room... but I'mm also running wide front guards. On an R33 I would say you'd need at least a 10mm spacer to make them fit on the front, but the wheels tires will be sticking out of the guards a bit. I realise it's an S13 and not R33, but I've found that swapping wheels between R32/R33/S13/S14 are all pretty similar.

I haven't heard of it personally, do you have any more info, or a pic of the sticker/document that it's written on? Sounds like a drifting club name to me...

Last night I had my two brothers and a Japanese friend (and his Aussie gf) come to my place last night for a visit, and the topic eventually came around to the stupidest stuff that I/we encountered in Japan... and even stuff that we were guilty of doing... Example: Japanese friend is from Ibaraki in North Osaka (not prefecture). One day while he was on they way to the train station, he came across a homeless guy on the ground next to a fence asleep and snoring loudly. The strange thing was that the homeless guys pants were down to his knees with his bare ass sticking out for all to see. It seemed as though he was trying to take a piss when he suddenly passed out... it sure as hell smelt like it! So J-friend has pity for the guy so tries to help him pull his pants up by the belt loops, when the homeless guy wakes up and starts kicking his legs frantically, so much so that one leg came out of the pants leg. The homeless guy gets up and tries to run away while shouting and yelling for help, but is slowed down by his pants, so he kicks off the pants and runs away naked from the waist down. -------------------------- I was late for an express train one night, and being Sunday it was pretty empty. I got on at the last carriage but wanted to get off up at the front carriage so I made the trek up to the front carriage. About 3 cars up I come across 4 foreigners who had managed to climb up onto the luggage racks above the seats and were laid out sleeping (or pretending to) up there... -------------------------- Another train story... This one happened about 3 - 4 years ago when having those mountain climbers little bag things was cool to have hanging off your belt. You know? The ones that are made of nylon and climbers use them as chalk bags... anyway, my friend thinks he'll be a comedian and gets one even though he bagged out alot of people for having them. One day I see him waering the climbers bag thing and he's FILLED it with about 500 10yen coins, and when walking down the street is purposely making the thing swing from side to side droping coins out while he's making his way through crowds of people. Unbelievably some people actually pick up some coins and chase him down to give them back! But thats not the worst... the next time I see him - on the train this time - he had been to the 'Loft' department store to buy some chalk sticks. He'd ground the chalk sticks up to powder then put it in said climbers chalk bag... next thing I know he coughs REALLY loudly, then dips his hands into the chalk bag to get chalk on them, then clapps his hands together like the Olympic weightlifters do, then grapples those rings that you hold when standing up in the train isles in a cloud of chalk dust... Anybody else got some stories?

Yeah, you can mount it on your belt alongside your water flask and swiss army knife holster...

Hahaha look what I found: Mitsuoka La Seyde police car... for the times you need to patrol around Ayu Hamasaki's house...

I think to appreciate this car properly, you have to look at Mitsuoka's current line up, then have a look at what they used to do to S15 Silvias... For example, here's what they do to Honda Accord Euros: http://www.mitsuoka-motor.com/lineup/nouera/index.html And the poor bastard S15 Silvia known as the 'La Seyde': So knowing that I think the Orochi sports car is fantastic coming from Mitsuoka and I'm glad they stuck with it and didn't give in.

http://www.mitsuoka-orochi.com/ The 3rd Generation of 'Orochi' is finally announced. Back in 2001 Mitsuoka Motor Co. showed it's first prototype of the Orochi sportscar at the Tokyo Motor Show to a gobsmacked crowd who couldn't wait for it's official unveiling 'in 2003'. Along came 2003 with another promise from Mitsuoka that the car will be ready on schedule.. but to no avail. Then, at the 2005 TMS, Mitsuoka once again promised - but could not deliver - the official unveiling of the Orochi ('big snake' in Japanese). After all that, the 'market reaction' model of the 3rd generation Orochi was shown at Roppongi Hills on September 6th. (see pics) The car will be powered by a Toyota 3MZ-FE 3300cc V6 mated to a 5MT automatic gearbox. The 2005 show car, the Orochi Nude Roadster, was built on a Honda NSX platform as a mock up, but the production versions will use an original platform. President Akio Mitsuoka of MITSUOKA MOTOR comments, "We made a breakthrough, and we could not help abandoning the promise of making an announcement for the Orochi to go on sale by Tokyo Motor Show despite the difficulties of passing homologation". President Akio Mitsuoka clarified that development was at an advanced state due to the cooperation of Toyota, so that "we could make it to marketing stage without fail in 2006", unfortunately the chassis and the body panels were revised (no convertable will be offered) so it became a regrettable result for the many Orochi fans. Mitsuoka has already acquired the number of production units to be made, and is correct to assume that Mitsuoka is very happy with result of the final appraisal vehicle that was shown before the car goes on the market. Details like the spec, price, and the number etc. of the annual output wil be clarified by a formal announcement on October 2. The 2005 Roadster 'Naked'. Personally, there are some design elements I don't like, particularly the front grille and some of the swooping lines down the side of the car, but overall is incredibly unique... and this is from MITSUOKA!!! I hope it's a sales success and is the beginning of the end of Mitsuoka's love affair with 1940's styling.

I'd agree with what Shan said about it looking like a shrunk Odyssey. Even the tailgate comes right down into the rear bumper like the Odyssey, almost giving it a 'minivan but not' look from the rear. If the rear glass was anymore upright I guess you could call it a minivan. Far nbe it from me to comment on a cars styling (lol) I think it's proportions and 'cab forward' design are all wrong and it's 3/4 rear view looks hideous.

The meanest Police car I ever saw 'in the metal' was a Crown Athlete in the Panda color scheme with the bug deflector and roof mounted strobes.... boring. The gayest police car I saw in the metal was a Toyota Vitz (Yarus) with the panda colors and the roof mounted lights. With two fully uniformed and gun toting cops in it it was a something to behold

I thought it was painful having my parking space around the back of my building...

Alright Christian! Finally we might get to meet in person I'll see what I can do about ladies, but don't count on it

Richard I take it you an Nick will be there come hell or high water... so on the list you go!

Yeah thats why I put '*New*' and '*Infiniti G35*' in the title...

Ah yes... the police confirming your parking space... haha they didn't even bother with me (this was in Ashiya), they're supposed to go out and 'sight' the space in person but many don't I assume.

Well done mate lol @ the NSX, unjustified mods there! btw, were you off to some lessons later?