A Word (Or 200) On Tokyo

By Gunnar Heinrich

SHINJUKU to Roponggi, the gear head can’t go wrong in Japan’s capital.

The megalopolis doesn’t share London’s imperial abundance of Bentleys (counted two flying B’s in four days) nor Miami’s fetishistic dalliance with Lamborghinis (zero count; no sex please we’re Japanese).

No, Tokyo is in a New York state of self-restraint (don’t laugh, it’s true) by keeping the collective rolling stock low key, painted as grey as Chiyoda’s skyline, clean and boxy.

If you love three-box sedans, bread vans, or just any old box connected to a set of wheels, this town is your spoonful of miso.

Angular examples include but are by no means limited to the following:

1. Toyota Century. Tokyo’s Town Car is a disco-era relic that borrowed all the wrong styling cues from the Silver Spur. Often spied in funereal black with doily covered seats.
2. Nissan Cedric/Gloria. Known briefly in the States as the Infiniti M45, this svelte square tried to buck America’s wedge trend only to slide off the Jersey pier. Makes for great tax
3. Volvo S70/850 sedans and sportswagons. The Japanese seem to love this last line of handsome yet functional Swedes.

As a Benz enthusiast, sweet revenge was spying three Lexus LS taxis.