Past Gas

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S2 Ep13: The Golden Era of JDM: Our Favorite Cars Jun 23, 2026

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From the early days of innovation after WWII to the brand new supercars coming out of Japan, "The Golden Era" of the Japanese Car Industry spans many generations and is more far reaching than anyone realizes. In this final installment of Season 2 of Past Gas, Nolan Sykes and Joe Weber recap their favorite parts and unpack what didn't make it to the episodes.

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S2 Ep12: The Golden Era of JDM: Why Gen Z Grew Up Without Cars Jun 16, 2026

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From legendary 90s JDM icons skyrocketing into the millions, to corporate scandals, economic crashes, and a generation forced to trade the steering wheel for a smartphone, this is the true story of how we lost the greatest automotive era in history, and why the "car dream" is now completely out of reach for most of us.

The golden era of Japanese sports cars is officially dead... or is it?

S2 Ep11: The Golden Era of JDM: The Last Great JDM Halo Cars Jun 09, 2026

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By the late 2000s, shrinking markets, tightening emissions, and a younger generation losing interest in vehicles signaled the end of the legendary JDM era. But a few rebellious engineers refused to go quietly, choosing instead to make their last cars arguably their greatest.

In this second-to-last episode of Past Gas: The Golden Era of JDM, we explore the dramatic conclusion of Japan's greatest automotive era. Discover how Nissan built the R35 GT-R from scratch to successfully crush Porsche at the Nurburgring, why Toyota intentionally lost money on every screaming V10 LFA they built to educate their next generation of engineers, the heartbreaking cancellation of Honda's highly anticipated V10 NSX, and how Mazda kept the pure driving spirit alive despite the death of the rotary engine.

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S2 Ep10: The Golden Era of JDM: The Secrets That Made Tokyo Drift Successful Jun 02, 2026

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In this episode, we explore the unbelievable evolution of drift culture. From Keiichi Tsuchiya—the legendary "Drift King"—cutting his teeth by sliding through blind corners, to the creation of the D1 Grand Prix and the birth of Formula Drift, drifting had to invent its own competitive rules and scoring systems from scratch. Join us as we dive into how this underground Japanese phenomenon captured the world's attention, conquered the American car scene, and eventually demanded absolute authenticity on the set of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
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S2 Ep9: The Golden Era of JDM: The Forbidden Japanese Cars The US Demanded May 26, 2026

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When The Fast and the Furious hit theaters in 2001, it lifted Japanese car culture out of the mountain passes and dropped it straight into the American mainstream.

In this episode of Past Gas, we explore how Japan responded to the world's newfound obsession with its vehicles. We break down Daijiro Inada's terrifying 200 mph rollover crash in the Nevada desert, the intense enthusiast demand that finally forced legendary cars like the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution stateside, and the historic end to Japan's 15-year 276-horsepower "gentlemen's agreement". Finally, discover how iconic aftermarket brands like GReddy and HKS engineered specifically for the West and turned American ambition into a global tuning empire.

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S2 Ep8: The Golden Era of JDM: Nitrous, Neon and... Internet Forums? May 19, 2026

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In this episode of Past Gas, we dive into the explosive rise of the tuner revolution. We explore the wild Motorex scandal that illegally brought the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R to the US, the neon-lit spectacle of Hot Import Nights, and how a single magazine article birthed The Fast and the Furious. Discover how the World Wide Web and Hollywood mutated grassroots garage builds into a massive global phenomenon.

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Also thanks to Lumi Gummies for sponsoring this podcast! Go to https://www.LumiGummies.com and use code PASTGAS for 30% off your order.

This podcast is also sponsored by BlueChew! Right now, when you buy two months of BlueChew Gold, you get the third for FREE with promo code PASTGAS!

And also thanks to Shopify for sponsoring this episode!

S2 Ep7: The Golden Era of JDM: Why The Drift King Chose The AE86 for Initial D May 12, 2026

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Initial D exploded beyond the confines of car culture to a global phenomenon and broke a lot of rules along the way. In the seventh installment of our 12-part series, we explore the origins of the Initial D series, how drifting went global, and how Keiichi Tsuchiya, The Drift King himself, helped every step of the way.

S2 Ep6: The Golden Era of JDM: How Japan Embarrassed the Racing World May 05, 2026

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For decades, the world saw Japanese cars as just efficient, economical daily commuters. Then the 1990s hit, and Japan unleashed a lineup of obsessively engineered racing monsters that completely stunned the established European and American giants. Backed by the limitless budgets of the nation's economic "bubble era," Japanese engineers were given the ultimate green light to overbuild their machines without worrying about the cost.

From Subaru and Mitsubishi conquering unforgiving rally dirt, to Mazda’s unbreakable rotary engine surviving Le Mans, and Nissan’s R32 "Godzilla" destroying the Australian touring circuit—Japan didn't just show up to compete. They took over.

Discover how these manufacturers stopped being seen as the "optimistic little brother," rewrote the racing rulebooks, and became the ultimate global benchmark.

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This episode is also brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://www.Shopify.com/Gas

Also thanks to BlueChew for sponsoring this podcast. Right now, when you buy two months of BlueChew Gold, you get the third for FREE with promo code PASTGAS.

S2 Ep5: The Golden Era of JDM: Inside Japan's Exclusive Outlaw Race Club Apr 28, 2026

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Join us in the fifth installment of Past Gas: The Golden Era of JDM, as we dive into the history of one of Japan's most elusive car clubs, The Mid Night Club. What later became a popular video game started as a way for Japan's elite car tuners, enthusiasts and even Automotive Executives to test and tune their cars... on public roads.

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And also thanks to Rula for sponsoring this podcast! Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/pastgas #rulapod #ad

S2 Ep4: The Golden Era of JDM: Car Zines That Made JDM Culture Global Apr 21, 2026

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Before the internet, Japan's underground car culture was built on independent, cheaply printed zines, word-of-mouth networks, and late-night highway runs. In this episode of Past Gas, we explore how car magazines transformed Japanese tuning from a hidden, unauthorized subculture into an absolute global phenomenon.

We dive into the story of visionary editor Daijiro Inada and his revolutionary publication, Option Magazine, which boldly documented illegal street racing and gave rogue tuners a shared voice and platform. From the secretive, elite 250 km/h runs of the legendary Mid Night Club on Tokyo's Wangan to the smoke-filled official top-speed battles at the Yatabe High Speed Loop. This rebellious energy birthed the Tokyo Auto Salon and forced the Japanese government to legitimize the very aftermarket engineering that would soon take over the world

Today's episode is brought to you by BlueChew. Right now, when you buy two months of BlueChew Gold, you get the third for FREE with promo code PASTGAS.

This episode is also brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://www.Shopify.com/Gas

And thanks to Rocket Money for sponsoring this episode. Join at https://www.RocketMoney.com/PastGas

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