Going into next week I have a list of about 15 different topics that I’m itching to talk about here. But for this weekend I want to wrap up a couple of loose ends which I hope you’ll enjoy.

Topic 1 (the lead off picture): Midnight Purple IV

The Rocky Auto Fairlady Z I featured a couple of days ago is indeed painted the R35 GT-R Spec V’s Ultimate Black Opal (aka Midnight Purple IV as I think of it). The shots I posted earlier showed only a black hue so it may have confused you. I finally pulled my personal pics off of my camera which was is essentially the foundation of this thread. So here’s one of my pics of the legendary Z where the purple is poppin’! 1800pix file size so don’t be afraid to click on it!

Topic 2 The IS-F CCS Concept is the ish!

This car really was the s#!t when experiencing it in person. Before I put up a video but I wanted to share some of my personal pics as well to illustrate the points I wanted to make.

First off, I was talking about a potentially new trend I saw evolving. It involves using (double sided taped on) carbon fiber to extend the lines of carbon parts outside of the part’s shape. In the case of this IS-F, one of the many impressive details I noticed was this new technique. Have a look up close and you’ll see what I mean:

There you go…the rearward piece and the front grill piece are noticeable up close but from far away you might think that the hood is shaped differently. Some slick details…like always TAS invents the style, now just wait for HIN car show guys to jump on it. This is an easy one. Get creative!

Check out the interior of the IS-F CCS. Sorry for the pic through the window, but you get the idea…the interior is all business. This is a car I’d love to drive daily! Its super raw but just perhaps tame enough to live with. Just the way I like it.

Point 3 - FT-86 Front Fender Design/Hood Integration

I took this picture not simply to add to the massive internet collection of FT-86 photos but to simply illustrate one cool design point. Have you ever seen front fenders like that?! Its badass and I never noticed it until one of the guys I was with told me to check it out. How the hood integrates with those front fenders (that pointed edge that hangs out there) is a really cool design touch that I felt was worth pointing out!

Point 4 - Toyota Finally Got Its Swagger Back

Sorry for my poor lighting on this pic (also 1800pix btw), but I think everyone can agree that this is one of the freshest, nastiest most awesome bumper designs done in a long time. Mark Xs were always great and I was always jealous that we never got them in the US but this right here is a new level of Mark X freshness. It’ll look killer in D1 and besides providing a menacing front profile, all of the ducting and design of that bumper is functional too!

Toyota went on to build what to me was one of the most impressive OEM booths at TAS that I’ve ever seen. Sure I heard them talking about how they want to make Toyota more of a passionate brand and all, but I didn’t really believe it until I saw the TAS booth. Seeing an OEM bring it this hard to the aftermarket was quite exciting!

Alright, I’m spent. I hope you enjoy this 4 part, mostly scattered blog post. I’ll be back next week ready and with a whole lot to say.

Bonus pic from Rocky Auto (because their cars don’t just sit pretty):