Across the automotive industry, whenever you hear the acronym JDM, you obviously think about models connected to Japanese automakers or at least with a firm footing inside the Rising Sun’s thriving car culture.
By the way, avoid the common mistake of assuming that any Japanese-branded car is equal to JDM. That refers solely to the country’s home market for vehicles and automotive parts, frankly. As such, a Toyota Sequoia full-size SUV, for example, is not JDM though it makes use of Toyota’s TNGA platform just like many Japanese domestic models. Instead, it is being produced in the United States at the company’s Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMTX) facility in San Antonio, Texas.
On the other hand, some JDM-style nameplates, like the Toyota Supra Mk4 or Nissan Skyline GT-R and Mazda RX-7, have achieved a global cult following precisely because they offer an easy link to the JDM car culture. And, of course, international media has been keen to portray them as such. But to be frank, industrial globalization has made sure that anyone can fiddle with the JDM-like atmosphere if they want to. And that is valid for both vehicles that respect the criteria and for models that have virtually nothing to do with the Rising Sun’s automotive ethos.
But, as always, there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have a trio of examples stemming from the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. As such, not long ago, we saw the latest CGI build project from Ignas Simonaitis, the virtual artist behind the digital label “Halawia” (aka halawia.3d on social media), who decided the Pandem label is in dire need of some Old Continent sports car affection of the vintage VW Corrado variety. Now, think about the labels for a second.
The pixel master has just united Tra Kyoto’s Rocket Bunny JDM lifestyle with something that dwells along the Americana premises (the widebody kits are sold as Pandem in the United States due to copyright issues) and everything is neatly tucked on top of a compact 2+2 liftback coupe that was born in 1988 and quickly went extinct since 1995, almost three decades ago! And he gave the assembly a neat two-tone silver and vibrant purple paint job, dropped the stance as low as possible on bronze BBS aftermarket wheels, and played around with the widebody style to befit the secret tucked under the hood.
Photo: the_kyza / halawia.3d / Instagram
Oh yeah, the author says that he not only loves the new looks but also wrapped everything as tidily as possible by swapping the VW mill from under the hood with a ubiquitous JDM-style engine from the Honda K24 series! That is bonkers, right, especially since it feels spot on! Anyway, that made me think about JDMs for a long moment and I decided to check out what some of the usual suspects did this week about such rides and produced a couple of more ‘traditional’ solutions. The first one comes from Musa Rio Tjahjono, aka musartwork, on social media – the digital car artist who also doubles as the Head Designer at the gloriously outrageous West Coast Customs during his work hours.
And his latest JDM ‘brap-brap’ idea comes in the form of a very yellow ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ Mazda RX-7 widebody of the third generation FD3S variety. The rotary-powered hoot is also as aerodynamic as possible thanks to various enhancements, rocks the widebody atmosphere like a charm, and also rides lowered on humongous aftermarket wheels. By the way, this is the most classic example of JDM greatness that we have here.
The novel idea, on the other hand, comes from the (in)famous UK-based Khyzyl Saleem, who acts from the covers of the_kyza account on social media. Not long ago, he also decided to jump on the 2023 Nissan Z (seventh generation of the Z-car lineage) hype bandwagon. And while he was fashionably late at the CGI party, his bagged widebody take on the latest Z – which, by the way, is produced in Japan at the Nissan Motor Tochigi Plant in Kaminokawa, Tochigi – was more than spectacular when dressed in ‘plum crazy’ purple to make all sports cars fans jealous, not just Mopar enthusiasts.
Now, though, the CGI expert took his Nissan Z – redressed in a red-orange hue that almost feels like pink (but, hopefully, it’s not) for a virtual tour of scenic Japan backgrounds to make the JDM connection even clearer. Speaking of transparent stuff, after you ogle at the widebody stuff and dream of bagged shenanigans with gold Rays Wheels Volk TE37s, be sure to also notice how the 3.0-liter VR30DDTT twin-turbo V6 is also properly visible through the V-shaped, see-through hood window!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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