Japanese Performance

This magazine is fairly similar to Max Power, in that it features mainly modified cars. However, unlike Max Power these cars are only from Japan, hence the title of the magazine (well duh…).

Also, you may or may not be pleased to know there are no half-naked women who adorn every other page. No, this magazine concentrates solely on the cars, which is a good thing. If you're into cars in a big way, then you'll know that a modified Japanese car doesn't need a half-naked woman draped over it to make it gorgeous.

Enough already… I hear you cry. I'm sorry I know you came here to find out about the magazine. So what else have we got?

Obviously you have a cover story. This is usually the pick of the bunch from the cars that are featured. The write-up is of a very high standard, as are the pictures. You are usually given a little bit of history about the car and the owner. Then you are taken on a journey with the car…

What I mean by this is the writer introduces you to the car and then gives you a full-on tour. Nothing is left untouched here. Most of the time you can understand and appreciate what you are reading. However, you are taken into more technical areas as well. Some of which are a bit in depth for the average reader, although this is essentially an enthusiasts magazine.

I could solely write this opinion on the way the cover features are written, but I won't. Instead I'll be nice and tell you about the rest of the magazine and what it has to offer.

News

In this section you are given a whole host of different areas. You are told how Japanese giants such as Subaru and Mitsubishi are doing in the World Rally, as well as being told of the progress made by smaller/private runners who use Japanese cars.

You are also given a glimpse of what new cars we can expect from the many Japanese companies who sell their cars in the UK. Such as a revised Mazda MX-5, which (at the time of writing) hasn't even been announce in the UK yet. Older issues of the magazine previewed and reviewed the hideous looking new shape Impreza Turbo before us Brits knew anything about the changes. You get the idea…

Other news concentrates on tuning and styling products from body kits to seatbelts, gauges and dials, pretty much any tuning and styling product is covered over the course of several issues.

Clubs and Shows

After the news sections there are listings and reviews of various Japanese car clubs and shows from all over the world.

The listings for the car clubs are very useful in that you are given plenty of information. You get the club name, telephone number, e-mail address, web site address and even a town/street address. Obviously not all of this applies to all of the clubs.

The feature on car shows is usually fairly short and concise (1 or 2 pages), but you get a pretty good idea of what the show is all about. You are given pictures and a short comment about some of the best cars at the show.

Next Issue

Here, as with any magazine, you are given a glimpse of what to expect in the next issue of the magazine and a date of when it is out (usually every 2 months).

Classifieds

In this section readers can buy and sell their cars and/or any accessories. The adverts are clearly listed by manufacturer, so if you know exactly what you want, you don't get bogged down in other adverts.

Other Articles

Obviously there are also other articles in the magazine about different cars. Here you get some heavily modified cars as well as standard mint-condition classics, such as the Z-cars from the 70's.

Also reviewed are cars from various Japanese tuning specialists such as Option Motorsport, who featured a 600 or 870 bhp Nissan Skyline! The two separate bhp figures are given because the car can run at both. The 600 bhp figure is used for every day use, while the monstrous 870 bhp figure is strictly for track days.

Well I think I've rambled on far too long, and if you're still reading - the medal is in the post (lol)…

So to finish up then… The magazine costs £2.95 and can be quite difficult to find, but I think it is worth the hunt. It comes out every couple of months, and you can order it if you don't feel like trawling through your local shops.

The magazine is published by CHPublications Ltd, you can find them at: www.chpltd.com

Happy reading!