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More From The Garage


The 25-Year Rule Just Set a Whole New Wave of JDM Legends Free
The 25-Year Rule Just Set a Whole New Wave of JDM Legends Free Buckle up, because 2026 just cracked open the import floodgates again. Every car built in 2001 just crossed the US federal 25-year import threshold — and that model year is absolutely stacked with Japanese-market icons that American enthusiasts have been drooling over on forums for two decades. Wait, What Even Is the 25-Year Rule? Under NHTSA's import rules, a vehicle that was never federalized for US sale becomes
4 days ago3 min read


Manual Transmissions Refuse to Die — And 2026 Is Proving It
Gearheads, grab your clutch foot — we need to talk. Everyone said the stick shift was dead, buried next to the cassette tape and the carburetor. It didn't get the memo. Manuals are creeping back into showrooms, enthusiast forums are louder than ever about "save the manuals," and resale values on clean stick-shift cars are climbing faster than their automatic twins. So what's actually going on here? The Numbers Don't Lie Manual transmission take-rates have been in single digit
Oct 53 min read


Stick It To 'Em: Why the Manual Transmission Refuses to Die
Stick It To 'Em: Why the Manual Transmission Refuses to Die Everybody keeps writing the stick shift's obituary, and it keeps no-showing to its own funeral. Automakers, enthusiasts, and even insurance companies are all noticing the same thing: three pedals are cooler than ever, and the numbers are starting to back it up. The "Dead" Transmission That Won't Stay Buried For a solid decade, every headline said the same thing: manuals are done, DCTs are faster, automatics are smoot
Oct 33 min read


The Stick Shift Strikes Back: Why Manual Transmissions Refuse to Die in 2026
The Stick Shift Strikes Back: Why Manual Transmissions Refuse to Die in 2026 Everyone told you the manual gearbox was headed for the automotive history books right next to the carburetor and the cassette deck. Nobody told the enthusiast world — because three pedals are having a full-blown renaissance, and it's not just nostalgia talking. Wait, Manuals Are Actually Making a Comeback? Yep. For years the story was simple: automatics shift faster, get better fuel economy, and nob
Sep 244 min read


Sleeper Builds Are Taking Over Cars & Coffee — Here's Why Everyone's Obsessed
Sleeper builds are having a full-blown moment, and honestly? It's about time. While half the internet is out here slapping wide-body kits on everything with four wheels, a quiet crew of builders is going the opposite direction - keeping it stock-looking on the outside and absolutely feral underneath. That's the sleeper game, and right now it's the coolest thing in car culture. What Even Is a Sleeper? A sleeper is any car that looks like it belongs in a grocery store parking l
Sep 174 min read


The 25-Year Rule Just Unlocked a Fresh Wave of JDM Legends — Here's What's Coming Stateside
The 25-Year Rule Just Unlocked a Fresh Wave of JDM Legends — Here's What's Coming Stateside Buckle up, because federal law just handed American gearheads a brand-new toy box. Every car built in 2001 is now old enough to cross US Customs without the usual red tape, and that means a whole generation of Japanese icons is finally legal to import. If you've been saving up for a dream garage addition, this is the year to pay attention. Wait, What's the "25-Year Rule" Again? Under U
Aug 263 min read


Kei Trucks Are Taking Over America's Driveways — Here's Why Everyone's Suddenly Obsessed
Tiny, boxy, 660cc, and somehow the coolest thing in your neighbor's driveway. Japanese kei trucks have quietly gone from "weird import nobody's heard of" to the hottest cult vehicle in America, and the used market is eating them alive. Here's what's actually going on. Wait, What Even Is a Kei Truck? "Kei" (keijidosha) is Japan's ultra-compact vehicle class — built to squeeze through narrow city streets and qualify for lower taxes and insurance back home. That means every kei
Aug 143 min read


Stick Shift Strikes Back: Why 2026 Is the Year the Manual Refuses to Die
Stick Shift Strikes Back: Why 2026 Is the Year the Manual Refuses to Die Everyone told you the third pedal was headed for the museum. Automakers keep proving them wrong. Row-your-own gearboxes are creeping back onto option sheets, take rates are climbing on the cars that still offer them, and a whole generation that's never rowed a gear is suddenly obsessed with learning how. The Numbers Don't Lie For over a decade, manuals were treated like a rounding error on the order shee
Aug 73 min read
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