Best Motoring: The VHS Tapes That Defined a Generation

Best Motoring was a Japanese motoring magazine that produced VHS (and later DVD) video content from 1987 to 2011. Over 24 years of production, Best Motoring established itself as the definitive Japanese source for real-world performance testing, driver battles, and factory-versus-factory comparisons. For a generation of JDM enthusiasts, Best Motoring tapes are what Gran Turismo was for gamers — the foundational reference material that made the Japanese performance car scene legible.

The Concept

Best Motoring's format was simple but effective:

1. Real-world testing: All tests were done on public roads, racetracks, and proving grounds — not dyno queens
2. Driver battles: Multiple professional drivers (Keiichi Tsuchiya, Motoharu Kurosawa, Taniguchi) would drive the same car, offering different perspectives
3. Objective comparisons: Cars from different manufacturers would be tested head-to-head, with measured performance and subjective driving impressions
4. Authentic driver experience: Drivers were given freedom to push cars hard, drift them, and demonstrate what they could actually do

Keiichi Tsuchiya's Role

Keiichi Tsuchiya — the "Drift King" — was Best Motoring's most famous regular. His driving style, commentary, and willingness to push cars hard became the defining visual identity of the magazine. Tsuchiya's driving was so influential that his AE86 drifting footage, featured in "Pluspy" video compilations from Best Motoring, is credited with spreading drifting culture worldwide.

Tsuchiya appeared in hundreds of Best Motoring episodes. His signature moves — the four-wheel drift, the sideways entry into corners, the controlled slide across a full lap — became template moves for the entire drift community.

Famous Battles

Best Motoring produced dozens of iconic "battle" videos where different JDM cars were tested head-to-head:

R34 GT-R vs Evo VIII vs Impreza WRX STI: Multiple episodes with Tsuchiya, Taniguchi, and other drivers. The R34 generally won the raw speed category, but the Evo and Impreza were competitive in wet conditions.

Supra MK4 vs RX-7 FD3S vs NSX: A classic Japanese grand tourer battle. Each car excelled in different areas — Supra had the most grunt, FD had the sharpest chassis, NSX was the most refined.

AE86 Touge Battles: Tsuchiya and others demonstrated drifting on mountain passes, complete with commentary about drift angles, car balance, and braking points.

Skyline Generation Battles: R32 vs R33 vs R34 comparisons showing how each generation evolved.

The Rise of Hot Version

Best Motoring spawned "Hot Version," a more aggressive, driving-focused spinoff. Hot Version was even more driver-centric than Best Motoring, with longer track sequences and more emphasis on the drivers' commentary.

Hot Version ran alongside Best Motoring and frequently featured overlapping drivers and tests.

The Global Reach

Best Motoring tapes were imported into North America, Europe, and Asia. In the pre-internet era, VHS tapes were the primary way non-Japanese enthusiasts could watch JDM cars being driven hard on their home tracks. The tapes cultivated a global JDM fan base years before the Fast and the Furious film brought broader attention to Japanese cars.

For Western JDM enthusiasts in the 1990s, Best Motoring tapes were essential — even if they couldn't understand the Japanese narration, they could watch Tsuchiya drive the R34, the RX-7, the NSX, and understand what these cars could do.

Hot Version's Drift Focus

Hot Version, in particular, was the drift-focused sibling. Early D1 Grand Prix drivers (Nobuteru Taniguchi, Katsuhiro Ueo, Manabu Orido) appeared on Hot Version before their professional careers took off. The magazine was instrumental in building interest in organized drift competition before D1 GP officially launched in 2001.

The End of an Era

Best Motoring stopped production in 2011 due to the decline of physical media and the shift to YouTube. Many of the drivers and writers moved to online video content, and some Best Motoring episodes have been officially uploaded to YouTube.

Hot Version continued until 2014 in a similar format.

Legacy

Best Motoring and Hot Version defined how JDM culture was documented and shared. They were Japan's answer to Top Gear — driver-focused, hands-on, and full of real driving experience. The magazine produced approximately 100+ VHS/DVD releases over its 24-year run.

For JDM enthusiasts globally, Best Motoring is the authoritative primary source. Whenever someone debates "was the R34 really faster than the Evo VIII," they eventually reference a Best Motoring episode. Whenever someone wants to see what Keiichi Tsuchiya looked like driving an AE86 hard, they find a Best Motoring clip. The magazine is the documentary archive of Japanese performance car culture — and it's still the reference material for JDM history 15+ years after production ended.