Yakuza
I ran across a short article on Edmunds Inside Line about the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate and their car culture. It is a shame that the article is so short, because I think it is fascinating to understand what are the "go-to" vehicles when this type of organization wants to send a message. Apparantly Mercedes Benz gets the nod over in Japan, which is not totally surprising seeing as the German car marques are still considered top dog over there, and the Japanese luxury brands barely exist (a strange comment in the article refers to the Lexus LS, which has only recently been sold under that name - previously it was the Toyota Crowne).
I am not sure I totally understand the fascination with the Yakuza. Seth Cohen from the O.C. seems to like them, so I guess I am in. They certainly looked fun in Kill Bill - kind of like a roving motorcylce gang of Katos.
More about the Yakuza here.
