“Itasha (痛車), literally “painmobile”, is a Japanese term for an otaku fad of individuals decorating the bodies of their cars with fictional characters of anime, manga, or video games (especially bishōjo game or eroge). These characters are predominately “cute” female. The decorations usually involve paint schemes and stickers. Automobiles are called Itasha, while similar motorcycles and bicycles are called itansha (痛単車) and itachari (痛チャリ), respectively”. – Wikipedia


Photo: A visitor takes pictures of an anime-decorated «Itasha» car displayed during the “Moe Fes in Washimiya” at Washimiya Town Hall on July 18, 2009 in Washimiya, Saitama, Japan. Itasha, a word derived from “itai” (painful) and “sha” (car), are vehicles decorated with mostly female characters from Japanese manga, anime and video games. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)

In this July 17, 2015 photo, Michael Chilton squeezes into a corner of his car to make a quick repair to some body panels after he ran into a wall during dirt track racing in the late model division at the Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky. He banged up the car in the qualifying round and had a few minutes to fix it before the final race. (Photo by David Stephenson/AP Photo)

A visitor looks at a Morris Mini-Minor Car on display at the Victoria and Albert museums' new major exhibition, “British Design 1948-2012: Innovation In The Modern Age” on March 28, 2012 in London, England. This car, which was designed by Alec Issigonis, was the first one off the production line. The exhibition showcases some of the most iconic product design, fashion, furniture, graphics, architecture and fine art from the last 60 years, and opens to the public from March 31, 2012. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Makers, meet your DIY dream car. Toyota‘s Calty Design Research Studio just unveiled its brand new Urban Utility concept car – an ultra flexible vehicle with a transforming interior designed to meet the needs of today’s on-the-go makers. Toyota packed an amazing amount of space into a footprint the size of a compact car. The U-squared can seat up to four passengers, or you can fold down three seats and roll out an array of racks, movable rails, and storage trays that can accommodate everything from surfboards and bikes to bulky equipment (like your homemade tesla coil).

Palestinian schoolboys sit in the trunk of a car as they go to school on a rainy day in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2015. (Photo by Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)

A Ford Motor Company 1954 V8 model car parked in a garage in the village of Quivican, south of Havana, October 11, 2009. (Photo by Desmond Boylan/Reuters)

Nicholas Mee & Co, an Aston Martin Heritage Dealer in West London, have just finished putting the final touches to a fully functional kid-sized car inspired by the legendary Aston Martin DB models of the 1960s. But this is no rickety pedal car. It has a steel chassis, composite bodywork, leather seats, a wood rimmed steering wheel and Brembo disc brakes.

A tow car for the children's “Grand Prix” races which take place in a parking lot in Livonia, Michigan a suburb of Detroit, circa 1955. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)