There’s gangsters, and then there’s the yakuza.
Japan’s organised criminals make the Mafia look like amateurs in comparison. Described by academics as being some of “the most sophisticated and wealthiest criminal organisations” in the world, yakuza syndicates like the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Sumiyoshi-kai are particularly fearsome, with their own unique rituals, code of honour, and intense brutality.
Needless to say, yakuza bosses (known as
oyabun, or family heads) aren’t the kind of guys you want to mess around. They demand nothing but the absolute best – and that holds true for their rides, too. In Japan, there’s only one choice of automobile for the man who’s really made it in life, whether that’s a CEO, a drug dealer or the Emperor of Japan.
Things are looking up for Daniel Ricciardo.
‘The Honey Badger’ wrapped up a solid 2020 – which saw him come fifth in the 2020 Formula One World Championship’s Driver Standings – by announcing he would be leaving his current team, Renault, for greener pastures over at McLaren. Ricciardo really struggled to find his footing with the French team, so the news of a move to McLaren has been exceptionally exciting for Australian F1 fans.
While there’s no doubt that Ricciardo’s move to the Mercedes-powered British team was primarily motivated by a desire for more podiums, there’s another perk of the move he was eyeing off: “the company car,” as he told