Thanks received by this post:
Message reputation : 100% (6 votes)
Unveiling her beloved car! The reason why TOMOMI of SCANDAL chose a MINI Clubman
SCANDAL is Japan's leading all-girl band who has completed tours such as a world tour that visited 10 cities in 8 countries, and a tour that went around all 47 prefectures of Japan. As a matter of fact, it seems that bassist TOMOMI loves cars and driving. After hearing those rumors, we were aware that it might have been seemingly impossible task to ask her to show us her car, but she unbelievably said yes! And so, she arrived in her first-generation MINI Clubman. We asked her why she chose a Clubman, and what car she'd want to drive one day.Buying a car after looking at Carsensor
――When did you get your Clubman?
TOMOMI: About three years ago. I've been in the band since I was in high school, so I didn't have time to attend driving school, and in 2015 I finally got my driver's license. Actually, MAMI and I went to the same driving school together.
When I would go there with MAMI, we'd also talk about things like, "If you get your license, what kind of car do you want to drive?" At first I thought about going with a used car, so when I was buying a car I'd often look at Carsensor (laughs).
――Oh, that makes us happy!
TOMOMI: I was excitedly looking at all kinds of cars online, and when I'd find a car that I thought looked good, I'd go and look at the shops..... Choosing a car was a lot of fun.
――Did you decide to purchase a Clubman from the start?
TOMOMI: No; so many cars caught my eye. I of course thought MINIs were cute, and also the Volkswagen New Beetle and the Mitsuoka Viewt. Since I often drive in Tokyo, I was looking for a small car with a small turning radius. The cars at the driving school were also small, so I was a little worried to go with a larger one.
――Why did you go with a Clubman?
TOMOMI: When you recline the backseat in a Clubman, you can also vertically stack the base shut in a hard case. Also, since I've been going camping as a hobby recently, I had wondered if you could stack a lot of luggage in the Clubman. I'm still camping with my friends now, but I've been thinking that I'll get my own equipment and would like to try camping solo.Wanting to drive a vintage car
――A Clubman certainly seems to fit the image of camping.
TOMOMI: But I actually wanted to drive a different kind of car......
――Hm? What kind of Clubman?
TOMOMI: When you look at outdoor magazines and sites, they feature people who enjoy camping with old cars, right? I longed for that kind of atmosphere. I wanted to drive a Ford Bronco or a Toyota Land Cruiser.
――A Bronco! That's quite a maniacal choice.
TOMOMI: It was exciting to imagine myself driving cars like that, but getting a big car wasn't realistic...... So, I decided to go with a small car, and after that I just checked out old MINIs and Beetles that had a similar atmosphere.
――You like vintage-like designs, don't you?
TOMOMI: I do! I also only checked out vintage camping gear at first. However, the fact of the matter is that I hate bugs (laughs). It's no good if the inner tent doesn't keep you bug-free. With old cars, I also considered, "What if it breaks down......"
――Was there a car that jumped out at you?
TOMOMI: It was difficult. That's why, while aiming to find one, I was looking at cars with a relatively new but old-fashioned feel. (Taking out her phone) By the way, this is the Bronco I wanted.
――The yellow body is cute. Rather, by bringing out this image right away, isn't that proof that you're always looking at cars (laughs)?
TOMOMI: Most older Broncos and Beetles are stick shifts/have manual transmissions. My license is limited to cars with automatic transmissions, so I think it's better remove restrictions.
――What is driving a Clubman actually like?
TOMOMI: I like that it's really easy to drive. I like plants, and I often go around to plant nurseries on my days off. It's really easy to pack this car with the plants I buy! The barn doors in the back are also cute.
――It's fun to drive a MINI.
TOMOMI: Driving itself is also fun, and I also like the sound of the engine. At first I thought it was noisy, but it quickly became comfortable. The rounded interior that matches the atmosphere of the exterior is also pretty.
――You've been driving this car for three years. Have you also done some modifications yourself?
TOMOMI: I haven't remodeled it drastically, but I look at all kinds of pages to see if doing x will make it even cuter.
――Are you looking into it to actually fiddle around with things?
TOMOMI: Actually, when I bought it, my dashboard had a portable navigation system. But, I really didn't like that square box in the middle of the cute, round atmosphere......
――A square thing certainly might look a little off.
TOMOMI: The place where I bought the car told me, "MINIs have large speedometers, so that can't be helped," but after doing a lot of research, I found a place that would embed the navigation under the speedometer. I went to the place right away and got my car navigation embedded.
――You barely had to do any footwork (laughs).
TOMOMI: I like it very much now because the interior is clean and cute.Excited to return as if rookies now
――SCANDAL has established their private label "her." Did you previously feel that you wanted to have your own label?
TOMOMI: Since our major label debut, we've always shared the common view of how we've been able to continue working with excitement. When we reached a crossroads, we chose to walk down the more fun path.
Then, when 10 years had passed since our debut, we found out that each of the members was thinking, "What should we do to get even more excited after this?"
――All of you were feeling fuzzy about the same thing.
TOMOMI: Yes. When we found that out, we all talked together. Then, we decided, "Our excitement might be cut off if we keep going like this. If so, then let's not stay in the same place as we are now; let's go to a totally different place."
――You then established "her." How are you feeling now?
TOMOMI: It feels really fresh, almost as if we're back to being rookies (laughs). We're excited that it feels like we can go anywhere from here onwards!