A few days ago, five lads so badly dressed they had to be either plain clothes coppers or public servants, raided the Toyota Global HQ down there on 1 Toyota-Cho, Toyota City.

Travel tip: if you're out that way and not raiding anyone make sure you go to the Toyota Kaikan Museum with the bonus factory tour but make sure you don't mention the newest scandal to hit the Japanese car, truck and soft toy industry.

The government of the rising sun has told the world that Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha fiddled with their cars so that they would pass the Japanese certification standards. This comes a few months after the Toyota-owned Daihatsu recalled 320,000 cars. It turns out the funny old fellows at the former three-wheeled car maker have been manipulating safety tests since 1989.

Now Toyota's motto is: "Through our commitment to quality, ceaseless innovation, and respect for the planet, we strive to exceed expectations and be rewarded with a smile." Twenty readers and one friend, if you or I wrote that, it would be straight off to the motel of lost companions with heated pool and bars on all the windows.

So, a day after the Daihatsu scandal, Toyota said it would recall 1.12 million cars, mainly in the United States, to fix a faulty sensor that stops the airbag inflating. Now we have the company admitting to cheating on vehicle tests and the rest of the industry also putting their hands up.

Globally, the motor industry has a serious problem. The German car industry was so hurt by "dieselgate" that it has made its engines and tech very complex. So complex that if you buy a new German then sell it before warranty runs out. Breaking down is painful.

In Italy we know Ferrari has turned out a dud in the Roma. It's a pity the McCarroll's Automotive Group-owned Ferrari North Shore pretends to customers that there is no problem.

Then there's the manufacturers cutting the prices of EVs in Australia. Nothing wrong with prices going down but what happened when you bought say, a Peugeot e-2008 electric SUV on Friday for $60k and on Monday they cut $20k off the price. Most EV makers have done the same thing. And basically, you have been screwed. Again.

To make yourself feel better, head up to South Yarra by the Sea for this year's Noosa Concours d'Elegance. Highlighting the festival of metal and meat and moselle is the Hoffmann collection. Mad Max Hoffman single-handedly established the imported vehicle business in the United States. So, there will be Porsche Speedsters, Mercedes-Benz 300SLs and more than 80 non-Max machines, including the Ferrari LM25, the McLaren F1 and the Lamborghini Miura SV.

Talking of the Sultan of Stepney, he asked me to thank all those readers (none) who wished him a swift recovery from his hospitalisation. Of course he went straight from ICU to the corner bar at the Kensi for a bucket load of Coopers.

Talking of the South Island, our own Shane van Gisbergen won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory last Saturday at Portland International Raceway.

jc@jcp.com.au