Category Archives: toyota

Why Toyota is building an insane 986-horsepower supercar

Toyota’s had a big week. They finally achieved their decades-long push to win Le Mans, overcoming a series of agonizing near-misses. It also announced the production of an insane 986-horsepower road car based on a 2021 Le Mans race car. While the given … Continue reading

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Perhaps the most thoroughly restored 1977 Celica ever

Inspired by TA22 Day yesterday, we stumbled across what is quite possibly the most thorough restoration of a 1977 Celica ever performed. Technically this isn’t a TA22, but it’s still a first-gen Celica and it’s an amazing story of an … Continue reading

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NEWS: Toyota’s new concept was designed to be passed down from one generation to the next

Toyota has created a car that lasts 100 years so it can be passed down within the family from one generation to the next. “But they already make the Camry!” you might say. That is true, but the Toyota Setsuna concept isn’t just an insanely … Continue reading

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How the Toyota Corolla Changed American Motoring

Fifty years is a very long time. If you think about America 50 years ago, the synthesizer had just begun to find its way into mainstream music, a ’32 T-Bucket was as commonly street raced as a EF/EG/EK Civic in the … Continue reading

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Akio drives his favorite Toyota Corolla

In honor of the Corolla’s 50th anniversary, Toyota has posted a photo of their CEO in a TE71. “My used 4th generation Corolla 1600 GT was like a best friend to me. I shared my youth with it! That car showed me … Continue reading

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GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 02

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the twin disasters — a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami — that struck Japan off the coast of Tohoku in 2011. In remembrance, we are re-running a series of stories that relate to the event’s aftermath. This … Continue reading

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GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 01

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the twin disasters — a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami — that struck Japan off the coast of Tohoku in 2011. In remembrance, we are re-running a series of stories that relate to the event’s aftermath. This … Continue reading

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Toyota Cressida Facebook page moderator experiences righteous meltdown

As many readers may know, I daily drive a Cressida wagon. That means I am part of the Toyota Cressida! Facebook group and occasionally get its posts in my feed when Zuckerburg feels like it. Recently, one of its moderators had a pretty … Continue reading

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DETROIT: Toyota Kikai gets an American makeover

One of the funkiest concepts to come from the Tokyo Motor Show last year was the Toyota Kikai, a steampunkish, Miyazakian retro hot rod. It’s a re-imagining of the automobile for a world where mechanical objects are things of beauty … Continue reading

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Divers explore the “Toyota Wreck” off the coast of Sudan

In 1977 the Blue Belt collided with Sha’ab Suedi Reef in the Red Sea and sank off the coast of northern Sudan. It took its cargo of cars and trucks to the bottom, where it is today known as the Toyota Wreck. 

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels Toyota 2000GT, now in yellow

Last year Hot Wheels graced us with the Toyota 2000GT, a car JNC readers have been clamoring for ever since the first hints of Mattel venturing into the world of nostalgics. For 2014 two re-colors of the million dollar baby … Continue reading

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One last tour of Toyota’s Amlux showroom as it closes for good

Today marks the end of a Tokyo institution. Toyota‘s Amlux showroom is closing after 23 years of operation. Most residents of Japan’s constantly morphing metropolis probably didn’t even notice, but for die-hard Toyotaku it’s the end of an era.

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? Unmolested AE86 Coupe

Your chances of coming across an unmolested AE86 lie somewhere between winning the $600 million Powerball jackpot and spotting Sasquatch riding a unicorn. Being the O.G. drift machine and star of Initial D has its downsides. Namely, legions of aspiring Formula D … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Naniwa Swap Meet

Among the items on our Japan bucket list was checking out a real swap meet. Turns out, automotive-themed ones are not terribly common there, but we were fortunate enough to have Osaka’s Naniwa Swap Meet coincide with our stay. 

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GRAND TOURING: Tokyo and Nagoya Street Scenes

We saw plenty of nostalgics on our recent trip to Japan, and we’ll have more coverage of those as soon as we go through the photos. In the meantime, please enjoy these omiyage, or souvenirs. You’ll be glad to know that … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? Solar Red 1967 Toyota 2000GT sold for $968,000

This is now the fourth Toyota 2000GT to sell for around one million dollars. Sotheby’s and RM Auctions recently collaborated together to throw a live auction extravaganza in Manhattan called “The Art of the Automobile”, bringing together 34 historic cars which … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02

On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2013 SEMA Show

The SEMA show is a purist’s worst nightmare. Stock is a dirty word to these people. You won’t find a single unmolested car in the whole Death Star-sized convention hall, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Those brave enough … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels X JNC 1970 Toyota Celica

We at JNC are proud to share the latest Hot Wheels release to bear our inkan logo. A couple weeks ago the third official color of the popular Hot Wheels 1970 Toyota Celica arrived at the JNC office, but as usual we took … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1968 Toyota 2000GT for just under $1 million

The 2000GT marketwatch continues with car number 101, which is currently being offered for $995,000 in La Jolla, California. Although this example was originally a US-market model, it has the uniqueness of having lived in Japan for many years. Having … Continue reading

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