Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the facelifted Nissan Z finally addresses the car’s biggest design flaw. Its new nose gets rid of the large rectangular grille and replaces it with a sleek divided opening that’ makes it the best-looking iteration of the RZ34 yet. Nissan also introduced a new green inspired by a color option on the S30. Continue reading
QotW: Which Japanese tuning house would you most like to visit?
We’re currently in Japan for the Tokyo Auto Salon, but to maximize our visit we’re also on a tour of some Japanese tuning houses. They specialize in all sorts of cars, some a specific model, others a general make, and others a broad range of marques. These legendary garages have become globally recognized for their work in making the best cars in the world even better. Most are nondescript from the outside, but stepping foot into one of these spots can feel like entering sacred ground, especially if for years you’ve seen their cars in magazines, played them in Gran Turismo, or collected diecast versions of them. Everyone should make a pilgrimage.
Which Japanese tuning house would you most like to visit?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which car from 2001 would you import?“. Continue reading
Honda goes heavy on heritage in Tokyo Auto Salon lineup
The headliner for Honda at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon is the Prelude, but the company really leaned into its history for much of its display. For example, this Civic e:HEV RS, which shares a powertrain with the Prelude, was decked out in the same livery as the JAACS EG6 Civic that won the 1993 Japan Touringcar Championship. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged civic, Civic Type R, FL5, honda, Honda Heritage Parts, n-one, nsx, prelude, racing mate, SuperGT
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Toyota 86 with pop-up headlights to debut at Tokyo Auto Salon
People love a pop-up headlight. What was once a compromise between aerodynamics and a lighting rules has become, like tailfins or stripe decal packages, a beloved marker of a bygone era. Updated laws and technology have made retractable headlights obsolete, so even when a car has been ostensibly designed as a tribute to a pop-up-equipped car, like the like the ZN6 was to the AE86, the successor doesn’t need them. Even so, one Japanese tuner has rectified that. Continue reading
Is Akio Toyoda bringing a Toyota MR2 to the Tokyo Auto Salon?
Toyota has released an audio clip in which the big man himself, Akio Toyoda, suggests that he’s bringing a Toyota MR2 to the Tokyo Auto Salon. The soundbite, in which the chairman discusses a mid-engined sports car with an unnamed Toyota employee, has sent fans around the world into a frenzy of speculation. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
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Mitsubishi teases Pajero return with video touting rally history
New year is a time for renewal, and 2026 is starting off with a big declaration from Mitsubishi. On January 1 the company released a video teasing a new SUV. While it doesn’t explicitly state what that SUV is, the surrounding footage steeped in old rally machines points strongly to a revived Pajero. Continue reading
QotW: Which car from 2001 would you import?
It’s a new year, and that means a new selection of Japanese-market cars will become eligible for import in 2026. Our 25-year import law states that cars built in 2001 can now enter the country. While the thought of a second-gen Nissan Stagea or DC5 Honda Integra Type R is tempting, this era was peak minivan. The year 2001 saw the introduction of the Toyota Noah/Voxy, Estima Hybrid, E25 Nissan Caravan/Isuzu Como, Suzuki Every Landy, and our favorite, the Honda Mobilio.
Which car from 2001 would you import?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your new year’s resolution for 2026?“. Continue reading
Daihatsu Charade, Flying Feather, Nissan-Diesel Minsei inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame
Each year the Japanese Automotive Hall of Fame inducts a selection of historic cars. Past examples have included iconic sports cars like the Toyota 2000GT and S30 Nissan Fairlady Z, or race cars like the Honda RA272 and Mazda 787B. For 2025, the inductees were quite a bit more obscure. We missed this story when the inductees were announced in November, but though these vehicles aren’t on the tips of most tongues they’re still worth a mention.
Happy New Year from JNC
The Japanese tradition for New Year is hatsuhinode, or first sunrise. It means getting up early to view the year’s first daybreak, representing hope, aspiration, and renewal. Many who observe the tradition travel up a mountain, to the coast, or some other vista point fo a clear and spiritual view. Sounds like the perfect excuse for an unencumbered drive and a time for vowing to get that project started. Happy New Year from JNC!
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It’s been a long journey since the first Japanese Classic Car Show
As we round out the year let’s reflect on one of the biggest milestones of 2025. This one has nothing to do with the founding of a company or the debut of a model. This year was the 20th anniversary of the Japanese Classic Car Show, an event that has completely changed how the world views automobiles from Japan. It’s almost hard to remember what the landscape was like 20 years ago, but it wasn’t great for J-tin.
QotW: What’s your new year’s resolution for 2026?
It’s that time of year again. As one journey through the calendar ends and another begins, we are confronted with the unrelenting march of time. What will you accomplish in the next 365 days? Personally, I am finally going to build my dream garage, something I’ve been waiting decades for. My wife and I found our forever home a while back, and it’s time to create a space that will hold my cars and all the parts and automobilia that accumulate as a result. I’ll write periodic updates and solicit ideas. Sometimes the mere act of putting a goal in writing will help shepherd it along.
What’s your new year’s resolution for 2026?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What will you gift your car next?“. Continue reading
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Happy Boxing Day from JNC
It’s Boxing Day in many parts of the world today, so we at JNC want to wish everyone who celebrates that holiday a happy one. What better way to commemorate the occasion than with a classic boxer-engined Subaru? The one pictured here is the 1986 XT that Subaru of America restored back in 2011 in all its wedge-shaped glory. Happy Boxing Day, everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from JNC
Seasons greetings from all of us at JNC! As we roll into the holiday season. We hope you get to spend time with cherished loved ones, both human and vehicular. If you’re traveling, may your roads be smooth and salt-free, and above all, please stay safe. And if you’re really really good, JDM Santa Claus will bring you the unobtainium part or rare toy that you’ve been searching for. Cheers!
Nissan Automotive College students create a Skyline Silhouette and retro mash-ups for 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon
It’s almost time for the Tokyo Auto Salon, and that means students from Japan’s technical colleges are getting their projects ready for the show. Nissan Automobile Technical College usually turns out some fairly wild stuff, and this year is no exception. For 2026 they’ve created three retro-flavored rides, starting with an R30 Skyline sedan built to resemble a Group 5 race car. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
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QotW: What will you gift your car next?
It’s the season of giving to your loved ones, but no one said those loved ones had to be human. Cars require love and attention as well, and sometimes getting them a much-needed part or devoting some garage time will bring joy to both rider and steed.
What will you gift your car next?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s a telltale sign of a bad driver?“. Continue reading
Suzuki applies for trademark to revive 1971 VanVan as modern e-bike
Suzuki has filed for a trademark application for the e-VanVan, an electric mini-bik inspired by the 1971 VanVan 90. Whimsically named for the sound of a revving two-stroke, the original was one of the motorcycles that defined Japan’s leisure bike boom of the late 60s and early 70s. Now there’s something of a retro bike renaissance in Japan, so it only makes sense that the VanVan is revived for the modern age. Continue reading
The first Mitsubishi Pajero to win the Paris-Dakar Rally has been restored
In 1985 Mitsubishi finished the seventh running of the Paris-Dakar Rally with a pair of Pajeros in a 1-2 sweep, becoming the first Japanese carmaker to win the event. The first place Pajero was immediately shipped to Mitsubishi’s collection in Japan and stored there. Now, 40 years later, this history-making truck has been restored. Continue reading
Dead Kennedys lead singer has surprisingly good opinions on the Toyota Celica Convertible he’s auctioning
Punk legend Jello Biafra, frontman for the Dead Kennedys, is auctioning off his 1989 Toyota Celica GT convertible. The foundational punk band was known for their satirical lyrics and skewering of the cultural and political establishments, and the Celica is somehow simultaneously not at all fitting and also wholly appropriate. We’ll come right out and say it — the car looks like crap — but Biafra swears by it and actually has some pretty good takes on it. Continue reading
Honda launches Heritage Works program for parts and restoration
Honda heads, rejoice! Honda has announced a new reproduction parts program for their sports cars. And yes, the newly christened Honda Heritage Works is going global and will include Acuras as well. With an estimated 70 percent of first-gen Japan-market NSXes still registered there, it’s natural for Honda to start with its flagship. However, it will expand to other models in the future. Continue reading
QotW: What’s a telltale sign of a bad driver?
As car enthusiasts we have a fairly decent idea of how to handle our vehicles and how they function. Sadly, that isn’t the case for the majority of the car-owning public. Yet nearly everyone in America is allowed to captain a 4000-pound slab of steel with not much screening. Sharing the road with them can be absolutely terrifying, or at the very least rage-inducing. Whether it’s squatting in the left lane or having side mirrors aimed at the door handles, there are clues that you might be traveling with a less-than-stellar wheelman.
What’s a telltale sign of a bad driver?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “If you could travel to one moment in time, when would it be and what would you do?“. Continue reading
