Look what arrived in the mailbox at JNC HQ today. Nissan has finally begun sending out GT-R brochures to interested parties. In it, there’s a brief history of the Skyline GT-R and, as far as we know, it’s the first time that Nissan USA has ever officially acknowledged the 50-year history of these JDM models. And in case you were wondering: yes, we are very interested in the GT-R but no, we can’t afford one. You can get your own brochure by signing up for updates on Nissan USA’s website.

Just a quick reminder for those of you from or visiting NorCal this weekend. Be sure to check out the Z Owners of Northern California’s Blackhawk Datsun/Nissan Extravaganza in San Ramon on June 28. All manner of Datsuns are welcome - 510s, Zs, and Roadsters. Doors open at 10 AM. For more information, check out the ZONC website.

DMP’s Project X: Datsun Fairlady Z, tells the story of the iconic Japanese sports car in graphic form. Unlike Wangan Midnight, this is non-fiction and  has characters like Mr. K and Yoshihiko Matsuo. The description goes like this.

In 1960s America, the Japanese automobile was seen as a “second-class” inferior. In spite of it all, men dared to dream of building a world beating Japanese sports car. Through the innovative zeal of Yutaka Katayama (now reverently known as “Mr. K”) and the genius of designer Yoshihiko Matsuo, this dream became reality in the form of the legendary sports car, the Nissan Fairlady Z. Known as the Datsun 240z in America, this automobile was an unprecedented success and is still beloved today. The dramatic story of these men who refused to be beaten by the hardships they encountered will inspire all who read it.

It’s been around for a while but we’re not really hip to the whole manga scene. At least now we can sleep better knowing that the Z-car is among other hallowed cultural landmarks covered in the Project X series such as, um, 7-11 and Cup Noodle.

This JDM Fairlady Z is a total track monster, built by a Mr. Kuni of Gunma Prefecture. The L-series motor has been stroked to 3.1L and puts out 337ps, which gets channeled through an R32 Skyline GT-R transmission to motivate the car and its 23-point rollcage and FRP doors around Tsukuba circuit in 1:02.911. Check out the details on Speedhunters.

Things have been pretty frantic here at JNC headquarters, so we’ve missed posting on an event or two. Most notably, from the Better Late Than Never Bureau, the Z Car Club Inland Valley’s Datsun & Nissan Car Show. Check out Dan’s fantastic pics here.

And from the Roo Bar Bureau on the other side of the world, Aussie JNCer Dave Carey attended last year’s Bay to Birdwood vintage car event with his Isuzu Bellet and wrote an excellent piece about it. Accompanied with some drool-inducing photos of Down Under J-tin that we don’t get to see in the States, we just had to post it up. Read all about it here. Thanks, Dave!

For months JNCer Datsunfreak has been tempting us with updates about how his very own Datsun 510 was recruited to star in a movie. At last, the shooting has taken place and now he’s spilling the beans. His writeup on the experience is a very entertaining read, and an excellent behind-the-scenes peek at how a car is prepared for filming. Cleaning all the dirt off so you can spray on fake dirt? That’s showbiz, baby!

And while “it’s a wrap” here in the US, the film crew heads to Australia next for more shooting, where Aussie JNCer SX-510 will be waiting for them with a matching 510, in LHD no less. It’ll be interesting to see if we can tell the difference between the two cars in the final product.

The movie is called Mao’s Last Dancer and is based on a true story. It doesn’t come out until 2010, but you can be sure we’ll post a reminder here when it opens so all you JNCers can go see Datsunfreak’s car (and a bunch of other actors and stuff) on the big screen. Congrats, DF!

Feast your peepers on this bad, bagged 1979 Datsun 620 pickup found on the streets of Japanland by Mini Truckin’ magazine. According to the article, the paint is actually a very, very dark green though it looks black. Owner Hayato Muramatsu must be one proud papa.

[Mini Truckin']