QotW: What’s the greatest nostalgic Subaru?

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Ben Hsu

SUBARU360-02

With the Legacy squarely in the 25 Year Club and Subarus being the best mode of transportation available to much of the snowed-in country right now, it may be a good time to ask:

What is the greatest nostalgic Subaru?

Subaru doesn’t have quite the varied history of a Nissan, Toyota or Mazda, but that doesn’t mean its models aren’t influential. The company might be small, as was their first car, but the Subaru 360 became a symbol of the Showa Era and had a lasting impact on Japanese culture.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the most anticipated “Class of 1990″ JNC?” Continue reading →

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KIDNEYS, ANYONE? Arizona auction roundup

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Ben Hsu

PGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R hakosuka RM Auctions

After the record prices for JNCs seen in Monterey last year, all eyes were on the gavel-pounding circus that is Arizona in early January. With no less than six auction houses competing for attention and incessant television coverage, it’s like Superbowl of car auctions, complete with all the beer (and beer guts) you can imagine. Humans being humans, there was a cadre of capitalists waiting in the wings to cash in on the J-tin hype. Here’s how they fared.
Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? How to sell a Datsun 240Z

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Ben Hsu

1973 Datsun 240Z 142953 02

This 1973 Datsun 240Z has dings, hasn’t been driven in 15 years, and the dash has more cracks than a plumber’s convention. It’s not even a desirable 1970-72 model. Why, then, with just a little over one day on eBay, it’s been bid 30 times up to over $18,000? Because this is how you sell a car.  Continue reading →

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The saddest poem you’ll ever read

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Ben Hsu

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Forget Keats, forget Yeats. An unnamed Mazda RX-7 owner has penned the world’s saddest poem. Found in the missed connections section of Austin, Texas’s craigslist, it tells the tale of a new FC owner that found his formerly original-paint ’88 was no longer so mint. Here, read the poem in its entirety and weep: Continue reading →

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Detroit Auto Show: Production Acura supercar revealed, but is it an NSX?

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Ben Hsu

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This is the year the Acura NSX turns 25, and we can think of no better way for Honda to celebrate than unveiling the legendary supercar’s successor. Announced in 2007 but killed after the Global Financial Crisis but then revived again in 2011, it’s been a long wait for the Honda faithful. From what we learned at the Detroit Auto Show, it will be amazing in every respect, but is it an NSX? Continue reading →

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MINICARS: Igniton Models 1:18 kenmeri Nissan Skyline GT-R

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Ricky Silverio

Ignition Models kenmeri Nissan Skyline GT-R KPGC110 rear

What you are looking at here is not a kenmeri Skyline. It’s an insanely detailed scale model of a kenmeri Skyline made by a new outfit out of Shizuoka called Ignition Models. They make a variety of 1:43, 1:18 and 1:12 scale cars, but the most interesting one to us is this stunning 1:18 Skyline GT-R, and it has just landed stateside. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 24k-mile Mitsubishi Twin-Stick

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Ben Hsu

1983 Dodge Colt Twin-Stick Mitsubishi Mirage 01

The Mitsubishi Mirage (aka Dodge Colt (aka Plymouth Champ)) has one of the most interesting transmissions ever built, with as many gear ratios as your first big kid and two shift levers poking out of the cabin floor like a split hair. And while this particular example offered for sale in Raleigh, North Carolina, is just a middle-of-the-road trim level that wasn’t particularly interesting back in the day (or arguably, even now), it is incredibly rare, and at 24,000 miles and change, quite mint. There’s gotta be someone out there that wants it, right? Continue reading →

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QotW: What’s the most anticipated “Class of 1990″ JNC?

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Ben Hsu

Mazda JC Eunos Cosmo

Today is Coming of Age Day in Japan, a holiday in which adolescents become adults. Local city halls in towns across the country invite the newly minted adults for a small ceremony, a tradition that dates back to 714 AD. Of course we at JNC plan to welcome another round of cars into the 25 Year Club, a bit older than adulthood, but you get the idea.

What’s the most anticipated “Class of 1990″ JNC?

1990 marks What we have here is a cornucopia of choice, from tuner favorites like the ST185 Celica, DA Acura Integra, and original Mitsubishi Eclipse to sensible sedans like the CB7 Honda Accord. Weird JDM cars such as the Toyota Sera enter the fold, as do supercars like the JC Mazda Cosmo and Acura NSX.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What question should we ask next year?”  Continue reading →

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DESIGN: An interview with Nissan designer Ken Lee

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Ben Hsu

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It’s not often that you find yourself hurtling down narrow two-lane roads with the guy that designed the very car you’re sitting in. We recently had the rare opportunity to take a ride with Ken Lee, a senior creative manager at Nissan Design America. The car of choice was the 2015 Nissan Murano, a project he birthed, from idea to 2D drawing, clay to sheetmetal, at the company’s La Jolla, California studio. The futuristic-looking crossover is a far cry from 25-year-and-older J-tin, but during our chat Lee revealed a surprise: he grew up with and loves Japanese nostalgic cars. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 59k-mile Subaru Loyale Wagon

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Ryan Senensky

1994 Subaru Loyale 01

The EA82 Loyale was Fuji Heavy Industries’ flagship model until it was dethroned by the Subaru Legacy. The particular example offered for sale in Cadillac, Michigan is without a doubt the best example of an EA82 we’ve seen stateside, and it isn’t just a base model DL either. With only 59,000 miles on the clock, it would take copious amounts of trail hooning to arrive at the condition most EA82s are found in, but who could do that with such a pristine example of the biggest unsung hero of the Pleiades badge? Continue reading →

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