We all have our favorite cars. We all have our favorite places. But do your favorite car and place match? For example, I love my AE86, but I live in Los Angeles. But to be honest, the Hachiroku’s sharp handling and notoriously crackable interior is simply not suited to LA’s long, vast freeways and blazing heat. It would absolutely brilliant in Monterey or Napa, with its cool climates and endless ribbons of two-lane winding roads. What would be ideal for LA is something like an MA71 Supra or Z31 300ZX, a with a torquier motor that longs to stretch its legs but a cabin that’s comfortable if you find yourself stuck in a two-hour traffic jam — which is coincidentally where I came up with this QotW.
What’s the most fitting match of car and place?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC would you import from Japan?”
We loved many of your answers this week, and it was difficult to choose just one. There were so many good comments — daniel‘s desire for a fleet of more-exclusive-than-an-Enzo kei cars, Kiran‘s bonkers selection of a never-produced Mitsubishi supercar, エーイダン‘s choice of a Cedric fire wagon to match his first Tomica, or Ant‘s want of the slowest car in Gran Turismo — to name a few.
We also loved many of the car choices — Ariffin Razack‘s choice of a Daihatsu Mira Turbo TR-XX EFI Avanzato, for example — but there simply wasn’t enough explanation to take the win. Instead, the champion this week is Yuri, who gave the most hilarious reasoning behind his choice:
This may sound a little weird, but an R33 Skyline sedan, base model, RB20E, automatic.
This way I can live out my fantasies of being a salaryman in Japan during the end of the bubble period, stuck in the mire of Tokyo traffic, my thoughts skipping from wondering if my work load will allow me to take lunch at the ramen shop a block away from my office, to figuring out if there’s anything going on between the Boss and the extremely un-capable new secretary, to what time I’ll pass out at my desk from exhaustion.
From there I can fantasize about being the cars next owner, a young guy living near the mountains who dreams of being the fastest racer on the local touge, but is stuck with this low-powered heavy automatic sedan as his first car, when all his friends have RX7’s, Silvias, and Roadsters. Do I do the RB25/manual swap? Or do I save up for a legit sports car that won’t give me problems at shaken due to modifications? In the meanwhile, just try to get better with the car I’ve got, and hope I don’t stuff it into a guardrail.
There’s something cool about how different cars can make you feel, and in my mind, there’s something unique about a horrible version of a legendary car.
Omedetou! Your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop.
Hey! That’s my car! 🙂
Still hoping for another Touge….
The Celica? I took a couple of film photos I took at Radwood you might like:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/musubk/29728539538
https://www.flickr.com/photos/musubk/28711311107
https://www.flickr.com/photos/musubk/43598740331
Every October around 8000 muscle cars, antiques, and collectible cars invade the Mississippi Gulf Coast for Cruisin’ the Coast. My favorite place for my 1979 Honda Accord LX hatchback is between a tricked out C2 Corvette and a low-boy hot rod on Main Street in Gulfport on the first day of the week long event, where my little Honda gets more attention than anything nearby. I’ve heard “Oh, I had one of those in high school,” or “My uncle had one of those and he said it was the best car he ever owned,” or “Honey, if your Dad and I hadn’t rode out to Lover’s Lane in his little Honda you might not be here..” The mind reels at just how that last described event could possibly relate to the back seat of a 1G Accord. Maybe they folded that backseat down.
Is an NSX-R and Suzuka too obvious?…
1973 Datsun Laurel SGX in burgundy metallic, autumn, along a 2-lane winding gently along the Bay of Fundy, with ‘Ophelia’ by The Band playing from an 8-track with a guy in a snake-skin jacket, leisure suit and greased-back hair and aviator shades.
Lamborghini Miura – Italian Alps – Matt Monro on the stereo…
…what?
Oh o.k then, as far a j-tin goes it’s gotta be A Toyota Supra MK4 on PCH… in orange 😀
Just cars? I think a nice old 70-series Landy Troop Carrier in the Australian bush is MOST DEFINITELY the finest union of vehicle and place.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/MWJB9D/toyota-land-cruiser-troopcarrier-troopy-or-troopie-ruby-gap-nature-park-in-east-macdonnell-ranges-near-alice-springs-northern-territories-australia-MWJB9D.jpg
Not just cars! Excellent choice.
Any Subaru 4wd wagon and the drive from Burlington to Stowe, Vermont. Too bad the road salt ate the old ones alive.
We still have the old ones in Alaska! I have a 1977 wagon I’m pseudo-restoring right now!
My Silvia S12. My driveway.