Tag Archives: sw20

Bake some quarantine treats with these car-shaped cookie cutters

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Ben Hsu

We know being trapped at home can be boring, and not all of us can use this time in the garage. Luckily, here’s another JNC-themed way to liven up the quarantine and possibly occupy any kids that are climbing the … Continue reading →

13 Comments

VIDEO: The year 2000 was still a great year for Japanese sports cars

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Ben Hsu

In the US, we often think of the late 1990s as when the good times came to an end. The flagship Japanese sports cars had left the US market, and automakers began building cars to the preferences of local markets, … Continue reading →

1 Comment

VIDEO: And the best Japanese car of 1995 was…

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Ben Hsu

By 2020 the 25-year threshold of what constitutes a classic car will cut off at 1995. What was the best Japanese car of that year? Back then, Japan’s Best Motoring sought the answer in a series of videos pitting several … Continue reading →

1 Comment

EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2019

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Glenn Chiou

Just a week after my colleagues were at SpoCom in SoCal, Radwood returned to its ancestral home in NorCal. The traveling show of 80s and 90s nostalgia started in the Bay Area in 2017, and has been expanding rapidly. There … Continue reading →

9 Comments

EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2019, Part 02 — Fun Fours

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Ben Hsu

This year’s Toyotafest was headlined by the many generations of Supra in support of the A90’s debut. With all the focus on the new six-cylinder sports car, let’s not forget that Toyota has built plenty of fun fours. More and … Continue reading →

9 Comments

MOTORSPORT: Kaori Okamoto — actor, businesswoman, race car driver

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Ben Hsu

To say that Kaori Okamoto was multi-talented would be an understatement. Known today primarily as an actor, Okamoto in her long career has also been an author, entrepreneur, and yes, a race car driver. Okamoto wasn’t just your typical celebrity … Continue reading →

1 Comment

MINICARS: A beginner’s guide to JNC Legos, Part 01

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Ricky Silverio

The popularity of Legos had exploded in recent years, leading to many fans going beyond off-the-shelf kits and building their own custom creations. We’ve posted about Legos before, starting from back in 2013, and while the Lego renaissance was already underway … Continue reading →

10 Comments

EVENTS: Petersen Museum Cruise-in, Part 01

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Last weekend the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles hosted their annual cruise-in for Japanese cars. J-tin of all eras and styles flocked to the museum’s parking structure at the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire Boulevards on a sweltering LA … Continue reading →

7 Comments

EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2018

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The Radwood phenomenon is spreading faster than hairspray-induced polyester fire. The celebration of 80s and 90s autodom is now on its fourth show in just two years, and the organizers tell us it was the biggest one yet. We attended … Continue reading →

14 Comments

EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2018, Part 03 — Transversely Mounted

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Dan Hsu

Though many enthusiasts bemoan Toyota’s transition, starting in the mid-1980s, to a mostly front-wheel-drive lineup, this shouldn’t be the case. Sure, the Cressidas and Supras carried the RWD torch, but Toyota built many fun-to-drive models with transversely mounted engines too, and those … Continue reading →

8 Comments

EVENTS: 2018 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — Seventies and Eighties

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Ricky Silverio

Our first two installments of the 2018 New Year Meeting featured cars from 1960s Japan. Those beautifully crafted machines from the early days of country’s motorization served a specific purpose, but the 1970s is when the modification culture became truly widespread. 

7 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? 4,400-mile Toyota MR2 Turbo

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Ben Hsu

If you wanted a brand new second-generation Toyota MR2 Turbo back in the day but foolishly did not buy one, this could be your one shot at redemption. Offered for sale in Canal Winchester, Ohio, is quite possibly the country’s lowest-mile all-original … Continue reading →

8 Comments

EVENTS: Radwood 2 – Electric Boogaloo

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Ben Hsu

From the moment co-organizer Art Cervantes told us the name of the event, we knew it would be incredible. Radwood. It was a car show exclusively for 80s and 90s machines. Like Goodwood but, you know, rad. 

11 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? 34k-mile 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Ben Hsu

At this year’s Toyotafest we were saw an increase in stock (or stock appearing) and period correct examples of the second-generation MR2. Gone were the Invader body kits and intake snorkels from the Tuner Era heyday. Clearly, the unmolested SW20 is something collectable, … Continue reading →

13 Comments

VIDEO: Do any of these Toyotas remind you of the new Camry?

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Toyota is launching the 2018 Camry in Japan, and pulling out their greatest hits to do so. The newest Camry commercial begins with images of the MR2, Soarer, Altezza, Celica and Supra, a stick-shift X70, and many more — all set … Continue reading →

25 Comments

EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2017, Part 03 — Fun to Drive

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Ben Hsu

“Fun to Drive” was the tagline of Toyota Japan for much of the 1980s, and it was absolutely true. Toyota once had a whole portfolio of stylish, slingable cars that were also — and this is a key component of fun … Continue reading →

16 Comments

EVENTS: 2017 All-Toyotafest 2017, Part 01 — New Digs

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Like RAV4 sales numbers, the number of cars at Toyotafest is ever-expanding. Now in its 22nd year, the country’s most comprehensive Toyota, Lexus and Scion car show has outgrown its home at the Queen Mary. This year, organizers from the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club … Continue reading →

7 Comments

JNC THEATER: Long before Fast & Furious, there was Jackie Chan’s Thunderbolt

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

For many, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious was perhaps a seminal moment in US tuning history. Hollywood movies’ star cars failed to reflect the reality of America’s mall parking lots on a Friday night, but suddenly F&F came about and brought Japanese cars to … Continue reading →

16 Comments

EVENTS: AE86 Nights 9th Anniversary

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Ben Hsu

What started as a small gathering of enthusiasts of the last RWD Corolla eight years ago has grown into a gathering that attracts hundreds of cars from all over southern California. It all started with the beloved Hachiroku, and the types of … Continue reading →

10 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 All-Toyotafest, Part 01 — A preview of what’s to come

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

Now in its 21st year, the All-Toyotafest has become quite possibly the most popular Japanese car show in southern California. How popular? Online registration for the 2016 gathering — all 450 spots — sold out just eight hours after going … Continue reading →

12 Comments