Today, September 6, is Black Day in Japan. A number of businesses producing black goods promote their wares on this day, so it’s a good day to wear black clothes, eat black Kagoshima pork, or indulge your inner goth. It’s a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of 9 (kyu) and 6 (roku), which together sounds like kuro (black). Black also happens to be a near universal paint option for cars from the Black Limited AE86 to the Toyota Century. For most of the 60s and 70s few non-sedan models came in black, but we would take a 240Z in black over almost any factory color. It instantly transforms the car from a happy, fun sports car into a sinister midnight prowler.
Which JNC looks best in black?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “If you could only drive cars from one marque, what would it be?“.
They say there’s a car for every buyer, but Toyota is the company that truly seems to embody that saying. Sure, some readers made good cases for other companies, like HE HE did for Mitsubishi, or Rotornutcase did for Mazda. We even got a vote for Mercedes-Benz by Brett. Nissan came in close second, with Taylor C. going the traditional route and dankan looking to the future. エーイダン, hilariously, capitalized on the Nissan drivers meme.
In the end Toyota took the win, with Jim Daniels, j_c, Eric, and more throwing in their lots with the Big T. Of all the Toyotaku, however, Sedanlover‘s enthusiastic answer won the week:
Well, I’ve been trying to live this exact question for most of my adult life!
Hands down, TOYOTA.
I have worked for the Toyota dealer network in varying capacities and I’m a mega fan of the brand, also having owned a few models along the way.
I often find myself searching http://www.wheelsage.org/toyota to see what models I could add to my dream garage. I love seeing the pictures of now classic models when they were brand spanking!
As a global brand, they have many models I’ve never seen (the Australian market gets a fraction of what’s available), but here’s what I’d love to have in and around a 4000m2 shed (not sure that’ll be big enough actually):Hilux – all three of these please
https://en.wheelsage.org/toyota/hilux/iv/exact/pictures/gylcjtCresta Super Lucent – I want to be the guy that has a fleet of GX51’s in the shed, all shiney and low. I’m partial to the subtle curves of the GX81 too…
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/CRESTA/700051107530220826001/index.html
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/CRESTA/700100286030220525004/index.htmlCorolla wagon 1990 – I just need to grab something quickly at the shop, I’ll take the Corolla wagon (we never got these in Aus. Look how sweet it looks in the two-tone with the red pinstripe – I’d throw a set of roof racks on for versatility)
https://en.wheelsage.org/toyota/corolla/vi/wagon_2/pictures/djj5ytHiace Super Custom Limited – I’ve always wanted one of these!
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/HIACE_WAGON/700102067530220205002/index.htmlToyota Crown wagon S130 – I have one of these right now as my special car (on limited reg) and it’s a cool car. Love me a crown wagon, but I’d love to have a few variants kicking around the shed. One I could paint all black and have a 3UZ-FE with manual trans… mmm and then a mint ’95 white over grey two-tone, like this one:
https://en.wheelsage.org/toyota/crown/s130/19717/pictures/428296[promise I’ll wrap this up soon]
Century – the king of all Toyota’s. Gotta have a VG40 in silver and a GZG50 in black, both with the wool interior
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOTA/CENTURY/700110170630210110001/index.html2000GT – in yellow
Rocky Auto 3000GT – in black?
https://rockyauto.co.jp/order/rocky3000gt.phpOkay okay I’ve gone on for too long… but it’s a big shed and I’m sure I could squeeze in a few more, plus there’s room round the side.
Gotta have a few Hilux Surf, Carina GT, A60 Celica with the flip-up headlights, KP61 Startlets, MZ21 & JZZ30 Soarer, AE86 in all forms, Townace, MegaCruiser, 70th Anniversary VDJ76 Landcruiser wagon with the optional grille, AW11 MR2, Estima V6, Alphard, Vellfire, Mark X GRMN, GR Yaris in all colours, new GR Corolla too and more Crown’s please from all the years…
The list goes on.But for me, it’s not just about the cars (I mean it is, but hear me out), it’s about the culture and tuning history of each model. I’d want to have a huge collection of period-correct wheels, interior accessories, seats, body kits, lights, merch & apparel, steering wheels, flags, magazines, toys, etc. I guess I could build a mezzanine floor for this stuff.
Can I have a few Lexus IS-F too? Lexus wouldn’t exist without Toyota.
If yes, I’d daily a new Lexus IS350.
Okay, thanks bye.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
For me it’s the 1982-1986 Toyota Celica Supra. It’s lack of exterior chrome and gloss black paint focused your eye on how the light reflected off the body’s sharp angles. Tint the windows a tad darker than legal and you have the Toyota equivalent of the Darth Vader mobile. Yeah it was pretty dope when when it was new and still is.
Anything weird or ugly, say a Nissan F10, a recent Juke, or the Nissan Cube. Add black windows, black wheels or steelies for the same look, and you have a vehicle that hides it’s appearance. Then make sure to wash it in a car wash and drive it into the ground with just mechanical maintenance and enjoy! 🙂
In my opinion, a Honda CRX Exclusive.
The Black paint with tan interior is to me the perfect amount of class
Yay I won!
Thanks for providing a great platform for enthusiasts far and wide, JNC!
To answer this week’s QotW… it’s gotta be the Toyota Century (although I’d want one in silver).
Ugh I can’t believe I won a prize! I’m stoked.
Nice job!
#1 The A70 Supra in my opinion is the best looking in black. The black paint combined with the A70’s already spaceship-like design makes this thing as fast as it looks. Strap some wings or rocket technology into it and this’ll be the best-looking car in space.
#2 The current Camry is practically a longer Corolla, which people sleep on, besides their
insanely great dependability. Slap some black paint on one and you’ll look like a sleeper. Make sure you don’t add any body kits or anything to make it look different. Throw in a turbo and you’ll shock everyone as you pass them in a Camry.
#3 I know this one’s cheating because it’s not exactly black, but it has black in the name so my choice. You don’t really have to do much to make the Infiniti Project Black S cool because it’s already great looking. I’m not sure if it’s real but if it is, it will get more people running to you than the already elegant-looking Q60.
But the best guess is that the one and only Toyota Century looks the best because it’s special. It wouldn’t look right unless it was wearing black. And it’s not ruined, unlike the new Crown crossover thing, which I don’t think deserves the name Crown. But you cannot mess up a Century. I also hear that Toyota themselves claim that the Century is “The Best Car In The World”. Like popcorn, which doesn’t look normal if it isn’t yellow, you can’t mess up the Century.
The widebodied Mitsubishi Starion.
While all it’s Japanese contemporaries definitely look great in black; the Starions look especially stunning in black; a brutish street warrior among finely sculpted precision instruments.
Picture this: You’re cruising down the highway, you had a good night and you’re just heading home. Checking your mirrors, you catch a glimpse of something creeping up on you. You hear the turbine spooling up behind you. The illumination of the roadway only allows you to catch a glimpse every so often. It’s a turbo-wedge, but which one? Supra? 300ZX? RX7?
The mystery car pulls into the next lane and starts his overtake; midrange RPMs noisily growling, turbo whirling into a blow-off. Then, the upshift. You watch as this murderous looking spaceship shoot past you. It’s Tetris like taillamps dimly glowing that let you make out it’s widened shape. What is it?
“STARION”
“What the fuck is that?”
This is too easy. 1985 Toyota Hilux 4×4 xtracab
Oh damn! This. This is the correct answer.
Toyota Century. Black, with tinted windows. Looks Ominous wherever it goes….Because you see that and you just know in the bottom of your heart there’s a good chance there’s a Yakuza boss inside.
only one choice answer:
Miata