Toyota has put up a mysterious teaser that promises a big reveal on October 13 at 1:00 pm local time. The image shows the logos of all the company’s main brands: Toyota, Lexus, Century, Gazoo Racing, and Daihatsu. On the Toyota website there’s a countdown timer that says:
The sign at Fuji Speedway has changed.
On the left, 2000GT
Next to it, LFA
Next to that… ?
It sure seems like they’re hinting at a sports car that can carry on the tradition of super-high end flagships. Continue reading
With the news of Nissan Design America’s closing, we wanted to consider the earliest and arguably the most iconic vehicle to emerge from the studio: the WD21 Nissan Pathfinder. As it happens, we once stumbled upon this exact car at the parking lot of Nissan Design America. We were there to review the new Nissan Z, but learned that the Pathy belonged to Hiren Patel, a Senior Design Manager at NDA who was responsible for the new Frontier pickup, among many other projects at Nissan. Continue reading
The third and final installment of former Road & Track International editor Sam Mitani’s car-themed thrillers is Keys to the Empire. The trilogy began in 2018 with The Prototype, continued in 2023 with Red Mist, and draws to a close with Mitani’s latest novel.
Keys to the Empire continues in the universe established in the two previous books, though it works as a standalone story as well. Characters from the first two novels appear in Keys, but the protagonist is a new deadly assassin.
Dalton Lang was an elite agent in China’s Ministry of State Security before defecting to the United States. He’s called out of retirement when people close to him are hunted by unknown assailants. Is it the MSS, the yakuza, or corrupt LAPD detectives? The search for answers takes Lang, in the finest Mitani tradition, on a globe-trotting adventure with cars at its center. Continue reading
In 2022 we wrote about Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi and her beloved A70 Toyota Supra. At the time, she had lost her bid to become the next Prime Minister, but over the weekend she was elected to head Japan’s ruling party. In Japan’s parliamentary system that means she’s almost certain to become the nation’s first female Prime Minister, and car enthusiasts across the country are excited to have one of their own as the new leader. Continue reading
Today, October 6, is Oil Day in Japan, marking an occasion for average citizens to think about the many petroleum-based products used in every day life. The date was chosen because the numbers 1, 0, and 6 can be rearranged to form O (0), I (1), and L/R (6). It also happens to be the anniversary of the first global oil crisis, which led to long lines a fuel pumps around the world and began on October 6, 1973.
Some owners have an almost religious dedication to their brand of service station. Personally I prefer Costco since it usually has the best price for a Top Tier fuel — though that’s hovering around $4.30 a gallon in southern California — but if the lines are long I’ll go elsewhere. I’m not brand loyal but only Top Tier juice goes into my JNCs. Other than that, I don’t have any hard rules except for a healthy dose of ethanol stabilizer and a full tank in cars that are sitting.
What are your gasoline filling routines?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC looks most proper in red?“. Continue reading
It might not be possible to upend your life and collect a stable of dream cars and race them in Japan and beyond, but a PlayStation 5 is going to be your next best bet. The long awaited reboot of the hashiriya saga Tokyo Xtreme Racer was released on PC earlier this year to the surprise of many fans. Now, developer Genki has announced that the game is coming to PS5 as well. Continue reading
A report out of Japan claims that Toyota’s partner for the next GR86 will no longer be Subaru. After two generations of platform sharing with the BRZ, Toyota will instead join with Mazda and develop the GR86 alongside the next Miata. However, that doesn’t mean the BRZ is dead. Details are sparse, but apparently it will soldier on as well. Continue reading
In 1989 Toyota introduced what was arguably the most over-engineered car ever made. The Lexus LS had to be perfect if it was going to go toe-to-toe with the established European brands. It was. More refined, more durable, and far more affordable than its competition, the Lexus LS forever changed the luxury car landscape and set a new standard for quality. Now after 36 years, it’s driving off into the sunset. Continue reading
In 1965 Honda achieved something unthinkable. It won a Formula 1 Grand Prix just two years after it had begun producing its first car. As the famous story goes, when Soichiro Honda instructed his engineers to develop a car that could compete in this highest echelon of motorsports, they asked, “What is F1?” Yet the Honda RA272 not only competed in but won the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix, and went into the history books. Continue reading
The color red is most closely associated with Ferraris, Alfas, and other Italian cars. Former head of GM Performance John Heinricy once said, “All Corvettes are red, the rest are mistakes,” and they even titled a book based on that quote. There’s the old joke whenever someone has a red sports car that the color is “arrest-me red”. While many JNCs look good in red, in all honesty we think very few look their best in red. For example, the Honda S600 often comes in red, but is it the best color for the S600? Well, that would probably be white, albeit with a red interior. Are there any cases in which red is best possible color for the car?
Which JNC looks most proper in red?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What would you do without a car?“. Continue reading
Welp, in case the Mt Fuji framed by cherry blossoms hasn’t clued you in, Forza Horizon 6 will take place in Japan. It’s a location fans of the franchise have been demanding for years and now it’s finally happening. The open-world format that’s a hallmark of the Forza Horizon series seems like it will offer a lot of potential to delve into Japan’s diverse car culture. Continue reading
Great news! The folks at JCCS have extended the coupon code for JNC readers. Get $5 admission for the 2025 Japanese Classic Car Show when you buy tickets online using the coupon code JNCFAN at checkout. This is the 20th anniversary of the country’s premier vintage Japanese automotive event. Don’t miss it!
Continuing on its 35th anniversary celebration, Honda has released another NSX video featuring five iterations of its flagship supercar. This time, it has recruited two-time SuperGT champ Tomoki Nojiri to provide his driving impressions of the five cars. Nojiri drives the ARTA NSX in the GT500 class and took the championship in 2021 and 2022. He’s also an NSX owner off the track. Continue reading
One of the best things about the Gran Turismo series is its inclusion of cars that aren’t necessarily the most powerful exotics. Its embrace of obscure classics, everyday cars, and vehicles that have no business being on a race track are what endeared us to the series. Anyone remember slinging a Honda Element around the ‘Ring in GT4? For its September 2025 update, Gran Turismo 7 is adding some truly unexpected machinery. Continue reading
The 2025 Japanese Classic Car Show is almost upon us, and we would like to offer JNC readers a special coupon code for admission. This year’s show will be a very special one, as it’s the 20th anniversary of the show. There will be a few unique surprises in store, making it a can’t-miss event. Between now and September 25, if you buy tickets and enter the coupon code JNCFAN, you’ll get $5 of the regular admission price of $25. See you there!
The renowned carrozzeria Italdesign-Giugiaro has posted a mysterious teaser to social media. Over a blue background reminiscent of Italdesign’s signature color there’s nothing but the Honda logo with the words “NSX Tribute”. What could it be?` Continue reading
Tom Matano, the famed designer of the original Mazda Miata, FD RX-7, and more, has passed away. The Japan native was born in 1947 in Nagasaki, Japan and studied engineering at Seikei University in Tokyo but then left for America to enroll in the prestigious Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, California to study automotive design. Upon graduation he was hired in 1974 at General Motors, working first in the Oldsmobile division and then at Holden in Australia. Continue reading
Today, Septemeber 22, is Car Free Day in many cities around the world, including nine in Japan. It asks citizens to refrain from driving in urban centers to consider what life might be like without the traffic and environmental impacts associated with cars. We recently moved to a place that’s extremely walkable, a rarity in Los Angeles. There’s a supermarket, dry cleaner, ramen restaurant, and (because California) dispensary all within minute’s stroll. I must say that on a day-to-day basis it’s convenient and enjoyable. Could I do without a car? Sometimes I fantasize about focusing my entire car obsession into Hot Wheels and Tamiya kits, but ultimately and I think I’d miss the real thing too much.
What would you do without a car?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW,”What’s the best Japanese car for a midlife crisis?“. Continue reading
The Subaru Legacy has reached, as they say in the business, “EOP” or End of Production. It was announced on September 18 by Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA), though the actual car was driven off the factory’s A-line at just after 3:00 pm on September 12. That’s almost 36 years to the day when the first first-generation Legacy rolled out of the Lafayette plant on September 11, 1989. Continue reading
Nissan is on a cost-cutting rampage, and the latest to fall are its studios. Design centers in southern California and São Paulo, Brazil are to be shuttered as part of the company’s
“Re:Nissan” restructuring plan that hopes to bring the carmaker back into the black by 2026. It’s a shocking move, particularly for Nissan Design America, which has been a presence in the San Diego, California area since 1979. Continue reading
