In February Toyota debuted a new anime series, Grip, that was all about fun cars like the GR Corolla, 86 and Supra battling against a world of boring, autonomous cars. The second season is out now, and people have been noticing clues pointing to an exciting slate of five future performance cars not-so-subtly hidden in a frame. Is Toyota trying to tell us something with viral marketing, or did the animators just take some creative liberty? Continue reading
Toyota Celica GT-Four reimagined in Castrol-colored, AWD, turbo GR86
After many years of dormancy Toyota’s famed Castrol livery saw revivals this year, but on non-Toyota cars, oddly enough. Well, here’s the colorway once again, this time on a proper Toyota. Not only that, but the GR86 wearing the livery is as close to a modern Celica GT-Four as you can get, complete with turbo engine and all-wheel-drive. Continue reading
Posted in Next Version
Tagged celica, GR86, motorsports, rally, st185, st205, toyota, wrc
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QotW: Which JNC has the best-looking rear?
Today, November 4, is Butt Day in Japan. Now as you pick your brains up out of the gutter you should know that the holiday comes from the popular children’s character Detective Butt, who is a crime solver with a rump for a head. The official description from Toei Animation states, “While he may look like a butt, he is a great detective with excellent deduction.” As with many special occasions, the day comes from the fact that 11 can be read as ii (11) oshiri (04), which means, “nice butt”. It also happens to be Det. Butt’s birthday. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, cars. In all the time we spend gazing upon them, the angle we view them the most from is the rear. In real life the side view is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it blur. Front view? Maybe at a car show. On roads, in traffic, in parking lots, the primary perspective is the rear. So it’s fairly important for car designers to spend time on a good looking posterior. The question this week is simple:
Which JNC has the best-looking rear?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite animated JNC?“. Continue reading
Toyota built a retro ‘4Runner TRD Surf’ with two doors and removable roof
The newest Toyota 4Runner debuted with real off-road chops and retro styling, in many ways bettering even its big brother Land Cruiser. Now Toyota has reached even further into the 4Runner’s heritage and created an homage to the OG first-gen. The concept even cuts the number of doors down to two and chops the roof off. The Toyota 4Runner TRD Surf is about as close as one can get to the one that started it all. Continue reading
Happy Halloween from JNC
If you are (un)lucky enough to have this Toyota Crown Comfort appear when you hail a cab in Japan, fear not. It’s not a death cab, but a promotional taxi by the Lucky Taxi company in Nagasaki Prefecture. Each year they dress up a car like this for the month of October. The skeleton in the passenger seat is named Fukuichi, after Lucky Taxi’s founder, Fukuichi Fukuda. Fukuda has a saying that those of us who have given their life to our automobiles can understand, and which takes on a somewhat ominous meaning on All Hallows’ Eve: “It all started with cars, and it all ends with cars.” Happy Halloween from JNC!
Toyota Chaser is perfect pursuit vehicle in ‘Lonesome Hitman’
We’ve featured many classic car chases from Japanese film and cinema, but there has never been one with a car so fitting. In 1989’s Lonesome Hitman, the pursuing car is, in fact, a Toyota Chaser. With a name like that, it’s surprising they haven’t been in more movies. In this case, it’s running down a W116 Mercedes sedan as bullets fly. Continue reading
Next-gen GR Supra will reportedly be all-Toyota, with gasoline-hybrid power
Rumors about the next-generation Toyota Supra are swirling again. It’s good news for the purists this time around the rumor mill, because it’s saying the car will be an all-Toyota effort. Furthermore, it was believed that the GR Supra would be electrified. Now sources from Japan are saying it’s still going to burn gasoline. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite animated JNC?
October 28 is International Animation Day, and what better day could there be to ask about your favorite animated cars? We’ve always had a soft spot for a certain white FC RX-7. Among the legendary Takahashi brothers, the older Ryosuke was the smarter and more stone cold racer than the younger and more emotional Keisuke. Yet Ryosuke was the one with the “lesser” RX-7. That didn’t stop his FC, the White Comet of Akagi, from being more formidable an opponent than Keisuke’s FD though. When watching Initial D for the first time that was an unexpected and welcome twist that drew us into the story even more.
What’s your favorite animated JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How do you clean old stains from floormats and carpets?“. Continue reading
Peep the glorious diversity of cars on a Kobe street in 1972
A lot of Showa Era photos have the usual suspects when it comes to traffic. You got your Toyota Crowns, your Nissan Cedrics, maybe a Fuso or two. This scene published by the City of Kobe, though, has an incredible lineup of cars that aren’t your typical sightings. Sure, there’s a 510 Bluebird and barikan taxis in the mix, but seeing a Honda TN360, a Mazda Familia Van, or a T60 Crona Mark II all in close proximity is rare. Look in the back and there’s a Toyota Carina or an L40 Suzuki Carry in there. The longer you stare at the photo the more you discover. May your weekend be as rich as the variety of cars in this photo.
A Honda T360 helps you build a vending machine empire in Honcho video game
Honcho is a new video game that is ostensibly about resource management, but in fact maintaining a Honda T360 seems like a major part of the draw. The game takes place in 1980s Japan, and appropriate cars of the era appear as background traffic while you drive your kei truck around town. With cheerful graphics and a humorous tone, maybe this can be your next time killer. Continue reading
Kia has restored two Mazda-based examples of its earliest cars
The Korean auto industry has come a long way. So long, in fact, that they now have the luxury of looking back at their early history and honoring it by restoring a couple of the earliest Kia vehicles. At first glance you might have mistaken them for a couple of classic Mazdas, though, because that’s essentially what they are. Continue reading
What would you pay for an ex-JGTC Toyota Supra?
The heyday of the All-Japan Grand Touring Championship marked a time when tuner culture hummed at fever pitch and racing machines were immortalized in the pixels of Gran Turismo. The A80 Toyota Supra was yet to be catapulted into movie stardom in the Fast & Furious franchise, but those who followed it through “import” mags and pirated DVDs already knew of its racing exploits across the Pacific. Now one of those ex-JGTC cars is about to hit the auction block. What will it go for? Continue reading
QotW: How do you clean old stains from floormats and carpets?
I’ll admit this QotW is purely for selfish reasons, but we are trying to do a deep clean on my AE86 and the carpets have very old stains from an unknown substance. We’ve tried everything — a Bissell carpet cleaner, Dawn dish soap, baking soda, Folex, and various mixtures of those. The stains have gotten lighter, but they’re still there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
How do you clean old stains from floormats and carpets?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What is your favorite form of motorsports, and what car would you compete in it with?“. Continue reading
Bose’s jumping “Magic Carpet” Lexus LS400 is now a parts donor
Remember the “leaping Lexus” developed by Bose? Back in 2004 the audio electronics company revealed an active suspension system and installed it on a first-gen Lexus LS400. The results were extraordinary. The car exhibited zero body roll, even under heavy braking, in a slalom, or over bumps. For its most impressive party trick, the Lexus jumped over a six inch high piece of lumber. Recently, that exact prototype showed up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Continue reading
Karaoke has its origins in a 60-year-old car stereo
Today, October 17, is Karaoke Day in Japan. The date marks the establishment of the Japan Karaoke Association (JKA) on this day in 1994, exactly 30 years ago. Karaoke was named — along with kei cars, the Honda Super Cub, and the CVCC engine — one of Japan’s Top 100 Innovations. A portmanteau of kara (Japanese for “empty”) and oke (short for “orchestra”), the ability to sing along to instrumental recordings of songs could not have happened without the car stereo. Continue reading
Posted in Anniversaries
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Nissan Violet and Toyota Crown taxis queue up near Mt Fuji
The areas near Mt Fuji have always been a popular sightseeing destination, but without a car it’s rather inconvenient to get to the top. At one of the train stations in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, a queue of taxis line up to take travelers to nearby destinations like Gotemba Ski Resort or Mt Fuji. Kujira Toyota Crowns, 230 Nissan Cedrics and 710 Nissan Violets seem to be the cabs of choice here. The center Violet wears the livery of the Fujikyu Shizuoka Taxi Co., which is still in use today.
Cars can only climb to the 5th Station (there are 10 in all), but during snowy weather buses and cab companies may refuse to ascend the legendary mountain. Private cars are allowed, however, so plan accordingly.
Posted in Showa Snap
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Honda Prelude revival won’t have manual transmission after all
Womp womp. It turns out that the report of a manual transmission for the upcoming Honda Prelude was incorrect. A top exec has confirmed that the coupe will be automatic only. And yes, that’s a photo of an Acura TL Type-S up there, another Honda that was cruelly denied a stick shift, much to the disappointment of enthusiasts. Continue reading
QotW: What is your favorite form of motorsports, and what car would you compete in it with?
Today, October 14, is Sports Day in Japan. It was created in 1966 to commemorate the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, an event that set off a massive infrastructure program — bullet trains, expressways, satellite broadcasting — that helped spur auto manufacturing. Today, Sports Day is a general health and fitness reminder but we’re here to put our vehicular spin on it. From Honda Insights hypermiling to Hino Rangers charging through the desert, motorsports takes endless forms. Amateur gymkhanas can be just as thrilling as Formula 1.
What is your favorite form of motorsports, and what car would you compete in it with?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “LED headlights, yea or nay?“. Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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Help Nissan find the stolen R32 Skyline GT-R from their Heritage Collection
Thieves suck. They all deserve to get the book thrown at them, but it’s especially painful when they steal something that isn’t just an easily replaceable mall crawling Kia. Down Under, some particularly brazen lowlifes has pilfered the R32 Skyline GT-R from Nissan Australia’s heritage collection. Local authorities are investigating. Continue reading
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Kawasaki W230 expands retro lineup with quarter-liter standard
We are in a golden age of retro bikes. However, most of the offerings have been at either the high end of the market, with models like the Kawasaki Z900 and W800, or the low end of the market like with Honda’s Monkey and other 125cc minis. Now, the Kawasaki W230 is coming to America, and it’s a perfect entry-level quarter-liter Japanese bike with retro styling. Continue reading
