Monthly Archives: January 2014

SHOP LIFE: Standards, Part 02

In Part 01, we headed up to Gifu to visit a shop called Standards, which had a mind-blowing amount of Showa goodies hidden in every nook and cranny. After going into Showa overload, Yokoyama-san, the owner, asked if we wanted … Continue reading

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JNC THEATER: Boso Panic – The Big Crash

1976’s Boso Panic: The Big Crash was your typical action movie from the era. All the gritty ingredients were there: bank robber anti-heroes, a femme fatale, gunfights, and loads upon loads of car chases. What sets it apart is the fact that it … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Original owner 1987 Honda CRX Si

In the 27 years Chris Hoffman has owned his 1987 Honda CRX Si he’s seen his model of choice transform from econobox to tuner king to Japanese classic. Now his well-preserved car is also the subject of Petrolicious‘ latest video, titled “Original Fanboy.” As it … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Toyota 2000GT drift!

So you have the most badass — and expensive — Japanese classic ever built. Why not take it to the track and mash on the pedals like they’ve got spiders pouring out of them? It’s exactly what one Japanese driver … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the coolest factory decal package?

Throughout 70s and 80s decal packages were a fact of life. Some were awesome, some were awesomely bad, but they were emblematic of the era. What’s the coolest factory decal package? We don’t know if it’s the greatest, but Mazda‘s … Continue reading

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SHOP LIFE: Standards, Part 01

Standards is a little known shop hiding up in Gifu Prefecture. We would have never been aware of had it not been for some internet digging by a friend in a desperate bid to find some rare Mazda Carol 360 … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Kaz — Pushing the Virtual Divide delves into the mind of Gran Turismo

The Gran Turismo series transformed the way an entire generation was introduced to cars. Among its game-changing achievements — ultra realism, actual manufacturer unveilings, developing world-class race drivers —  is one very special triumph for JNCers. It was not only the … Continue reading

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25 YEAR CLUB: Subaru Legacy, Part 01

Twenty-five years ago today, Subaru announced a new model, the Legacy. It was a late entry in the mid-size sedan field, a class often marked by mundaneness in purpose and form. Nevertheless, Japanese carmakers occasionally injected into these cars doses of … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1968 Paris Auto Salon Mazda 110S

Mazda Cosmo Sports are rare already, but this particular specimen has the added provenance of being a show car. According to the seller, it was displayed at the Mazda booth at the 1968 Paris Auto Salon. Additionally, this is an export … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? FJ40 Land Cruiser sells for $101,750

It’s auction season in Arizona, which means another round of stratospheric values for old cars. Last year FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser prices reached new heights, going as high as $88,000 for a blueprinted 1981 at Barrett-Jackson. Now a 1977 model … Continue reading

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QotW: What would you do with a Nissan IDx?

Now that a highly anticipated lightweight FR Nissan has been confirmed for production, the only question is: What would you do with a Nissan IDx? How about a replica of the Safari Rally winning 1970 Datsun 510 SSS? Extend the roof … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Ryuji Tsugihara’s Yoroshiku Mechadoc

There are countless manga devoted to the subject of cars, but rarely do they leap off their comic book pages into the world of anime. Any self-respecting JNCer knows a few, but before Initial D or Wangan Midnight, before even Shakotan Boogie, there … Continue reading

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NEWS: Nissan IDx production confirmed

A top Nissan exec has confirmed that the Nissan IDx will see production. As of yet it’s unknown which one of the two concepts, the IDx Freeflow or IDx NISMO, will get the green light.

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 38k-mile EF Honda Civic Si

For the Honda purist, online searches are a form of self-flagellation. You’ll want to go all Oedipus on your eyeballs after witnessing what crimes the average shocker-rockin’ Civic owner perpetrates on Soichiro’s creations. But wade through enough garish paint jobs … Continue reading

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NEWS: Nissan IDx gets a nose job for North American debut

Remember how Nissan said the Sports Sedan Concept was going to redefine the marque’s future design language? They wasted no time and have already given the Nissan IDx, unveiled in Tokyo less than two months ago, a facelift for its … Continue reading

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NEWS: The 4DSC is back! Nissan Sports Sedan Concept

When the J30 Maxima debuted in 1989 Nissan employed a clever little bit of marketing by calling it the “4DSC,” or “four door sports car.” Now the automaker is invoking the spirit of Nissans past in it’s new Sport Sedan … Continue reading

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NEWS: Supra, 2000GT-inspired Toyota FT-1 concept unveiled

Since the Supra’s departure from US shores in 1998, Toyotaku have been eagerly waiting for its return. Every year or so there’d be rumors about a new halo sports car for the Toyota brand, including the weeks leading up to … Continue reading

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QotW: What “Class of 1989” car would you import?

It may seem like we just asked this question, but just because a car is the greatest graduate from the Class of 1989 doesn’t mean you want to own it. The doors have opened onto a whole new era of once-forbidden Japanese … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival & Parade, Part 02

When Toyota holds a car show in the middle of Tokyo’s equivalent of Central Park, people notice. In Part 01 of our Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival coverage we had the rare opportunity to see the best of Japan’s historic … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1 of 3 1986 IMSA GTO Toyota Celicas

For Celica fans 1986 is known as the year when the beloved sports coupe was transformed from rear- to a front-wheel-drive. Despite its softening, Toyota was still hell-bent on scoring sales with an aggressive racing program. At the time there … Continue reading

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