Monthly Archives: February 2017

NEWS: The Mitsubishi Eclipse Crossover is actually happening. Whyyyyyyyyyy?

Danger to Manifold! The rumors we feared were true. Scarcely believable, but true. Mitsubishi announced today that it is reviving the name of a beloved sport coupe to use on a new crossover model called the — are you ready? — Eclipse Cross. This … Continue reading

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Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

As is tradition on Valentine’s Day, Japanese chocolatier Kobe Frantz has released a set of highly realistic, 1:1 scale chocolate tools (1:64 Toyota 2000GT for scale). 

Posted in Reminder | Tagged , | 1 Comment

MINICARS: Have some chocolate cars for Valentine’s Day

Tomica is back with a line of chocolate minicars for this Valentine’s Day. The Japanese diecast carmaker is giving us six cars to drool over, with modern version of two sports car icons — the Nissan GT-R and Fairlady Z — … Continue reading

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QotW: Tell us your tip for battling the winter weather with a JNC

Morning JNCers! In Tokyo, we are hitting single digits, in the US there are huge snow flurries and downright tough weather all around. In high school I used to scrape my windows each day before heading to school in my … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 15 Comments

VIDEO: A Datsun 240Z is the hero car in this 1979 chase movie

1970s Los Angeles was an automotive paradise. Not only did you have a diverse mix of Detroit land yachts, European compacts and heaps of Japanese runabouts, but its freeways ran long and wide. Back then, before the 405 was one giant parking lot, … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Could the fifth-gen Civic VX be the best beginner car ever made?

It is 2017, so 25 years ago it was 1992. That year, one of the most important cars to the sport compact movement came to American shores, the EG Honda Civic. In this case, however, we’re talking about the EH2 … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Just a reminder that Toyota is cooler everywhere that is not the US

So at this point we’ve seen official ads featuring classic Toyotas in Japan, Colombia, the UK, and Australia. Now, three new videos have emerged Down Under featuring a trio of dedicated enthusiasts and their classic Toyotas. These include the original owner of a 1976 … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The only running Toyota 2000GT in the UK

With just 351 built, the Toyota 2000GT is a rare car. According to Toyota UK, this is the only roadworthy one in the country. They’re calling it The Toyota that Lived Twice, a nod to the 2000GT’s starring role in the … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Houston Morningstar Meet

You might have heard there was a football game in Houston over the weekend. We were in town for the epic clash — something about classic Fords versus Jeep crossovers — but before the big game the local JNC community welcomed us to a Sunday morning meet. 

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Happy TE27 Day from JNC

When you think of Toyota performance, the color palette that pops into your head may largely depend on the cars you love. Yellow, orange and red for 80s IMSA racing, red and green Castrol for WRC, white and red for … Continue reading

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QotW: What JNC would best represent the New England Patriots?

Greetings fellow JNCers! As I drafted this QotW, I was sitting in my Tokyo office feverishly refreshing my browser to follow Super Bowl LI. As the game progressed, turned on a dime, and presented the biggest comeback in Super Bowl … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 9 Comments

Perhaps the most thoroughly restored 1977 Celica ever

Inspired by TA22 Day yesterday, we stumbled across what is quite possibly the most thorough restoration of a 1977 Celica ever performed. Technically this isn’t a TA22, but it’s still a first-gen Celica and it’s an amazing story of an … Continue reading

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Happy TA22 Day from JNC

Okay, it’s a stretch, but today is 2/2. In other words, Happy TA22 Day from JNC!

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VIDEO: Let’s not forget how awesome the Legacy RS was

Before the WRX, STI or any of Subaru’s three-letter suffixes for the Impreza became synonymous with rallying, there was the Legacy RS. Here’s a thrilling video of Colin McRae tearing through the 1993 Tour de Corse. Turbocharged first-gen Subaru Legacys are … Continue reading

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VIDEO: How the Honda S-Series made its debut to the world

The Honda S-Series sports car — a lineage that consists of the S660, S2000, S800, S600 and S500 — is legendary today, but how did it make its first appearance to the world? After all, Honda is one of the few automakers … Continue reading

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