Monthly Archives: August 2017
VIDEO: Restored Mazda Cosmo Sport runs the Hamburg-Berlin Rally
After a truly heroic restoration of a rusted out Cosmo Sport, Mazda Germany did what anyone would do with a newly restored classic rotary — take it on a three-day road rally.
MOTORSPORT: Team Highball IMSA RX-7, the most successful endurance racer of all time
It is often said that rotary engines are unreliable. And yet, some of the greatest long-distance racers have been pistonless Mazdas, including what has been called the most successful endurance racer of all time: the Team Highball 1985 IMSA GTU RX-7.
Posted in motorsport
Tagged fc3s, imsa, mazda, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, rotary engine, rx-7, sa22, Team Highball
18 Comments
MOTORSPORT: IMSA Mazda RX-3 at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Mazda continued to flex its racing heritage muscle at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. In addition to its usual usual cadre of booming (and zooming) rotary racers, four new participants ripped around the renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC would make a great mobile office?
[Author’s note: Sorry Ben, the above JNC company van is excluded from this QotW. I, too, think it is wonderful, but not in the summer with the exhaust heat coming through the floor ;)] The way we conduct business is … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
16 Comments
VIDEO: Ichikawa Parking Area in the Bubble Era
At the height of the Bubble Era, meets stretched deep into the pre-dawn hours. Even at 4 am, parking areas like Ichikawa PA were filled with Savannas, Soarers, and Skylines. Tuning legend Isami Amemiya even shows up with an FC3S and his … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Bubble Era, eunos, fairlady z, fc3s, Ichikawa PA, mazda, miata, nissan, r32, skyline, soarer, toyota, z20, z31, z32
10 Comments
CLASSIC CM: Behold, a solid half hour of Suzuki commercials
Do you have some time to kill? Well, then perhaps you can watch a solid half hour of Japanese Suzuki TV spots, ranging from 1978 to 2000, ranging from sincere to zany and selling everything from scooters to off-roaders. Michael … Continue reading
VIDEO: Mazda Germany’s Cosmo Sport restoration is done
Mazda Germany’s Cosmo Sport saga is finally complete. In the last batch of episodes, the car has gone from rust-holed barn occupant to show-worthy classic. If you’re new to the series, see parts 01 and 02, then watch the rest below.
VIDEO: Jay Leno gifts Magnus Walker a Toyota Corolla Liftback
In a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC, the Denim Prince gives a car to clothing designer Magnus Walker. Magnus melted the internet a few years ago when he began quietly posting his huge Porsche collection on an internet forum. Since … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged corolla, e30, E50, jay leno, Magnus Walker, porsche, te51, toyota
10 Comments
Happy Eclipse Day from JNC
Today is the first time a total solar eclipse will be visible in America in nearly a century, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. So of course we’re going to make an Eclipse joke, but Mitsubishi actually beat us to it — … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC would represent the music of today?
Ben recently dropped some knowledge on us with the news about Biz Markie and his love of the Mazda MPV. I remember watching his videos and later as a guest on Yo! MTV Raps in the day. I think I … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
9 Comments
MINICARS: A Hot Wheels Nissan Laurel is coming [UPDATE: Another pic]
When we posted about the new Hot Wheels Fairlady Z casting we said there was more news we were excited to share when the time was right. That time is now. Two reveals in as many days, Hot Wheels has … Continue reading
VIDEO: Infiniti Prototype 9
Reactions to the Infiniti Prototype 9 have been polarized. Perhaps photos don’t do the one-off design exercise justice. Luckily for you, Infiniti has released a series of videos showcasing its retro EV racer concept. Sometimes seeing the car in motion … Continue reading
MINICARS: A metal base Hot Wheels Fairlady Z
Hot Wheels has revealed an updated Nissan Fairlady Z which has a new, metal base. The front air dam is much more pronounced, as metal-chassis cars are typically for collectors and not orange tracks, where such a chin spoiler might … Continue reading
VIDEO: That one time Michael Bay destroyed a REPU
Michael Bay has unnecessarily ruined a lot of things, and today we add a Mazda REPU to that list. This is a scene from The Rock, and while most people remember the wanton destruction of a Ferrari F355, the clear tragedy … Continue reading
50 YEAR CLUB: Nissan Bluebird 510
Fifty years ago today, the third-generation Nissan Bluebird 510 went on sale. 1967 was a pivotal year for the Japanese auto industry, with seminal sports cars like the Toyota 2000GT and Mazda Cosmo Sport debuting within a couple of weeks of each other. While … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? The most complete and original Group B RX-7 on Earth
There have been numerous legendary Japanese rally cars (and trucks) throughout history — Toyota Celica GT-FOUR, Mitsubishi Pajero and Lancer Evolution, Subaru Impreza WRX, to name a few. However, the iconic Group B tends to not be associated with JNCs, … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC needs a line of reproduction parts support?
Nothing beats a trunk full of fresh parts to help with that resto job on your latest J-tin project. Sometimes a mountain of parts is needed just to get the engine to breathe new life to an old but still … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
27 Comments
NEWS: Infiniti Prototype 9 envisions a retro racer from the 1940s
Infiniti has revealed the Prototype 9, a true dream car project. Built from authentic old school construction methods and designed with parameters limited only by human imagination, it fantasizes a “what if” scenario that saw Infiniti competing in the so-called Golden … Continue reading
