Monthly Archives: March 2019
NEWS: Nissan expands Skyline GT-R reproduction parts program to RB26 engine, R32 body parts
NISMO has announced a significant expansion to its Skyline GT-R reproduction parts program. While the parts offered since the program’s launch in 2017 largely consisted of rubber and plastic bits that deteriorate with age, the latest batch of items are … Continue reading
VIDEO: Who did it better, Toyota USA or Toyota UK?
Recently, Toyota subsidiaries on both sides of the pond put out a call to enthusiasts and owners, assembled them at a race track, and filmed the experience. In the US, it was to promote the new Supra at Auto Club … Continue reading
NEWS: What could Nissan have planned for the NY Auto Show?
Nissan has released a teaser for the New York Auto Show next month. Titled “Ultimate Dream Garage,” the image shows several iconic Nissans, including an S30 Z, the Calsonic R32 Group A race car, the Tokyo Motor Show Kenmeri GT-R, … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged 370z, calsonic, fairlady z, gt-r, jtcc, new york auto show, nissan, r32, r34, r35, s30 z, skyline, z34
6 Comments
PRODUCT GUIDE: Dixcel has an enormous catalog of brake parts for vintage Japanese cars
Parts for older Japanese cars are pretty hard to come by, but there’s at least one brake company that has made a point to produce as many parts for vintage cars as they can. At the recent 17th International Auto … Continue reading
BIKES: Suzuki releases retro-styled Katana
Many Japanese motorcycle makers are coming out with retro-styled bikes these days. Kawasaki and Honda have made modern versions of the Z1 and CBX respectively, and now Suzuki has joined the fray. However, whereas Kawasaki and Honda referenced bikes of … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the one car you’d get from the year you were born?
JNC is proud to have readers of all ages, from teenagers just getting into vintage Nihon steel, to retired folks who remember these cars when new. Some of us were fortunate enough to have been born during golden years of … Continue reading
Happy 323 Day from JNC
The first Japanese car to win a Group A WRC race wasn’t a Subaru. It wasn’t a Mitsubishi, either, or a Toyota. It was a Mazda. On Valentine’s Day 1987, the humble Mazda 323 4WD (known as the Mazda 323 … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: 1967 Daihatsu P-5 race car restored
These days Daihatsu is doing brisk business manufacturing an endless variety of kei cars as a Toyota subsidiary. It doesn’t have any presence to speak of in the world of motorsports today, but in the wild west of 1960s Japan, … Continue reading
MINICARS: Praise the JNC gods for this Datsun 240Z bath toy
Because my wife is expecting and we will soon have a little car nut of our own, I have recently spent an inordinate amount of time in the baby section of stores, desperate for cool JNC-related stuff. Not surprisingly, it’s … Continue reading
PROFILES: Hiep Dang got these other Nissans instead of an R32
Usually when we dive into the waters of collecting cars, we inherit the gene from a family member or a group of friends, and our interests follow theirs. We usually start off with something simple and move up from there. … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan exec suggests next Z and GT-R might be electric
With both the Z and GT-R in generations that have lasted a decade or so with no hints about their futures. So, whenever a top Nissan executive whispers a phrase about either model, enthusiasts take notice. The most recent utterance … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite car from Japan’s tuning era?
If there’s anything we learned from the tragic passing of Junichi Tanaka a week ago, it was that many of you came to the world of Nihon steel after encountering an insane demo or race car from the glory days … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
16 Comments
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Irish-spec Toyota AE86
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day, the most hackneyed of holidays, that magical time of year when Americans tack up caricatures of supposed Irish culture like shamrocks and leprechauns and guzzle offensively named cocktails. Why not switch it up and salute authentically … Continue reading
NIHON LIFE: Japan raises speed limit to 75 mph
Japan has raised its speed limit to 120 kph (75 mph) on two major expressways, the highest maximum that has ever been allowed in the country. The high-speed zones span a 50-kilometer section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway between in Shizuoka … Continue reading
Posted in Nihon Life
5 Comments
MOTORSPORT: Everyone’s swapping 2JZs into the new Supra
A few of Japan’s professional drift teams have already gotten their hands on the new A90 Toyota Supra and are building them for competition in D1GP. In a new Option video, Notable AE86 aficionado and Toyota works driver Akira Iida … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 2000gt, A90, akira iida, d1gp, daigo saito, drifting, Masato Kawabata, Option Video, supra, toyota
9 Comments
VIDEO: JUN Auto Mechanic’s brain-melting creations
As we mourn the loss of Jun Auto Mechanic founder Junichi Tanaka, let’s take a a look back at some of his incredible creations. These were, for many enthusiasts, the dream cars that hooked them on Japan’s tuning culture. Though … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged A80, BB4, best motoring, civic, Civic EK, fairlady z, gt-r, honda, jun auto mechanic, lancer evolution, mitsubishi, nissan, Option Video, prelude, r34, S15, s2000, silvia, supra, top gear, toyota, toyota 86, Tsukuba Circuit, z33
2 Comments
QotW: Daily, Garage, Sell — 90s Honda Edition
Welcome to another edition of Daily, Garage, Sell, JNC‘s version of Bang, Marry, Kill. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, you any glance at the local bookstore magazine shelf was sure to reveal at least one Honda cover … Continue reading
