Monthly Archives: March 2021

Ebisu Circuit rebuilding efforts under way with fan donations

Last month, a 7.1 earthquake magnitude earthquake and subsequent landslide heavily damaged Ebisu Circuit, one of Japan’s most famed drifting grounds. The landslide caused the collapse of several courses including Drift Land, Minami, and Nishi circuits, and some surrounding facilities. … Continue reading

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The Toyota Celica Liftback that sold for $62,000 is a gift from a loving wife

A 1976 Toyota Celica Liftback has sold for $62,000. That’s a new high for this model, and of course it appears to be in exceptional condition. However, perhaps the better hook here is the back story of why the Celica … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the story behind your first car?

Remember your first car? No, not that one, your first car. It was probably three inches long, made of diecast metal, and ran on childhood dreams. Think of the way it felt in your hand, how fast it rolled, how … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1974 Toyota Publica 1000

The Toyota KP30 Publica is a rare bird, even in its native Japan. For export markets, it was known simply as the Toyota 1000. Constructed on a down-sized Corolla platform, it served as Toyota’s entry-level runabout in many nations where … Continue reading

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RIP Ryu Asada, Hot Wheels designer, 1978—2021

Ryu Asada, beloved designer of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was 42 years old. Ryu was immensely talented and instrumental in bringing a multitude of well-loved cars to the Hot … Continue reading

Posted in Legends, minicars | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

Z35 to be known as Nissan Z, production specs leaked?

Hot on the heels of pictures of the production Nissan Z35 being leaked online, a member by the name of Houston.Z35 on 400zclub has come forward with insider info on the specs and pricing on the new Z. Although many … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The 1989 Toyota Camry brought V6 power to the masses

Today there is no question that the Camry is the benchmark for the ideal family sedan. Its reputation for legendary reliability and innocuous styling had to begin somewhere. Back in 1989, the V20 Camry still had to prove its worth … Continue reading

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Yamaha’s YZR-M1 MotoGP race bike livery is a throwback to the 1960s

Yamaha’s 2021 MotoGP race bike has debuted with a throwback livery that pays tribute to 60 years of Grand Prix competition. The YZR-M1 is finished in a white with red chain block stripe that can be traced back to some … Continue reading

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Toyota South Africa is officially restoring a 2000GT

Toyota of South Africa has officially started restoration of a 2000GT. Only 351 hand-made examples were built, inclusive of pre-production models, and of those just three were originally destined for South Africa. The subsidiary calls it a complete nut and … Continue reading

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A Mazda RX-7 FD has sold for $60,000 at auction

Over the weekend a 1993 Mazda RX-7 sold for $60,000. The car in question was finished in Competition Yellow Mica, considered the most desirable color in the FD palette and exclusive to first-year performance-oriented R1 packages. Only 350 CYMs were … Continue reading

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Happy 323 Day from JNC

Picking up on this week’s near-extinct normal cars theme, when was the last time you saw a Mazda 323 in the wild? These were practical but loveable cars in their day, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. And … Continue reading

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Production Z35 Nissan 400Z photos leaked

Two sets of images of the production Z35 Nissan Z have leaked. One shows a metallic gray car that evokes the Carbon Silver of the 350Z and Gun Metallic of the 370Z. Another shows what looks like a standard silver … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A virtual tour of Toyota’s Motorsports Biography exhibit

The Toyota Automobile Museum’s excellent “Toyota Motorsport Biography: Everlasting Challenge Spirit” exhibit is scheduled to end on April 11. Sadly, travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented most overseas travelers from seeing it in person. However, the museum … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the rarest “normal” JNC you’ve spotted in the wild?

When we are out our radars are usually tuned to rare JNC sightings (much to the annoyance of our spouses). Of course it’s incredible when you see a 2000GT in morning rush hour traffic, but a once-common-now-rare car in good … Continue reading

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Behind the scenes of Honda’s Civic World exhibit

The Civic World special exhibit is still going on at the Honda Collection Hall in Japan right now, and Honda has released a video showing some of the set up that went into the display. It looks like a fantastic … Continue reading

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Mitsubishi UK is auctioning off its entire heritage fleet

We are sad to report that Mitsubishi UK will soon be auctioning off its entire heritage collection. Last year, Mitsubishi made a sudden announcement that it was withdrawing from the UK and European markets. While it has since reversed the … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Mazda MX-6 appeals to the emotions

Before there was Kodo, Mazda practiced Kansei Engineering — engineering based on human feelings. It still resonates today, trickling down to even the CX-30‘s heartbeat-like LED turn signals. Back in 1993, design DNA from the flagship FD RX-7 trickled down … Continue reading

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Nissan is remaking more R32 Skyline GT-R parts using state-of-the-art tech

Nissan has announced that its adding more body panels to its Skyline GT-R Heritage Parts program, including the rear panel for the R32. Of course, many of these parts have been out of production for decades, and it’s no easy … Continue reading

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TUNE UP: FJ62 Land Cruiser stars in Aly & AJ’s “Pretty Places” music video

Have you ever noticed that in music videos and commercials, especially ones that feature cross-country road trips, the cars of choice are almost always some big American boat? It’s true there’s a certain romance associated with a classic droptop, but … Continue reading

Posted in Tune Up | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

QotW: What’s does the Fairlady mean to you?

Sixty-five years ago today, My Fair Lady opened on Broadway. The play would go on for a run of 2,715 performances, and as the legend goes, in one of those performances, sometime in 1959, in the audience sat then Nissan … Continue reading

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