Monthly Archives: July 2024
Legendary Honda CB72 returns to Suzuka after six decades for 70th anniversary of Yoshimura celebration
Legendary motorcycle tuner Hideo “Pop” Yoshimura was recently reunited with one of the machines that changed Japan’s motorsports history. The occasion was the 70th anniversary of Yoshimura R&D’s founding, and the bike was the Honda CB72. It was the first … Continue reading
Posted in Motorcycles
Tagged CB72, CB77, honda, Suzuka 8 Hrs, suzuka circuit, yoshimura
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Matchbox 2025 lineup gains Acura Integra Type R, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda RX-3, and more
Collectors of Japanese diecast cars will have a lot to look forward to in the Matchbox lineup of 2025. Last weekend Matchbox’s annual convention was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the hosts from Mattel previewed next year’s lineup. There … Continue reading
Posted in minicars
Tagged accord, acura, cb7, century, honda, Integra Type R, land cruiser, lexus, Lexus GX, Lexus LC, matchbox, mazda, mitsubishi, pajero, rx-3, tacoma, toyota
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QotW: Which marque do you most often recommend?
We’re assuming that because JNC readers are car enthusiasts, you often get asked by your normie friends what kind of car they should buy. Obviously the recommendation will depend on the various needs of the buyer, but is there a … Continue reading
The Nissan Primera P10 was an international touring car that raced on four continents
As the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R was finishing up its four-year dominance of the All-Japan Touringcar Championship (JTC), winning every single race from 1990-93, a new Nissan race car was on the horizon. The FIA had announced new rules for … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged fuji speedway, infiniti, Infiniti G20, jtcc, masahiro hasemi, nissan, P10, Primera
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Initial D parody sees an R32 Skyline GT-R touge battle a Lincoln Town Car limousine
If there’s any question about how influential Initial D is, the references to it in popular culture should provide a clue. It’s been parodied in countless other works, but one of the nuttiest we’ve seen has to be this touge … Continue reading
Nissan Silvia revival is the “dream” of new global product chief
The Nissan Silvia, the once abundant sports coupe and darling of the drift community, was recently name-checked by Ivan Espinosa, the company’s new chief of global product planning. Espinosa has been in product planning since 2017, and starting in 2019 … Continue reading
Is this the new Mazda logo?
Mazda may be updating their logo, according to new trademark filings in Japan. The logo began circulating on Japanese social media on Monday after users unearthed it from the Japan Patent Office. It appears to follow the trend of “flattening” … Continue reading
QotW: What car do you not regret selling or letting get away?
Every car enthusiast has a few stories of the cars that got away. Perhaps it was a car you regret selling when times were hard. Maybe it was a car you should’ve bought but didn’t. On the other end of … Continue reading
The Nepros NBR390X is a lightweight ratchet for your dream garage
If you know Japanese tools, you’re probably familiar with Kyoto Tool Co., a top manufacturers known for their high quality. But if KTC, established in 1950, is the Toyota of tools, their top-of-the-line Nepros sub-brand is the Lexus of tools. … Continue reading
Mitsubishi car chase compilation from ‘Gorilla: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Investigation Unit 8’
In the late 80s much of Seibu Keisatsu‘s original production team, actors, and directors reunited to create a new TV show. Gorilla: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Investigation Unit 8 sought to recapture the feel, action and popularity of Japan’s most … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged debonair, eclipse, Galant VR-4, Mirage Cyborg, mitsubishi, pajero, starion
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QotW: What car(s) from Japan would you import right now?
Let’s say a rich relative you never heard of died suddenly and left you a big chunk of cash. The only condition is that you use it to buy a Japan-market car in today’s rather favorable exchange rate climate. There … Continue reading
The 1983 Nissan NX-21 concept was dead wrong about 21st century cars
At the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show the star of Nissan’s booth was a prediction of what an 21st century sedan might look like. Its hopes were right there in the experimental saloon’s name, the Nissan NX-21. As we know now … Continue reading
A Toyota Celica takes on 1970s sports coupes plus a Daihatsu Taft in Hong Kong’s ‘No U-Turn’
The 1981 film No U-Turn is a car-centric romp with an 8-minute illegal race as its centerpiece action sequence. In it, an orange A20 Toyota Celica races a “who’s who” lineup of performance cars of the era, including a BMW … Continue reading
Posted in News
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This 1973 Datsun promo video makes us want to travel back in time
Created to introduce its audience to the Datsun brand, a 1973 Datsun promotional video serves up loads of drool-worthy imagery. The 20-minute short film presents a primer on Nissan history dating back to the 1930s before going behind the scenes … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged 310, 510, 620, b210, bluebird 610, c210, cedric, Cherry E10, datsun, nissan, Rallye Monte-Carlo, s30 z, safari rally, skyline, sunny
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QotW: What non-Japanese car would you modify in Japanese style?
The 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IVÂ we posted for Independence Day is a perfect example of how Japanese customization style can work on even non-Japanese cars. The Linc is a ridiculous car to begin with, and its nearly 20 feet of … Continue reading
This Lincoln Continental Mark IV kaido racer makes every day Independence Day
One of the most shocking kaido racers ever built recently stepped onto the scene in Japan. Instead of the typical Nissan or Toyota base car, it uses a 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV as its foundation. Though Tokyo streets can … Continue reading
A Hakosuka Skyline gets obliterated in ‘Did the Red Bird Escape?’
The 1973 film Akai Tori ni Geta? (Did the Red Bird Escape?) was an avant garde work that differed vastly from Japan’s typical crime dramas. Rather than heroic cops taking down bad guys, it was a tragedy about aimless youth … Continue reading
