Monthly Archives: March 2025
QotW: Gun to your head, which crossover would you drive for the rest of your life?
The body style wars were bloody, but a clear victor has emerged. Sedans are dead; the crossover reigns supreme. Future generations will sing the praises of Mazda CX-5s and Acura MDXes the way we applaud ‘Speed 6s and Integras. Resistance … Continue reading
Nissan’s new CEO promises R36 GT-R
Nissan’s newly appointed “car-guy” CEO, Ivan Espinosa, wants to make sure Nissan’s heritage doesn’t get lost. Even though Nissan closed the order books on the GT-R earlier this month Espinosa, who takes the reins of Nissan in April, is reassuring … Continue reading
Get your JDM dream car now, because a 25 percent tariff is coming
Currently Japanese cars built outside the US, new or used, are subject to a 2.5 percent import tax, but soon that number is going to get a lot bigger. On Wednesday President Trump announced plans to increase the tariff on … Continue reading
Posted in News
17 Comments
Mitsubishi reportedly partnering with Foxconn for electric vehicle production
Speaking of dying marques, Mitsubishi is reportedly on the verge of announcing deal with electronics giant Foxconn. The Taiwanese firm, best known for producing the iPhone for Apple, would build electric vehicles for Mitsubishi. This venture move would mark Foxconn’s … Continue reading
QotW: When a marque dies, do its classics lose their luster or become more legendary?
What happens when a marque dies? Not that we have anything particular on the mind; it’s just a random topic that came up around the JNC water cooler the other day. Some of us believe that the lack of connection … Continue reading
To introduce the Celica and Carina, Toyota France mailed out self-contained record players
To herald the launch of the second-gen Celica and Carina, Toyota France came up with an ingenious way to pique the interest of potential buyers. They mailed out tiny vinyl records with messages asking customers to come down to the … Continue reading
City pop’s Mariya Takeuchi provided the soundtracks for Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi ads
Today, March 20, is city pop queen Mariya Takeuchi’s 70th birthday. Her 1984 song “Plastic Love” may be on every single city pop playlist on YouTube, but Takeuchi recorded plenty of other hits and several them were used in memorable … Continue reading
Snow-melting sprinklers clear Japanese roads without salt
In northern areas of Japan snowfall can be a big problem for traffic. One solution that’s been used to combat the accumulation of snow on roadways is shosetsu (disappearing snow) or yuusetsu (melting snow) equipment embedded into the roads themselves. … Continue reading
Posted in Nihon Life
5 Comments
‘Leno’s Law’ to grant relief for California classic car smog testing
Even if you don’t live in California you probably know it has the most stringent emissions testing rules in the country. Any car made in 1976 or newer must be smogged every two years, no exceptions. However, the newly proposed … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite automotive manga or comic?
Today, March 17, is the anniversary of Japan’s first weekly manga, Shukan Shonen Magazine. Launched in 1959 and published each Wednesday, the book kicked off the trend of serialized comics for boys, and spawned stories such as Shuichi Shigeno’s Bari … Continue reading
How far can a Nissan kei car go without refueling?
It’s easy to dismiss kei cars as weak, un-serious shoeboxes for misers. However, there’s a good reason why they comprise more than 34 percent of car sales in Japan. Even if you take the registration, parking and tax benefits out … Continue reading
Boxy sedans ruled Tokyo in 1984
There’s not an SUV in sight in this busy Tokyo intersection circa 1984. Instead, it’s populated by Nissan Cedric and Toyota Crown taxis and a lone privately owned dark blue X60 Cresta lurking behind the bus. Nor are the delivery … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
4 Comments
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida steps down, opening doors for Honda merger again
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida has resigned. In typical Japanese fashion Uchida, who took the reins in 2020 after the Carlos Ghosn scandal, has fallen on his sword, likely to give the Honda merger a second chance. Merger talks between Honda … Continue reading
The Datsun Fairlady Roadster was owned by automotive greats
Today, March 11, is Datsun Roadster Day. Many remember the Datsun 240Z or 510 as the first Japanese car to win over American customers, but the Datsun Fairlady Roadster actually paved their way. The SP(L)311 (1600cc) and SR(L)311 (2000cc) was … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
Tagged AMT, bob sharp, datsun, fairlady roadster, Gene Winfield, Star Trek
2 Comments
QotW: How did you learn about cars?
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article 80 percent of Americans prefer to let professionals handle their automotive maintenance. Fewer DIYers was also the reason cited by Advance Auto as to why it’s closing over 700 stores in the … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
17 Comments
Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX: Once beloved, now extinct
If you didn’t live through its introduction it’s hard to grasp just how big of an impact the Mitsubishi Eclipse made. The all-wheel-drive turbo sports coupe was so beloved that major magazines devoted extra pages to it beyond the typical … Continue reading
Bob Sharp, Datsun and Nissan racing pioneer, 1939-2025
Racing legend Bob Sharp (right) died last week at the age of 85. The driver and race team owner helped establish Datsun as a motorsports force in America, winning six SCCA National titles and an IMSA GTU championship, all behind … Continue reading
Posted in Legends
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 510, bob sharp, datsun, fairlady roadster, imsa, nissan, paul newman, s30 z, scca
2 Comments
Toyota is restoring an A70 Supra with GR Heritage Parts
Toyota is restoring an A70 Supra via its Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts Program. A few years ago Toyota restarted production of parts for both generations of the Supra, A70 and A80 (in Japan the A40 and A60 were called the … Continue reading
