The Honda CB750 revolutionized the motorcycle industry when it was launched in 1969. Widely considered the first superbike, it featured an overhead cam, four-cylinder and front disc brake at a time when those features were considered the dominion of specialty racing bikes. Not only that, but Honda offered all those technologies in an affordable yet reliable package. Now that game-changing motorcycle has been replicated in tremendous scale detail by a Japanese jeweler. Continue reading
QotW: If you could buy any new JNC from 1975, what would it be?
You’ve run out of fuel on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. It’s getting dark. There’s no cell service. In the distance, you see a dim light emanating from an old gas station. You walk toward it, hoping to find help. After what seems like an eternity, you arrive. The building seems like it was abandoned decades ago. “Hello?” you call out, but there’s no response. You peek inside the garage only to see a strange machine filling the room. There must be miles of cable and wire, pulsing with an electric hum. Against your better judgement, you step inside the device. It’s big enough to fit a car. Suddenly it whirs and beeps and emanates a blinding light. As your eyes readjust, you step outside the machine to see a bustling service station. A transistor radio plays KC and the Sunshine Band. A calendar on the wall says it’s 1975. You’ve traveled 50 years into the past and can take back one car with you to the present.
If you could buy any new JNC from 1975, what would it be?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What have you sacrificed for your car?“. Continue reading
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Kobe Bryant’s Toyota Land Cruiser has been restored, thanks to Shaq
The mother of late basketball star Kobe Bryant recently received a surprise, courtesy of Bryant’s former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. When Shaq noticed Bryant’s 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser at Pam Bryant’s house in dilapidated condition, he decided to pay for a restoration. Continue reading
The Nissan GT-R ends 18 years of dutiful service as the halo car we all needed
On August 25, production of the Nissan GT-R ended after 18 years. A small ceremony was held in Nissan’s Tochigi factory, surrounded by line workers who assembled the car and takumi craftsmen who hand-built 48,000 twin-turbo V6s over the years. The GT-R leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that likely won’t be matched again. It’s been around so long that it’s easy to forget what the automotive landscape was like when it debuted in 2007, but it arrived with perfect timing during a bleak time in Japan’s auto industry. Continue reading
The world’s first Japanese auto race began in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo
The Japanese American National Museum recently kicked off its groundbreaking exhibit documenting the history of Japanese Americans and the automobile. While most JNC readers are familiar with the Japanese American tuners that popularized modified Datsuns and Toyotas in the US, Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community spans an astounding 110 years of history. It starts in the nascent days of the automobile itself, when a Los Angeles man organized history’s first Japanese auto race. Continue reading
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Nissan’s 90s motorsports dominance memorialized in Casio Edifice watch
Nissan and Casio have teamed up for a watch celebrating NISMO’s racing prowess. The Casio Edifice NISMO Heritage Edition pays homage to Nissan’s race cars created during the golden age of its NISMO division. Everything from Skylines to sports prototypes are referenced so one can wear their Nissan fandom proudly. Continue reading
Posted in nostalgic gear
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, Casio, NISMO, nissan, r30, r31, r32, r33, R91CP, R92CP, skyline, Skyline GT-R
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QotW: What have you sacrificed for your car?
Today, August 25, is Instant Ramen Day, honoring the day in 1958 when the flash-fried noodles first hit the shelves. The original instant ramen was developed by Nissin Foods, but soon after NissAn also released a ramen. In this 1963 campaign, you could win a Cedric if you collected enough points attached to the ramen packages. The convenient meal-in-a-packet, which has spawned many imitators and can still be had for less than a buck each, has since become the default dinner for those saving money for a greater cause… like car parts. Can you even call yourself a car enthusiast if you haven’t eaten ramen for weeks, worn the same raggedy event T-shirts, or refrained from haircuts just to put funds towards a car?
What have you sacrificed for your car?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which beloved nameplate will be revived next?“. Continue reading
Nissan promises to revive Xterra as body-on-frame SUV
Back in April Nissan executives proclaimed that they really wanted to bring back the Xterra. At the time Nissan Americas chairperson Christian Meunier said, “We’re working on it. We’ll find a way.” Well, they found a way, because at the Nissan dealer meeting in Las Vegas, Meunier announced that it’s happening. It’ll be a true body-on-frame SUV and the platform will be used for other models. Continue reading
Infiniti says it will bring back the stick shift RWD sports sedan
Infiniti just dropped some bombshell news at its annual dealer meeting in Las Vegas. Nissan’s luxury marque plans to resurrect the proper sports sedan with rear-wheel-drive and a manual transmission. Obviously this immediately conjures images of the beloved G35 sedan, except that this successor will reportedly have a twin-turbo V6. Continue reading
Toyota is working on two supercars; here is one of them
Lexus surprised showgoers at The Quail during Monterey Car Week by unveiling a new supercar concept. The company gave very little information on what it actually was, other than stunning. However, it’s just one of the supercars that Toyota, a carmaker once described as boring, is reportedly developing. Continue reading
Motorcycles once ruled Japan’s touge roads
Touge is the Japanese word for “mountain pass” but thanks largely to Initial D and Best Motoring, when we hear it we think of AE86s and S13s drifting through hairpins in midnight battles. Back in the 80s, the touge also saw plenty of two-wheeled action from youths who thirsted for speed and motorized thrills. Today, August 19, is Motorcycle Day in Japan, so let’s not overlook this vital aspect of touge culture. Continue reading
QotW: Which beloved nameplate will be revived next?
The reborn Acura RSX gave Honda heads a collective “ick” when it was announced last week. Automakers must perform a difficult balancing act when they resuscitate a cherished model name. One wrong move and legions of loyal fans who loved the original will feel betrayed. On the other hand, it’s difficult to launch a new car these days when attention spans are are shorter than a nose hair, but a library of proven names is just sitting there ripe for the picking. For every hit like the Honda S2000 there’s many more Mitsubishi Eclipse Crosses littering the shoulders of the model name highway, but that doesn’t seem to stop automakers from giving in to this unbearable temptation.
Which beloved nameplate will be revived next?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s an automotive bonding activity you can do with kids?“. Continue reading
This is the new Acura RSX prototype, unfortunately
Acura has revealed its new RSX prototype, and it’s a big electric crossover. If this was five years ago we may have some reserve of anger left, but it’s 2025. We’ve suffered too many rug-pulls from automakers promising the return of a cherished nameplate while all the while knowing they’d deliver nothing like the original. We no longer feel outrage, just numbness. Continue reading
Toyota announces reproduction parts for AE86 twin-cam engine
A couple of months ago Toyota announced that it had barn-found an old AE86 in Japan that they planned to restore. The purpose was to show what could be accomplished with the roster of remade parts under the Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts program. That project is now underway and Toyota has posted an update and, man, this heap looks way worse than it did when they dragged it out. Continue reading
Indy 500 champ Takuma Sato will rally a first-gen Honda Civic RS in Monte Carlo
Two-time Indianapolis 500 champ Takuma Sato is jumping out of his Indy racer and into a vintage rally car. He’ll be piloting a 1975 Honda Civic RS in the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique, a vintage rally event that stretches 1200 to 1800 miles across Europe. The Civic is currently being built by students at the Honda Technical College in what is surely one of the coolest class projects ever. Continue reading
This model of a Honda F1 race car costs as much as a real Civic Si that you can drive
Decisions, decisions. Buy a ridiculously detailed scale model of the first Japanese car to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix, or a real 1:1 Honda Civic Si? Both cost around $29,000, but only one can actually be driven. In honor of the 60th anniversary of their F1 win, Honda has just announced the most elaborate scale replica of the 1965 Honda RA272 ever made. Continue reading
Posted in minicars
Tagged Amalgam Collection, formula 1, honda, Monterey Car Week, ra272
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QotW: What’s an automotive bonding activity you can do with kids?
Today, August 11, is National Sons and Daughters Day. I’ve played Hot Wheels with my son as soon as he was able, but now he’s aging out of them and getting serious about Pokémon cards. Still, I’ve found ways to bond with him over car-related things like going to shows or building a Tamiya Mini 4WD. One of my favorite road trips was a recent one when the two of us flew one-way to Phoenix to pick up a low-mileage Acura TSX Wagon for a friend and drive it back to LA. We both had a blast and it’s something I’ll never forget and
What’s an automotive bonding activity you can do with kids?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite piece of infrastructure?“. Continue reading
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Williams-Honda FW11 championship winning F1 car restored
In 1987 Honda embarked on an epic streak of Formula 1 supremacy. The Honda RA166 1.5-liter turbocharged V6 mounted in the Williams-Honda FW11 produced 1200 to 1500 horsepower at 12,000 rpm and was one of the most powerful motors of the era. It would secure Honda’s first Constructors’ Championship in what would be a six-year era of dominance of the sport. Now nearly 40 years later, Honda and Williams have restored this piece of history. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged Goodwood Festival of Speed, honda, Nigel Mansell, Williams-Honda FW11
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Suzuki celebrates 40th anniversary of GSX-R motorcycle with special editions
The Suzuki GSX-R series has long been designed to be the hardest core of the crotch rockets. Others Japanese motorcycles were street bikes that were adapted for racing; the GSX-R was built as a race bike for the street. Incredibly, that formula has survived for 40 years across multiple models. To honor this legacy, Suzuki has introduced 40th anniversary models of the GSX-R750, GSX-R1000, and GSX-R1000R. Continue reading
Tomica celebrates 30 years of ‘Initial D’ with detailed premium sets of AE86, RX-7, S13, and more
Great news for Hachiroku fans this AE86 Day. Tomica has announced a set of highly detailed toy cars in honor of Initial D‘s 30th anniversary. The cars include Takumi’s iconic Toyota AE86, Keisuke’s Mazda RX-7, Iketani’s Nissan Silvia, and a replica of the Fujiwara Tofu Shop. Continue reading
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