Author Archives: Steve Chang
Toyota Castrol livery appears on Mustang race car in Australia
Toyota’s Castrol livery is getting resurrected once again, this time in Australia. Earlier this year the livery was worn on the NASCAR Mustang of Brad Keselowski during Darlington Raceway’s Throwback Weekend. The Aussie one does it better by putting the … Continue reading
QotW: How would you make a Mazda ad?
It’s hard to make a car commercial stand out. Beautiful people, beautiful landscapes, the promise of adventure. Every company portrays their wares as thrilling to drive, even when they’re duller than dry dirt. What happens when you have cars that … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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QotW: Have you ever seen Japanese government vehicles outside of Japan?
In the US government vehicles tend to be American. It probably makes politicians look bad if they buy foreign cars, but some slip through. We’ve heard some states have Subaru police cars though we’ve never seen one. The Pentagon used … Continue reading
QotW: Which once-derided Japanese car will make a comeback?
History is filled with flops, but even some of the worst cars get a second chance at glory after some time has passed. There are owners who now love Chrysler K-cars, Pontiac Azteks, Trabants, and other forms of automotive awfulness. … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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Tokyo Xtreme Racer is coming back. Let’s rejoice!
Get ready to flash your high beams because a teaser for a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer has just dropped. It’s been 20 years since the last console installment of the beloved racing game. But developer Genki has just dropped a … Continue reading
‘Pink Subaru’ movie is full of Subarus, but is about life on the Israel-Palestine border
In the 1970s Japanese carmakers were fanning out across the globe, looking for markets that might be interested in their unique takes on the automobile. However, political tensions in the Middle East forced carmakers into a difficult choice. If they … Continue reading
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Kidney, Anyone? 1985 Subaru XT 4WD Turbo with manual transmission
We feel that it is our duty to inform you that an absolutely amazing example of a Subaru XT is currently for sale on eBay Motors. The futuristic 80s wedge that is the Subaru XT is a rare machine and … Continue reading
Posted in for sale
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QotW: What’s your favorite captive import?
On August 12, 1981 Suzuki, Isuzu, and General Motors signed a deal to co-develop compact cars. In hindsight we know that this deal didn’t result in any game-changing products. Instead, it produced a lot of rebadged models under the defunct … Continue reading
The fourth-gen Mitsubishi Mirage was peak Mirage
The Mitsubishi Mirage is dead. The Nissan Versa is now the only new car in America that costs below $20,000. But there was a time when the economy compact was one of the hottest, most competitive segments in the market. … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi dream build?
If you’ve been following industry news you might have heard that, last week, Honda and Nissan not only strengthened their strategic partnership, but added Mitsubishi. The alliance is for fast-tracking electrification technologies — and to compete against the Toyota, Subaru, … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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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: What 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
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
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
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
QotW: What non-Japanese car would you modify in Japanese style?
The 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV 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
QotW: How do you navigate when driving your JNC?
Today is the 10th anniversary of Navigation Day in Japan, started in 2014 by Zenrin, the map company that helped create the world’s first in-car GPS in the Mazda Eunos Cosmo. The date of July 1 was chosen to coincide … Continue reading
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Toyota Celica GT-Four tribute stuffs GR Corolla drivetrain into GR86
Toyota has commissioned an interesting project for this fall’s SEMA Show. It plans to create a tribute to the famed Celica GT-Four rally cars by Frankenstein-ing two existing performance cars together. A GR86 will provide the coupe body, while a … Continue reading
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