Category Archives: Back Roads
The Daihatsu HiJet has won Good Design’s lifetime achievement award
The Daihatsu HiJet, perhaps the most ubiquitous of all the many kei trucks in Japan, has won Good Design’s “Long Life” award. It’s one of Japan’s highest honors in the field of industrial design, recognizing graphics, products, and architecture that … Continue reading
The Prince Skyline Sport is an unsung legend of Japan’s motoring history
During the 1960s the upper echelon of car buyers were at a crossroads. For the previous 80 years of automotive history, if you wanted the best car money could buy you would get a car bodied by the great coachbuilders … Continue reading
After 54 years, Mazda Bongo production ends with a whimper
After half a century in production, the Mazda Bongo has reached the end of the road. For most North American readers this is probably not a big deal, as the Bongo looks like any number of nondescript one-box vans from … Continue reading
The Lexus GS could have been so much more, but it was the right car for the time
Now that we know the Lexus GS is not long for this world, it’s time to reflect on what it meant. In the US it was seen mostly as a middle-tier luxury sedan, a competent but unassuming rebadged Japanese Toyota … Continue reading
BACK ROADS: Mitsubishi Debonair
If asked to conjure the most opulent Japanese cars ever built, the first that come to mind is probably the Toyota Century. A Nissan President may come in a close second, or maybe even a Gloria Turbo Brougham VIP Super … Continue reading
Yurt it up with a Datsun 620 King Cab camper
We just learned about a new Japanese magazine that we are now obsessed with. Outdoor Aso-Kuru, which roughly translates to “vehicles for playing outdoors” is all about cars and trucks that have been modified for camping, and the photo that … Continue reading
BACKROADS: 1988 was Mazda’s Year of the Turbo
It’s an old trope among JNC enthusiasts in North America: we never get the good stuff like they do in Japan. From the obvious to the obscure — the Skylines, the City Turbo, the AZ-1 — the list never ends. But … Continue reading
BACKROADS: Mazda’s Great Little Car
As we gear up for the next annual Touge California in the hills of Southern California, we are reminded of the cars that came with us last year. We had a truly eclectic mix ranging from built track beasts to pristine grand tourers — and … Continue reading
BACK ROADS: The HD Mazda 929
Mazda is on a roll these days, their current products heralded as best-in-segment in every class they compete in. Their designs have been stunning, especially in contrast to the current trend of excessively decorative styling, and their driving dynamics are top … Continue reading
Birth of a Legend: Acura turns 30
Acura, purveyor of “Precision Crafted Performance,” turns thirty this year. While the days of GS-R and Type R Integras are no more, there’s no denying the impact Acura had on JNC history and car culture. For many of us who … Continue reading
A Brief History of the Nissan 510 Bluebird Coupe
In the first of a series, JNC is teaming up with our friends at Petrolicious to launch simultaneously a video and an article about historically significant Japanese cars. Be sure to check out the excellent Petrolicious and their beautifully shot short films about vintage … Continue reading
KEI HERO: Remembering the Suzuki Fronte Coupe
Can you name a rear-engined Japanese sports GT with Italian styling and specific output of over 100PS/L? Such a car was real, and it came from Suzuki. Suzuki is a marque with rather divergent reputations in the US versus Japan. … Continue reading
BACK ROADS: Remebering the Honda City
As long-time Honda enthusiasts, it is hard nowadays not to marvel at the many creative and awesome machines that bore the iconic “H” during the 1980s. One of our favorites from those days is the Honda City. An unassuming econobox … Continue reading
