Category Archives: minicars

MINICARS: 2015 Hot Wheels lineup announced

Mattel has announced the entire 2015 Hot Wheels lineup. Each year, there are a number of brand new castings and this year the one that jumps out to JNCers is surely the 1990 Acura NSX. Yes, by next year, Soichiro’s supercar will officially be a Japanese … Continue reading

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MINICARS: 2015 Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 240Z

For our last JCCS preview before the big show, here’s a new-for-2015 Hot Wheels Datsun 240Z. Once again we are proud to have the JNC inkan featured on the livery, right under the script “Datsun” logo on the fenders. 

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MINICARS: Japan Post celebrates the Mazda MX-5’s 25th anniversary with commemorative stamps

On Monday, the Japan Post released a series of commemorative stamps and a 1:64 diecast car to honor the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata and the upcoming debut of the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 on September 3. We’ll be on hand at … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 510 Wagon Super Treasure Hunt

We are proud to show you the latest Hot Wheels to wear the JNC inkan, the long-awaited second color of the immensely popular Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon. However, this is also the third color, because this model is being released … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels BRE Datsun 240Z

Hot Wheels will be releasing a BRE Datsun 240Z later this year as part of a limited edition, online-only offering from the Red Line Club. It looks to be a sought-after follow-up to last fall, when a similar BRE Datsun 510 sold out … Continue reading

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MEDIA: 1987 Isuzu Impulse Turbo RS Limited Edition in Hemmings

If there’s one marque that does not get the love it deserves in classic car circles, it’s Isuzu. Despite never producing a 510  or Civic, a car that really took the Japanese motoring world by storm, vintage Isuzus are ripe … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Get these 2014 Hot Wheels right now

Can’t find any J-tin on the pegs? You must live in California. However the consensus from other parts of the country seems that miniature Nihon steel is getting hard to find in those areas too. Much like 1968 was a banner year … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels X JNC Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler Conquest

StarQuest fans rejoice, as we at JNC are proud to announce the newest Hot Wheels to don our trademark inkan — the Chrysler Conquest! Our lips have been sealed shut for months, however with its imminent release to the pegs, we felt … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Custom 1:18 Models by Yordy Kolner

Today’s guest writer is Yordy Kolner, who hails from the Netherlands and, like Luis Aguilar, builds custom scale models of his favorite Japanese cars. However, Yordy starts with 1:18 scale cars made of diecast metal. Here’s his story in his … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 620, now in red

We at JNC are proud to present the latest Hot Wheels car to bear our inkan logo. The red Datsun 620 is the third recolor of a casting so popular some has built a life-size replica of it. This was … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Red Line Club Carroll Shelby Toyota 2000GT

Um, you might want to join the Hot Wheels Red Line Club this year. It was announced today that one of the club exclusives this year will be none other than the SCCA Toyota 2000GT campaigned by Carroll Shelby. Last … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels Kenmeri Skyline hints at what could’ve been

The Hot Wheels kenmeri Nissan Skyline in the Flying Customs series has been one of the hardest of Mattel’s Japanese classics to find. If you were lucky enough to score one, look inside. There were actually two different interiors: a … Continue reading

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MINICARS: How to get your blue Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 620 this Saturday

Just a friendly reminder that the beautiful blue Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 620 will be available this Saturday, February 15, at participating Kmart stores across the US. In fact, it will only be available at Kmart this weekend, and when they’re gone, they’re … Continue reading

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Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

Valentine’s Day. Unavoidable and yet oh-so-little to do with cars. That is, unless you’re lucky enough to receive one of these kyuusha-shaped Tomica chocolates. For 2014, they’ve added an adorable cocoa Subaru 360 to the set. How cute is that? I … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels Cool Classics 1987 Toyota Pickup

Toyota isn’t the only company getting nostalgic for the 80s with its latest batch of TRD trucks. Hot Wheels‘ latest line of premium collectibles is the Cool Classics series, and with 25 of the 30 cars released it was looking like … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels Toyota 2000GT, now in yellow

Last year Hot Wheels graced us with the Toyota 2000GT, a car JNC readers have been clamoring for ever since the first hints of Mattel venturing into the world of nostalgics. For 2014 two re-colors of the million dollar baby … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Japanese Nostalgic Legos

Apparently, building JNCs out of Legos is a thing. After stumbling upon a Toyota Celica built by -Kyusha-, we fell down the rabbit hole and discovered an entire subculture of nostalgics made of plastic blocks. Here are some of our favorites.

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MINICARS: 2014 Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 620, in blue

We know, we know. It was hard just to find the orange one. But we absolutely love Mattel’s casting of the Datsun 620 so we are happy to report that not only is there a second version on its way, … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Behind the scenes at Mattel

We’ve been to Mattel’s design studio in El Segundo, California a few times but have never been granted permission to take photos. Instead, we signed a mountain of NDAs. Clearly what we needed to be was CBS News. 

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EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02

On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major … Continue reading

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