Category Archives: News

Jay Leno drives a flawlessly restored Nissan Fairlady Z

Jay Leno has driven his share of Datsuns, but for some reason they’ve all been heavily modified. Finally, on the latest episode of his Jay Leno’s Garage channel on YouTube, he has the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a … Continue reading

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Honda co-founder Takeo Fujisawa to be inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame

Soichiro Honda may have been the genius engineer behind Honda Motor Company, but brains alone can’t sell products. For that, Honda-san relied on his friend and business partner Takeo Fujisawa (from left to right: Kiyoshi Kawashima, Soihciro Honda, Takeo Fujisawa), … Continue reading

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TRD still offers old school desktop wallpapers of Toyota art by Masahisa Higuchi

Are wallpapers still a thing? Japanese websites used to issue loads of them. Now it’s a dying art. We were surprised to learn that TRD still offers a few, though given the subject matter it’s likely these have been hanging … Continue reading

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Nissan and Renault are finally on equal footing

After decades of unhappiness in an unequal partnership, Nissan and Renault have rewritten the rules of their alliance. The two giants will now each hold an equal stake of 15 percent in the other, with Renault reducing their share down … Continue reading

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Will Nissan’s 80s retro-futuristic roadster be the first fun-to-drive EV?

The Nissan Max-Out concept doesn’t take any cues from previous Nissan models, but it’s aesthetic is decidedly retro. There’s a lot of 80s contour grid patterns and neon colors, and the entire presentation evokes an Out Run-type video game that … Continue reading

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At least the Mazda Miata will be forever

Mazda’s all-SUV lineup might be demoralizing to some, but there is hope. They still make the Miata and, according to Mazda execs, the Miata will exist as long as the company does. It may not always have four cylinders or … Continue reading

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Mazda CX-90: How Mazda laid out the roadmap for a glorious enthusiasts’ future, then threw it away

Many years ago a little bird at Mazda told us that the firm was working on a rear-wheel-drive sedan to be powered by a straight-six. We were stoked. On paper it was the ideal configuration — an inherently balanced engine … Continue reading

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Toyota launches Refresh Program for “classic” 86/BRZ

We’re used to Japanese carmakers launching restoration and heritage programs these days, but here’s something we didn’t expect. Toyota is launching a factory refresh program for the first-generation Toyota 86. The announcement came from the Tokyo Auto Salon and the … Continue reading

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Akio Toyoda steps down as president and CEO: His legacy at Toyota and his successor

It is often said that Akio Toyoda likes surprises. The Toyota president and CEO is fond of racing, and is one of the few corporate leaders who will eagerly don a helmet and climb behind the wheel of his company’s … Continue reading

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Toyota Land Cruiser 70 might get re-released in Japan

One of the rumors coming from the Tokyo Auto Salon is that the Land Cruiser 70-series might, once again, get a re-release in Japan. Though the workhorse is still being sold in Australia and some areas of South America, it … Continue reading

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Nissan Z’s customized nose from Tokyo Auto Salon is greenlit for production

From the Tokyo Auto Salon comes some good news for fans of the new Z. Nissan showed again an orange concept based on the Fairlady Z Customized Proto from last year with minor tweaks. That’s because the split nose, which … Continue reading

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Mazda announces specs of inline-6 that will be completely wasted on SUVs

Mazda has spilled the specs on what should have been its last hurrah for internal combustion engines, the 3.3-liter turbo inline-6. Imagine, a straight-six brought to you by the same wacky dreamers that willed the rotary engine into a production … Continue reading

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Toyota AE86 Hydrogen and EV conversions will let enthusiasts enjoy older cars for decades to come, says CEO

The rumors we reported on were true. At the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon Toyota did indeed unveil two AE86s converted to run on alternative energy. A flip-up headlight Sprinter Trueno was converted to hydrogen power, and a fixed-headlight Corolla Levin … Continue reading

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Toyota Land Cruiser 70 and 80 added to Heritage Parts program, taking requests for FJ60

From the Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota has announced that the Land Cruiser J70 and J80 have been added to their Heritage Parts Program. Additionally, Toyota is taking requests for the FJ60 and has added a slew of new items to … Continue reading

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2024 Nissan GT-R gets retro R34-inspired face and color palette

Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the 2024 Nissan GT-R adds a surprise late-in-the-lifespan facelift to Nissan’s supercar slayer. Those familiar with the R35’s Skyline predecessors will immediately recognize its lineage. Along with the visual throwback it also brings back … Continue reading

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Toyota may reveal electric or hydrogen-powered AE86

As the industry shifts to alternative fuels and some cities consider the ban of gasoline cars altogether, how will enthusiasts enjoy their classic cars? Some automakers, like Mini and Aston Martin, are working on electric motor conversion kits for their … Continue reading

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Toyota Century SUV rumored by end of 2023

Shocking rumors out of Japan claim that Toyota is working on what is internally being called a Century SUV. Since 1967 the nameplate has been attached to Toyota’s flagship luxury sedan, often chauffeur-driven and sold only to elite customers. But … Continue reading

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Gran Turismo movie trailer promises amazing camerawork

Sony dropped a first look at the upcoming Gran Turismo movie at CES, and we’re frankly shocked. The glimpses we get of on-track footage show some of the best racing camerawork we’ve seen in ages. Not only does it capture … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s your automotive New Year’s resolution?

I’ve been pretty depressed since my 1986 Toyota Corolla GT-S was stolen. I’m glad I got it back, but there were some rare parts broken that I fear I’ll never be able to fix or replace. I’ll get into all … Continue reading

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Please help us find my stolen AE86 and FD RX-7

Update 12/19 2am: Sadly we confirmed with Washington State Police that the RX-7 was involved in an accident and towed away. We can’t see the car until business hours. More info soon. Update 2/18: Big shoutout to the JNC fam … Continue reading

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