Category Archives: News
NEWS: Toyota Camatte Hajime to debut at Tokyo Toy Show
Given just how many JNC owners are also obsessed with scale model cars, it seems only fitting that Toyota chose to debut their latest retro concept at the upcoming Tokyo Toy Show. The Toyota Camatte Hajime looks like an FJ55 Land Cruiser hot rod, … Continue reading
NEWS: RWD Nissan IDx will not see production, may be AWD
The news is out: The Nissan IDx is dead. This sad revelation is being reported after The Truth About Cars talked to Pierre Loing, VP of Product Planning at Nissan North America.We at JNC can confirm we’ve been hearing rumors about the IDx being … Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota and Mazda ink strategic partnership deal
Toyota and Mazda have signed a deal to enter a technology-sharing partnership. Besides bringing together two of Japan’s most renowned companies, the agreement also unites the world’s largest automaker with one of the world’s smallest independent automakers. So what does this mean for Toyotaku and … Continue reading
NEWS: Petition to keep Toyota USA Museum in California
Toyota USA is moving to Plano, Texas. The museum is likely going along with it. The Toyota Owners and Restorers Club, or TORC (the same guys that put on Toyotafest), have started a petition to keep the 150-car collection of classic, … Continue reading
NEWS: CA bill to allow fee payment instead of smog test introduced
Currently, California law states that your car must pass a smog test to be street legal if it is 1976 or newer. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of classics un-registerable or sold for scrap during the Cash for Clunkers program. A new … Continue reading
NEWS: Mitsubishi begins taking orders for Final Edition Lancer Evo
On Friday, Mitsubishi Motors began taking orders for the Lancer Evolution Final Edition. The special edition will commemorate 23 years of the rally-ready rocket before it drifts off into the sunset. Yes, the original Evo hasn’t crossed the 25 year threshold … Continue reading
BACK ROADS: 1965 Datsun Baby
Nissan Motor Corporation has just announced the restoration of a piece of their history. Nissan built only 100 units of the two-seater coupe, which featured four-wheel independent suspension and front double wishbones back in 1965, making it rarer than a Kenmeri GT-R. Oh, … Continue reading
NEWS: The Return of the 4DSC
This is no April Fools joke. JNC is at the New York Auto Show, going on now, and while the 2016 Maxima hasn’t been unveiled yet Nissan’s designers did lift its skirt to give us an exclusive peek at the headlight. … Continue reading
NEWS: Mazda is 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed’s featured marque
Mazda will be the featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. It will have been eight years since a Japanese marque has taken center stage. One of the world’s premiere automotive events, the FoS takes place on the estate … Continue reading
NEWS: Akio Toyoda voted Best Dressed CEO
In addition to being Toyota’s petrolhead honcho, Akio Toyoda has been given Japan’s Best Dresser Award. The man who fast-tracked the Toyota 86, Lexus LFA and Lexus RC F to production was bestowed the honor by the Men’s Fashion Association, which has … Continue reading
NEWS: Honda reveals another retro kei car
Look on the back of Honda‘s latest JDM-only kei jidosha and you’ll see “N/” — the letter N and a forward slash. Apparently the way to pronounce that is N-Box Slash. This is the fifth offering in Honda’s revived N-Series and the second retro-styled car in … Continue reading
NEWS: Mazda knows it’s the lone steward of the rotary engine
Recently Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai was quoted saying there are no plans for a rotary engined sports car. Fans interpreted that as the rotary was dead as a doornail, picked up their pitchforks and got ready to march on Hiroshima, … Continue reading
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RIP Aritsune Tokudaiji, 1939-2014
Noted Japanese automotive journalist Aritsune Tokudaiji has passed away a week shy of his 75th birthday. In the early days of Japanese motorsports, the Tokyo native drove for the Toyota factory team. Upon retiring in 1969, he went on to co-found … Continue reading
NEWS: The first ND Mazda MX-5 race car is here
Mazda relentlessly brags about how it’s the most raced marque in America. Now it’s apparently gunning for the world. Today at SEMA, alongside the world’s first Miata race car — built from one of the Chicago Auto Show display models — … Continue reading
NEWS: 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport sells for $264,000
Minutes after the white Toyota 2000GT crossed the block at Gooding & Co., a short-wheel base 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport did the same.Both were from the same collection, an unnamed collector that also sold a BMW 507 and 1969 Camaro … Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota 2000GTs sell for $1 million each
The Toyota 2000GT is a million dollar car. But you already knew that. In the auction world, the rule of thumb is that a car needs to sell for a particular price three time before it’s considered legit. Two 2000GTs … Continue reading
NEWS: KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R sells for $242,000
We will have more detailed coverage early next week, but we just wanted to tell you that the first KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to sell at auction broke expectations with a $220,000 sale in Monterey. RM Auctions expected it to go … Continue reading
NEWS: Mazda gets naming rights to Hakone Turnpike
Mazda sure knows how to pick ’em. In the US, Mazda PR reps never let us forget that the full name for the famous corkscrew-having NorCal circuit is Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. On August 1 in Japan, they’ll be the official sponsors of the Hakone Turnpike, a … Continue reading
