Category Archives: Question of the Week
QotW: Which car has the best (or worst) seats?
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as Sports Seat Day in Japan, and it was started by a company you’ve actually heard of. Bride established the anniversary for April 10 because 4 and 10 can be pronounced … Continue reading
QotW: What are your hobbies?
Today is Hobby Day in Japan, a pun made from combining the numbers shi (4) and yumi (3) to make shumi (“hobby” in Japanese). Of course, one could argue that cars themselves are a hobby, but we’ve found that those … Continue reading
QotW: What aspect of car life makes you happy?
Happy International Day of Happiness, the day created to recognize happiness as a fundamental human goal. As enthusiasts we derive joy from many aspects of car ownership. It could be a drive on your favorite road, the satisfaction of working … Continue reading
QotW: Who would you pick, living or dead, to go for a drive with, and in what car?
Picking a a famous person to hang with is well worn question territory, but we’re going to add our automotive twist to it. You can choose anyone, living or dead, to take a spin in the motor vehicle of your … Continue reading
QotW: What lower-spec car would you be willing to own?
One JNC rule of thumb is that one should strive for top spec when buying a classic car. However, that’s not always possible, especially with prices rising the way they are. Furthermore, it often overlooks perfectly acceptable — desirable, even — … Continue reading
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QotW: What’s your favorite tuning house demo car?
There’s been no shortage of amazing one-off machines from Japan’s prolific tuning houses. The demo cars were built to showcase what the mad scientists were capable of. The most famous of them stood out as separate from the cars they … Continue reading
QotW: Who deserves to be in the JNC Hall of Fame?
Last week we wrote about two great men from Japanese motoring history. Former president of Toyota Shoichiro Toyoda passed away, while co-founder of Honda Takeo Fujisawa was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. That got us thinking about creating … Continue reading
QotW: What once uncool family car is now desirable?
On February 13, 1997 the original Subaru Forester debuted in Japan. It was just another AWD wagon marketed as an SUV from Fuji Heavy Industries, bigger than an Impreza but smaller than the Legacy. In the era of Jeep Cherokees … Continue reading
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QotW: What would your dream garage build include?
We’ve asked about dream garages filled with your most wanted cars, but not about the garage itself. What kind of home with your cars live in? We’re not talking a Jay Leno-style museum for 100 cars, but something more reasonable. … Continue reading
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QotW: What’s your favorite JNC shout-out in a song lyric?
The Mazda MPV made its Japanese debut on January 30, 1990. Eagle-eyed observers might note that this date is two years after it debuted in the U.S. With available seating for 8 and 4WD, it was a unique conscription into … Continue reading
QotW: How do you scratch your car itch in the dead of winter?
It’s been a tough winter for much of the country and with weather reports predicting another snowstorm in the northeast, it doesn’t seem like it’s letting up any time soon. That means icy highways, weather too frigid to spend any … Continue reading
QotW: How do you get bad smells out of your car?
The question this week is a personal one. Of the many traumatic things that happened after my AE86 got stolen (and recovered) is the fact that the entire car now smells like smoke. I’ve owned the car for 20 years … Continue reading
QotW: What Japan-market car from 1998 would you import?
It’s a new year, and that means a whole new roster of formerly forbidden Japan-market cars are now eligible for import. The 25-year federal prohibition on cars built in 1998 is now lifted. So what will it be, a Honda … Continue reading
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
QotW: What automotive presents did you get this year?
We hope your holiday season has been better than ours. Maybe you got that new set of tools, the diecast car you’ve always wanted, or one of those brand new Lexuses in a giant bow that you see on TV. … Continue reading
QOTW: What should become of the totaled JNC FD Mazda RX-7 R1?
The sad specimen you see here is all that remains of JNC’s formerly mint original 1993 Mazda RX-7 R1. Purchased from its fastidious original owner, this once-beautiful FD was one of only 350 R1s produced in Competition Yellow Mica, putting … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best gift for a car enthusiast?
With the holidays coming it’s time to think about gifts. My wife will be the first one to tell you that car enthusiasts are impossible to shop for. The stuff we want is so specific, whether it’s a particular part … Continue reading
QotW: What car will go extinct in the next five years?
Stylish. Powerful. Affordable. These are attributes that typically make a very desirable car. Unfortunately, it also transforms them into dirtbag magnets. Once noble motorcars like the Infiniti G35 are now, at least in southern California, most often seen in various … Continue reading
QotW: What does your car cleaning regimen consist of?
We hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving long weekend last week. Perhaps you were able to get some quality time with your car because today, November 28, is Car Wash Day in Japan. In fact, it’s one of two Car … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite childhood road trip memory?
The holiday season is upon us, and that means a lot of traveling to visit family and friends. Some of our earliest experiences of automotive adventures are sitting in the back of the family station wagon, in the days before … Continue reading
