QotW: What JNC would you pick if you had to charge through a snowy mountain?

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The Toyota Celica GT-Four may have nabbed the starring role in Take Me Out to the Snowland, though the filmmakers originally wanted to cast a Mitsubishi. The Celica proved capable, but Japan has a plethora of AWD and 4WD machines that can take on inclement conditions, from kei cars to Land Cruisers.

What JNC would you pick if you had to charge through a snowy mountain?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What should the Emperor of Japan have in his garage?” Continue reading →

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Happy Z31 Day from JNC

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Won’t you consider adopting a third-generation Nissan Fairlady Z? There are many that need loving homes. Happy Z31 Day from JNC!

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JNC THEATER: That time a Celica GT-Four starred in a Japanese movie about skiing

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The ST165 Celica GT-Four has gotten some attention lately, thanks to Toyota constantly comparing it to the new GR Yaris. While that link is still somewhat tenuous, it did remind us of when Toyota showed off the newly introduced Celica GT-Four’s snow driving prowess in the Japanese rom-com, Watashi o Sukī ni Tsuretette (Take Me Out to the Snowland). Continue reading →

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Honda wants to know which parts S2000 owners need

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Ben Hsu

For the 20th anniversary of the S2000 Honda has created exclusive parts to make essentially a “third facelift”  version, but it’s also going one step further. As with the NSX and Beat, Honda is creating a parts catalog of hard-to-find and in-demand parts for the S2000. Continue reading →

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Honda is selling new parts for the S2000’s 20th anniversary

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Ben Hsu

In honor of the S2000’s 20th anniversary, Honda is selling all-new parts designed for its popular roadster. Based on the S2000 20th Anniversary prototype unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Honda is technically calling this a MMC, or minor model change. In other words, consider this the third facelift for the S2K. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Z-Cars and Rotaries, classics that appeal to “the youths”

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Ben Hsu

What are the classic cars that will inspire the younger generation of car enthusiasts  to carry on the restoration hobby? You already know the answer but if any additional validation was needed, Hagerty Insurance’s Barn Find Hunter video series reaffirms it: Japanese steel in the form of Mazda rotaries and early Nissan Z-Cars. Continue reading →

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Kidney, Anyone? A well preserved 1968 Toyota Corona

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ryan Senensky

The RT40 Corona is easily one of the most underrated Toyota classics, which is why it was the subject of one of our illustrious Consider the Following articles. Given how instrumental it was for getting the Toyota name into the American lexicon and its beautiful of-the-era mid-century design, it is a wonder that they aren’t more sought after. Some days you can find a flawless manual coupe for $3,500 and other days it’s $15,000 for an automatic sedan in North Dakota that last saw the road during the Carter administration. Today, however, we have what appears to be one of the best preserved examples that we have had cross our desk recently. Continue reading →

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QotW: What should the Emperor of Japan have in his garage?

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Today is the day when Japan celebrates the Emperor’s birthday. Though the Japanese royals are just figureheads, they can still own pretty much any car(s) they want. The previous Emperor, Akihito, kept it 100 with a low-spec Honda Integra sedan. He stepped down last year, presumably to spend more time cruising around in his Teggy, so this is the first time the country is celebrating the birthday of the new Emperor, Naruhito. Toyota already gifted him a fleet of four Centurys, including a bespoke vert, but why should the patriarch of the Imperial Family settle for just four cars? A birthday seems like a good a time as any to request automobiles from your subjects.

What should the Emperor of Japan have in his garage?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your best Toyota Corolla story?” Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Watch the Isuzu Trooper take a slalom without rolling over

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Ben Hsu

In the 90s at the dawn of the SUV takeover, truck-based people haulers were trying to move upscale while still retaining their off-road cred. Also, Isuzu still existed as a purveyor of passenger vehicles. Their entry into the segment was the second-generation Trooper (or Bighorn, Jackaroo, Horizon, or Monterey depending on which country you lived in). Continue reading →

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Honda brings back Phoenix Yellow for limited edition Civic Type R

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Ben Hsu

We all know that the most proper color for any Type R Honda is Championship White, but Phoenix Yellow ranks as a close second. Well, Honda has just announced that it’s bringing back the color on a limited edition Civic Type R for the 2021 model year. Continue reading →

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Toyota won’t bring the GR Yaris to the US, but will deliver another hot hatch

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Toyota USA is adamant that the bonkers GR Yaris won’t be coming to the US. However, even if the car doesn’t, the WRC homologation special’s engine could, according to Toyota’s Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales, in the form of a new hot hatch. Continue reading →

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TUNE UP: A Mazda RX-7 appears in a Japanese boy band video

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Once again we remain utterly clueless about the song or the artist portrayed in the video called “44 Raiders” by the Ballistik Boyz from Exile Tribe. We can only tell you that there is a Mazda RX-7 in it, and it looks very similar to a recent Tokyo Auto Salon winner. Continue reading →

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QotW: What’s your best Toyota Corolla story?

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Ben Hsu

On this day in 1972, the Volkswagen Beetle overtook the Ford Model T as the best-selling car in the world. However, the Toyota Corolla has long since obliterated both combined, with over 44 million sold. Unless you’re living in an Amazonian tribe untouched by modernity you’ve owned, known someone who has owned, or ridden in a Corolla. And while we are eager to talk about our AE86s, TE27s, or FX-16s, some of the best tales can come from your run-of-the-mill DX sedans, Geo Prizms, or NUMMI Novas, all of which we will count for this week’s question.

What’s your best Toyota Corolla story?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your most romantic JNC story?” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Happy Presidents’ Day from JNC

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Ben Hsu

No amount of lawmen can stop this President, a Nissan President H150, to be exact, in a clip from the crime drama The Big City, Part III. The authorities come at it hard, with countless Cedrics and even a Fairlady Z trying their best to bring it and its gang of thugs to a halt, but they are helpless to stop the steamrolling President. Continue reading →

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Toyota is already giving the A90 Supra significant updates

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Supra sales are not great. Toyota sold just 2,884 of them in 2019, fewer than the number of 86es in same year (3,398). That’s not a good sign for a halo cars like the Supra, whose sales curves usually start out strong and diminish as time goes on. With Toyota’s announcement yesterday that it would jack up the power of the six-cylinder Supra and introduce a 4-cylinder model less than a year into the launch, it seems like the company is hoping to attract more interest. Continue reading →

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Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Dan Hsu

Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all. Show your loved ones some TLC today, but don’t forget your spouses!

Original Post

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The winners and runners up of the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon was, like SEMA, largely a big ol’ Supra-fest. However, after the trophies were handed out there were a few highlights from the awards categories that defied convention. Like the teachers said in English class, you have to appreciate the classics. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: How Hiroshima’s unique past made Mazda what it is today

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Mazda is celebrating its centenary this year, so expect to see a lot of historical content from them this year. The latest is a video about the company’s early history and its origins in Hiroshima, an area far removed from the Tokyo-Osaka corridor that all other Japanese carmakers operate out of. As we’ve mentioned before, Mazda’s ties to this region run deep, and this video shows how the history of Hiroshima has uniquely influenced the company. Continue reading →

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Japan’s postal service celebrates 50 years of the Skyline GT-R with a commemorative stamp set

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Ben Hsu

On Monday Japan’s postal service released a set of commemorative stamps honoring the Nissan Skyline GT-R’s 50th anniversary. Technically, the 50th anniversary took place almost exactly one year ago, but better late than never, no? Of course, with this being a Japan Post commemorative set, it doesn’t end with just stamps. Continue reading →

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PIXELATED: Acura video game matches its graphics with the car’s era

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Ben Hsu

We pooh-poohed Acura’s “Beat That” ad when it came out last October. A video game based on that spot, though? Well, that’s just undeniably cool. Here’s how you can play. Continue reading →

Posted in Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments