Honda will reveal a rear-wheel-drive electric hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Named the E Prototype, the car appears to be a very-close-to-production version of the first-generation Civic-inspired Urban EV Concept that was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017. Sadly, it’s less aggressively retro, but it still retains a few throwback design cues. Continue reading
For those of you who love nostalgic J-Tin collectibles, here’s something you (probably) don’t have: a Hakosuka Nissan Skyline GT-R made of 24-karat gold. Yes, it’s a KPGC10 made of precious metals, built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Skyline GT-R, and it only costs as much as a real car. Continue reading
It is with a heavy heart that we bring you this report on 2019’s New Year Meeting, held on the fourth weekend of January, for it is also the very last New Year Meeting. period. Twelve years ago, JNC became the first English-language outlet to cover what was then the biggest classic car show in Japan, and it became a guiding light for us, at once an introduction and immersion into the wide world of nostalgic cars. Now, after more than 40 New Years, the Meeting has adjourned. Continue reading
Welcome to another edition of Daily, Garage, or Sell, the JNC version of Bang, Marry, or Kill. We’ve modified the game a bit and turned “Drive” into “Daily” to further distinguish it from “Garage,” You can, of course, drive both of them, but one lives indoors, receives the royal treatment and is saved for posterity, while the other is vulnerable to door dings, road salt, and pigeon droppings.
In today’s version, we offer you three JNCs from the golden era from which you must choose: first-generation examples of the three most iconic nameplates from Aichi, Hiroshima, and Kanagawa: the Supra, RX-7, and Z. For the purposes of this game, you can choose any variant you like. Want a GSL-SE? Fine. Want a 280Z instead of a 240Z? Also fine. Just keep in mind that the Z432 is off-limits.
Daily, Sell, or Garage? A40, Toyota Celica Supra, SA22/FB Mazda RX-7, HLS30 Datsun 240Z/260Z/280Z.
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What do you want to know about Japan? (Part 2)” Continue reading
Stories of rare car restorations are always heartwarming, but it is especially so when the labor of love is a father-daughter project. Throw in the fact that the daughter was just 12 years old when they began the restoration, and you get a truly noteworthy tale. The journey of Gemma Wade and her 1976 Toyota 1000 was so impressive, Toyota UK featured it on their official website. Continue reading
Fifty years ago today, on February 21, 1969, Nissan unleashed three letters unto the world that would change automotive history forever: GT-R. For a sub-model that’s encapsulated the dreams of so many, including those far beyond its intended reach, surprisingly little was known about the model outside of Japan until the last decade or so. Continue reading
Nissan has been quietly developing the next-generation Fairlady Z since December 2017, according to Japanese auto tabloid Best Car. The magazine claims that despite the many rumors of a “Z35” over the years, Nissan’s priorities had been shifted towards crossovers and electric vehicles. However, it contends, the impending launch of the new Toyota Supra a little over a year ago prompted Nissan to develop the Z in earnest. Continue reading
A new European commercial for the 2019 Toyota Corolla shows the hatchback speeding through the desert, leaving in its dust old milestones of automotive history. Pre-war racers, hot rods, and even Toyota’s own historic models are passed, implying that the new Corolla is superior. Continue reading
A new commercial for JMS, a Japanese automotive parts store similar to Pep Boys or Autobacs, asks what happens when a car and its owner switch bodies. As the advert begins an owner displays less than kind behavior towards his Daihatsu Hijet, leaving it dirty, smacking into tree branches, and filling it with trash. Then he meets a pair of ne’er-do-wells hanging at a konbini with a cherry, BBS’ed, and lowered S130 Toyota Crown who chide him for treating his ride like crap. Continue reading
There’s a new first-generation Toyota Celica miniature car coming, and the source may surprise you. It was revealed at the Nuremburg Toy Fair in Germany earlier this month, and comes from French company Majorette. Apparently the A20 Celica is becoming appreciated enough as a classic in Europe that it will now be immortalized in diecast form. Continue reading
It’s that time again to ask any questions you might have about Japan. From car culture, to JNC, to travel and anything in between.
What do you want to know about Japan (Part 2)?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Did you ever dream of owning a Nissan or Mitsubishi?” Continue reading
The President was supposed to be the grandest car in Nissan’s lineup, so it’s particularly tragic when we come across one that’s completely rotten. Its insides have seen decades of decay, and it’s probably beyond hope. Still, seeing a President in this state reminds of what could have been, which makes it all the more sad. Let’s make sure we never let this happen again.
Everyone knows the Tokyo Auto Salon, the massive annual car show where the big brands and tuning houses of Japan’s automotive aftermarket goes all-out to show its wares. But, there’s an equally big show that’s not quite as well known, the Osaka Auto Messe, which was on from 9-11 February this year. Continue reading
A Nissan Skyline KGC110 that looked to be beyond hope has been brought back to life in Kuwait. The video starts out with a decrepit Kenmeri that looks like it had been left in a field to rust for decades. It looks like it’s beyond hope, but by the end it’s transformed into a gleaming gold example good enough for any car show. For Valentine’s Day, it’s a true labor of love. Continue reading
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here’s a collection of red cars for your viewing pleasure. The theme is the early days of Japan’s post-war auto industry. Can you name them all? Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC! Continue reading
A Mazda race car long thought to have been lost to history surfaced. The Mazda 254i not only competed in the 1982 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but represents the last of its breed. It was the final iteration of Mazda’s Le Mans race cars based on a production RX-7, and now the last surviving example has been rediscovered. Continue reading
If there was a single concept car that summed up the optimism 1980s and the upcoming digital revolution, it would have to be the relatively unknown Subaru BLT concept of 1987. As you may have guessed, it didn’t stand for Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato, but rather the somehow even more bizarre Business and Leisure Transport. Introduced at the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show, the BLT imagined the perfect vehicle for the working professional, and served as a rolling office for the high-powered businessperson. Continue reading
When people talk about sporty Japanese cars from the 70s, the Datsun 240Z usually gets first billing. The Toyota Celica, however, was just as compelling, even with its Malaise Era safety bumpers. In fact, when compared with its competition from that post-oil crisis period in America, the Celica is decades head of its time. Continue reading
This week’s question comes from an unlikely source — Porsche. Spotted in a Macan forum, the print ad features a 964-generation 911 and thus would have run sometime between 1990 and 1994. Of course, by then Nissan and Mitsubishi had sent forth plenty of incredible cars into the world. Z-cars, Skylines, GTOs, VR-4s, and so on. So thanks, Porsche, for giving us an excellent Question of the Week (for the sake of argument, let’s open this up to other JNCs as well).
Did you spend your youth dreaming about someday owning a Nissan or Mitsubishi?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the best JNC you can find for $1,000?” Continue reading
Mazda’s headline at Chicago Auto Show was all about the 30th Anniversary Edition Miata — and its subsequent selling out four hours later — but CEO Masahiro Moro buried an even more exciting Miata revelation in the press conference. Mazda will be bringing the official reproduction parts developed in the Japanese Roadster Restore program to the US. NA Miata owners, rejoice! Continue reading
