Today, February 5, is the Lunar New Year for much of Asia, and according to their zodiac it’s the Year of the Pig. Therefore, please enjoy a butaketsu (pig butt) Laurel to ring in the year 4717. Happy Lunar New Year from JNC!
Toyota remakes MR2 pinball commercial for Superbowl
During last night’s big football game, Toyota ran a rather unexpected ad for the new Supra. In it, stunt driver Greg Tracy wheels and drifts an A90 through a giant pinball machine. It’s not a new concept, because not only is Toyota remaking old sports cars, it’s remaking old commercials as well. Continue reading
A new Nissan ad depicts the auto industry’s last 30 years
While most of America was watching the commercials between a big contest of Jeep crossovers and Dodge pickups, Nissan released a new advert tracing the arc of automotive trends of the last 30 years. Using only Nissan cars and a jaunty music accompaniment, the ad capitalizes on 90s nostalgia and tricky camerawork. It begins innocently enough — a couple starts out with a Nissan Cefiro in their garage, a cathode-ray television, and a pile of VHS tapes. Soon the Cefiro is replaced by a Skyline GT-R, and life seems great at the height of the Bubble Era. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best JNC you can find for $1,000?
Despite the rising prices of Japanese classics, there are still plenty of cars that can be bought on the cheap. A quick browse of Los Angeles’s local Craigslist reveals Maximas and Accords, and even some upscale cars like Lexus LS400s and Infiniti J30s. Sure, they might have more outstanding tickets and fees than the car is worth, but that’s why you ask questions before you buy. Or, you can go nuts and get a project, something like a somewhat rare Mazda 626 GT or even a 510 shell. The point is, you can still get into a cool JNC project without having to shell out Supra money.
What’s the best JNC can you find for $1,000?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Drive, Sell or Garage? Toyota AE86, Nissan S13, or Mazda NA Miata.” Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged 180sx, 240sx, ae86, corolla levin, mazda, miata, Miata NA, nissan, QotW, s13, silvia, sprinter trueno, toyota
7 Comments
Honda celebrates Golden Anniversary in Australia literally
On February 4, 1969, Honda established an official subsidiary in Australia. Honda Australia was founded for the purposes of selling cars, but naturally Honda’s expansive lineup of thoughtfully engineered motorcycles, power equipment, and generators soon spread across the continent like rabbits. To celebrate its 50-year anniversary, Honda Australia created a fleet of golden examples of its high-performance machines. Continue reading
Happy TA22 Day from JNC
Let’s all take a moment to remember the first-generation Celica, perhaps one of Toyota’s finest designs, the timeless A20 Celica. Of course, in the US they were technically RA coded, but nonetheless we celebrate the best of the breed on this day. Happy TA22 Day from JNC!
NEWS: There will be a next-gen Subaru BRZ after all
Looks like there’s definitely going to be a successor to the Subaru BRZ after all. Earlier this week, we had a little hand in spreading to the English-speaking world the rumor that the next-generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ had been axed. We were wrong, and that’s reason to rejoice. Continue reading
This Hakosuka Skyline chair is the ultimate piece of furniture
If you’re the kind of person who dreams about driving a Hakosuka Skyline even when you’re just sitting around at home, have we got a chair for you. Behold, the GT Chair, a seat inspired by that of of Nissan’s iconic coupe. Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: Tokyo Auto Salon auction recap
The high-end collector car auction world has been dominated for years by a handful of North American and European firms that cater to a demanding clientele. Firms like RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Company, and Barrett-Jackson have become household names among the world’s most affluent car enthusiasts, and yet somehow, despite a steady and healthy demand for blue-chip automobiles in Japan, that country has never had a world-class collector car auction house of its own, until now. Continue reading
Posted in marketwatch
Tagged 240rs, autech, BH Auction, bmw, c10, c110, cosmo sport, fairlady z, ferrari, galant gto, hks, honda, Honda S-Series, mazda, MiniAce, mitsubishi, nissan, r32, r34, s110, s30 z, s600, s800, silvia, skyline, sports 800, tokyo auto salon, toyota, z432
4 Comments
Happy 99th Birthday, Mazda
Ninety-nine years ago, Toyo Kogyo Cork Company was established in Hiroshima, Japan. Though it’s had many ups and downs over the decades, that humble little firm would grow up to become one of the most innovative and enthusiast-oriented carmakers in the world. Here’s to 100 more.
VIDEO: Watch Gan-san whip a Hakosuka GT-R around Fuji Speedway
In 2003, Fuji Speedway was shut down for a year in order for a major redesign. It wouldn’t be its first, but it would be substantially different than any of the previous configurations. To celebrate the last days of the 4.4 km era, Best Motoring sent Motoharu Kurosawa onto the track in a replica Hakosuka Skyline GT-R race car for one last blast. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged c10, fuji speedway, Hakosuka, Motoharu Kurosawa, motorsport, nissan, skyline
5 Comments
NEWS: Toyota introduces Heritage Edition Land Cruiser
For 2020, Toyota is releasing a Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, celebrating the go-anywhere SUV’s 60-plus years of continuous sales. Toyota established their US offices in late 1957, and have sold Land Cruisers in the states ever since then. Not even the Corolla can boast that kind of longevity. Continue reading
NEWS: Next-gen Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 canceled? UPDATE
There may not be a next-generation Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86, according to reports coming out of Japan. The automotive tabloid Best Car is prepared to report in their upcoming February 26 issue that the Toyobaru twins will be canceled. Apparently, Subaru and Toyota have deviated on their development policies, and have decided to take separate roads. However, we think this might make way for the return of the MR2. Continue reading
NEWS: The Honda EV prototype loses its first-gen Civic looks
Over the weekend Honda published a new illustration of its upcoming electric vehicle, scheduled to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Unfortunately, it’s pretty disappointing. It looks as if it has lost much of the retro, first-gen Civic charm that drummed up much excitement among JNCers when the original concept debuted. Continue reading
QotW: Drive, Sell or Garage? 80s Drift Machine Edition
Welcome to another edition of Drive, Sell or Garage, JNC‘s version of Bang Marry, or Kill. This time, your choices are three entry-level drift machines that have grown to legend status. Each has its own mechanical advantages and weaknesses, and its own storied heritage. You probably can’t go wrong with any of them, but we want to hear your choices and your reasoning.
Drive, Sell, or Garage: Toyota AE86, Nissan S13, or Mazda NA Miata.
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Should carmakers use classic nameplates for new models?” Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: This Isuzu Elf was incredibly popular
Our final feature from the Tokyo Auto Salon is a vehicle that we probably would have walked right by, but proved immensely popular with our Japanese friends. Built by students at the Fukushima Science and Technology College, the 1990 Isuzu Elf 250 got a lot of attention. One reason was that large cab-over medium-duty commercial trucks simply don’t get modified that much. Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: A Nissan Cedric stock car built by students
One of our favorite cars at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was a humble Nissan Cedric sedan. Built by students at Tokyo Automobile University School, the car represented a brief period in the 1960s when Japan tried its hand at NASCAR-style stock car racing. Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Japanese tradition in car form
The classics of the chrome era at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon could be split into two camps. Restomods look towards the future, using a nod to the past to incorporate new and modern ideas. Then there are the cars that stand firmly in tradition, incorporating old school Japanese style to make a statement. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 521, advan, bosozoku, c10, Crown Comfort, daihatsu, datsun, Hakosuka, hiace, hijet, kaido racer, kei, nissan, skyline, tokyo auto salon, toyota
3 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon: A rallying cry for WRC’s return to Japan
At the Tokyo Auto Salon this year the carmakers of Japan joined forces for a display of their iconic rally cars. Toyota, Nissan, Subaru and Mitsubishi each brought turbocharged monsters to the halls of Makuhari Messe. For rally fans, it was a rare opportunity to see all the cars at once, without having them fling dirt and rocks at you. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 240rs, celica, crown, impreza, lancer evolution, Lancer Evolution VI, mitsubishi, mobilgas trial, nissan, s110, s30, silvia, st185, sti, subaru, tokyo auto salon, toyopet, toyota, wrc, wrx
1 Comment
NEWS: The first A90 Toyota Supra sells for $2.1 million, but calm down
The first production A90 Toyota Supra has sold for $2.1 million at auction. It’s an eye-watering sum, though it is going to two very worthwhile charities. Seven digit sales figures aren’t that unusual in these much-hyped, first-to-market auctions, but in this case the sky high number is at once meaningless and significant. Continue reading
