It’s Labor Day, an occasion to honor the hard working men and women that make the world go round. We also recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of one of Japan’s most popular work vehicles, the Isuzu Elf. It’s the perfect time to ask:
What’s the coolest JNC work vehicle?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What Japanese luxury car would you get, and why?” Continue reading
Lexus and Infiniti might wear the Japanese VIP crowns today, but in 1986 Acura was the first to challenge the idea that a luxury car could come from Japan. The Legend was loaded with features like leather, automatic climate control, and premium stereo, and gave buyers who wanted luxury without the European price tag a fresh new alternative. And yet, the notion of nearly $29,000 Honda was unthinkable to most Americans at the time. Continue reading
Torrential downpours have struck Japan’s western region of Kyushu, where three deaths due to Typhoon Krosa have been confirmed and the government has issued evacuation warnings for 870,000 residents. Footage of vehicles up to their headlights in brown water is all over the news, but in a brief segment less than a minute long, no less than two classic Toyota Land Cruisers plow through the waters without breaking a sweat. Continue reading
Some industry news out of Japan tells us that Toyota and Suzuki have made their courtship official in the way that multinational corporations do: by taking a stock stake in each other. The two companies announced a technology sharing partnership back in 2016, but it was made formal this week when Toyota paid ¥96 billion ($908 million USD) for a 4.94 percent share in Suzuki. Continue reading
A while back we featured a bizarrely dorky promo video about the Toyota Cressida. There must have been something in the water in Torrance in the early 90s, because Toyota USA headquarters churned out what appears to have been an entire video series of schmaltz. This time it features the Toyota Previa and, naturally, enough cheese to clog your major arteries. Continue reading
Yesterday, every major newspaper in Japan carried the above spread in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Isuzu Elf, the first Japanese cab-over-engine light truck in its class. In six decades and six generations, the Elf has sold over 6.5 million units, including in the United States under the Chevy and GMC brands, and it was launched on August 26, 1959. Continue reading
The next Gran Turismo Sport update features an all-Japanese lineup of performance icons from five different carmakers. This is unusual, as these updates typically feature a smorgasbord of machinery from all around the world. For update 1.43, though, no matter what your Nihon steel the selection is unlikely to disappoint. Continue reading
We all love our roadsters and lightweight coupes but sometimes you just want the nicer things in life. Whether it’s a serene cabin as quiet as your penthouse living room, a fancy stereo, or just a seat that’s not made of vinyl, sometimes life calls for a luxury car. Now, luxury doesn’t mean we all have to run out and get Toyota Centurys. It can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. You can even find early Lexus and Acura cars in manual. Or in yellow. It doesn’t even have to have a luxury badge. Some might prefer the “stealth wealth” look of the Land Cruiser.
What Japanese luxury car would you get, and why?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What rite of passage every JNC owner must endure?” Continue reading
As host of the Japanese Automotive Invitational, Infiniti took the opportunity to showcase, well, itself. 2019 happens to mark 30 years of Nissan’s luxury brand, and it threw a big birthday party complete with classics, concepts, and some special edition models (and invited all the other Japanese automakers). Continue reading
Now in its second year, the Japanese Automotive Invitational seeks to introduce the idea of collectible Nihon steel to a crowd that considers a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM not classic enough. Located at the Infiniti booth that sits just outside the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance, it’s a primer for those who arrive at the prestigious golf course to gawk at Voisins and Delahayes. In other words, if you’re wondering what kind of Japanese car a super-rich old guy might be into, here’s a peek. Continue reading
We desperately hope this is wrong, but rumor has it that Toyota plans to kill off the Land Cruiser in the US market. If true that would mean the longest running model in the company’s history, offered continuously since day one of Toyota USA’s establishment in October of 1957, will no longer be their flagship vehicle here after the 2022 model year. Needless to say, we think that would be a terrible mistake. Continue reading
Monterey Car Week’s centerpiece racing event, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, concluded this weekend. While there was a noticeable lack of Japanese representation at Laguna Seca as compared to last year (despite the fact that the theme was the 50th anniversary of IMSA), Mazda did bring out some seriously cool machinery that from the early days of their US racing efforts. Continue reading
Hot Wheels is about to introduce a new type of paint. Chameleon, which transitions from purple to green depending on the angle of light shined onto it, has been around in the full-size car scene for a while now, but this Custom 1972 Datsun 240Z will mark its first use on a Hot Wheels car. Continue reading
Complete this sentence. You’re not a JNC owner unless you… Prefer driving a slow car fast? Live in deathly fear of salt? Have overpaid for parts from Japan? Have abused your AAA towing privileges to move a parts car? With every subculture there are certain joys hardships and that its members can jointly celebrate or commiserate in.
What rite of passage every JNC owner must endure?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Where do you like to drive your JNC?” Continue reading
Normally we don’t really report on a new car unless there’s some link to a past model, like a revived beloved nameplate, or some throwback design touches. There’s not much that’s retro about the new Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series, but its limited color, Nori Green Pearl, is absolutely stunning and quite nostalgic. Continue reading
Just a week after my colleagues were at SpoCom in SoCal, Radwood returned to its ancestral home in NorCal. The traveling show of 80s and 90s nostalgia started in the Bay Area in 2017, and has been expanding rapidly. There is always a good selection of Japanese steel present, so we headed down to take a look. Continue reading
If you want to see what thee latest trends in modified cars are, the SpoCom show is a pretty good place to start. The annual, multi-city show is where the cool kids vie for giant trophies for their whips. Subtlety is not the key here. After all, it’s show cars we’re talking about, and the bass-and-butts atmosphere makes the underground car meet scenes from early Fast and Furious movies look tame. Continue reading
At a glance the all-new Honda N-WGN might look like any number of kei vans zipping along the streets of Japan, but the design is actually much more clever. It’s never explicitly mentioned in Honda’s 1800-word press release, but Hondaheads will instantly recognize the shape as a throwback to the 1972 StepVan. Continue reading
We somehow missed this, but in 2016 fashion brand Gucci used a dekotora to hawk its ridiculously priced clothing. In a video for their fall/winter line that year some Ziggy Stardust-looking “Gucci kids” (yes, that is a term the company actually uses) climb into a dekotora and hit the streets of Shinjuku. However, the truck isn’t simply any dekotora, it belongs to Kazuya Sekino, the same owner who used his truck to run supplies to the Tohoku region devastated by the 2011 tsunami. Continue reading
After 11 generations and 51 model years, the Toyota Mark II/MarkX line is coming to an end. Toyota announced the cancellation of the decidedly old school, Camry-sized rear-wheel-drive sedan back in April. Now, with the Final Edition coming to showrooms in Japan, Tohoku Toyopet dealers have issued a video commemorating the once evergreen part of Toyota’s lineup. Continue reading
