Looks like a lot of people wanted an orange Miata. The entire allotment of the 30th Anniversary Edition models, announced this morning, that were destined for the US have already sold out. To be fair, that’s the US market’s 500 units so you still might be able to get one, you’ll just have to import one of the other 2,500 from other markets. Continue reading
Chicago Auto Show: Acura celebrates 30 years of the NSX
Honda didn’t introduce a new model or updated trim package at the Chicago Auto Show this year. Instead, with champagne-filled flutes passed around to the assembled guests, they celebrated 30 years of the NSX. Honda’s unleashing of its mid-engined wonder forever changed the automotive world. There’s a clear line of demarcation in the supercars that came B.N. (before NSX) and those that came after. Continue reading
Chicago Auto Show: Mazda reveals 30th Anniversary Edition Miata
Mazda has returned to the site of the NA Miata’s debut, the Chicago Auto Show, to announce the arrival of the 30th Anniversary Edition Miata. Offered in both soft-top original and RF retractable targa flavors, only 3,000 will be made worldwide, with 500 coming to the US. Also, it’s very, very orange. Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged Bob Hall, chicago auto show, mazda, miata, Miata ND, mx-5, Tom Matano
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Chicago Auto Show: How Honda broke the rules with the NSX 30 years ago, and how Ford never forgot
Thirty years ago, Honda went to the Chicago Auto Show to introduce a concept it called New Sports eXperimental. As we all know, the Acura NSX would become one of the best cars ever to emerge from Japan, or from humanity, really. But long before anyone even drove the thing, it was already causing a stir. Continue reading
Happy TE27 Day from JNC
Whether you’re a thunder or lightning type of person, today is the day in which we celebrate the original Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno. Here is a particularly tasty specimen from the Kiryu Classic Car Show‘s 2016 parade. Happy TE27 Day from JNC!
VIDEO: Mythbusters continues its classic Toyota destruction streak by crushing an MR2
Last week, the Mythbusters once again found themselves on the receiving end of some pretty angry car enthusiasts for destroying an innocent, first-gen Toyota MR2. The internet’s response was swift and fierce, but this wasn’t the first time virtual pitchforks have been taken up in response to their wanton Toyota destruction. Continue reading
VIDEO: This Toyota Van excursion looks like a load of fun
The Barlow Pass near Mt Hood was one of the final sections of the famed Oregon Trail. And while our ancestors may have died of dysentery in a covered wagon, in modern times you can navigate from the comfort of an imported Japanese van. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged delica, fj cruiser, hiace, mitsubishi, Tercel 4WD, toyota, Toyota Van, Vanlife
4 Comments
Happy Year of the Pig from JNC
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
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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
