QotW: Will there ever be another sports car renaissance?

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

Last week rumors surfaced of a possible MR2 and MX-6 in the pipeline. These would add  more options to the slowly expanding lineup of affordable sports cars and, with any luck, once again spark an era of performance cars. From the 1960s golden age to the Bubble Era to the glory days of the 90s, Japan has seen the coming and going of many epochs that gave birth to the classic JNCs we know and love today, but in recent years that has slowed.

Will there ever be another sports car renaissance?

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

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VIDEO: This Mazda R100 made it halfway around the world

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The Mazda R100 is already a rare car in the US. Thanks to an Australian rotary enthusiast, it’s now even rarer. A one-owner, numbers-matching example has been shipped halfway around the globe to Alex, a new owner in Australia, who christened it with the license plate USA 10A. Continue reading →

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Toyota Corona spotted on latest Tarantino movie set

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Matt De Mangos

Spotted on the set of the latest Quentin Tarantino film were a Toyota Corona RT40 and a Volvo Amazon sedan. The film, called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is set in 1969 and centers around the Sharon Tate murder at the hands of Charles Manson’s cult. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. The cars were snapped in front of the Arclight Theater in Hollywood, decorated to look like it did in period. We don’t know any more about the movie, but hopefully the Corona gets a decent amount of screen time.

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MOTORSPORT: Eight hours of Honda motorsports festivities

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Like Nissan, Honda has its own day-long motorsports festival in December. The Honda Thanks Day, held to show appreciation for its fans, was held last weekend. For those that couldn’t attend, Honda has provided eight hours of livestream footage from the event. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? Someone just traded in their entire Toyota MR2 collection

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The best thing about working at a car dealership is that there’s always a chance some eccentric old owner will waltz in with a mint-ass car for trade. A few days ago at a showroom in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, that happened in quintuplicate when an owner traded in his entire five-car collection of Toyota MR2s at once. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Mazda trademarks MX-6 name in Japan

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Mazda has trademarked the name MX-6 with the Japan Patent Office. In Mazda parlance, the “MX” nomenclature has always referred to sporty two-door cars such as the MX-3 and MX-5 Miata. A true sports car like the RX-7 probably isn’t on the horizon, but could the Hiroshima-based company be reviving a new mid-size sports coupe? Continue reading →

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NEWS: The million-dollar Nissan GT-R50 is a go; order it in Bayside Blue

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Nissan has confirmed that it will indeed produce the GT-R50 to commemorate the GT-R’s 50th anniversary. When it was announced back in June, the GT-R50 was a one-off car used to gauge customer interest. Nissan said it would give the green-light for production if it could find 50 people willing to fork over $1 million for a GT-R. Apparently, it’s found them. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Revived Toyota MR2 to be built with Subaru?

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Rumors of a Toyota MR2 revival have been swirling around for a while, but that’s nothing new. Separately and more recently, the grapevine’s been buzzing about a mid-engine Subaru. The latest reports from Japan say what’s so obvious and perfect that it jut might be true — Toyota and Subaru are working on a mid-engined sports car together. Continue reading →

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SHOWA SNAP: Have a refreshing Corona Mark II

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Ben Hsu

In 1973, several Coronas lined what could have been a Tokyo dealership. With limited real-estate, urban Japanese dealers often have just a few cars on hand to test drive, but not a massive lot full of inventory. Here, a row of four-banger sedans and coupes capped off by a grand Mark II hardtop shows off the entire Corona line. Perhaps the passer-by in the Cedric sedan was convinced to make a U-turn.

Image: eBay

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QotW: What was your most memorable parts hunt?

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

Every once in a while, we like to hear from our readers about their success stories on finding those much-needed. seemingly impossible-to-find parts. They could be the fruits of a junkyard scour, your reward from a secret eBay snipe, or a gift from an uncle’s neighbor who happened to own an old rally team with some unused Group B custom body panels. Whatever the tale, we want to know:

What was your most memorable parts hunt?

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

Posted in Question of the Week | 12 Comments

Celebrate 30 years of Subaru performance with this teddy bear and curry combo

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Sometimes it’s really hard to figure out what to get your beloved for an anniversary, especially a milestone one like the 30th. Thankfully, Subaru’s in-house motorsports division has come to the rescue with a suggestion — a teddy bear and curry combo. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Eight hours of NISMO Festival footage

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The 2018 NISMO Festival took place at Fuji Speedway last weekend, and in case you missed it, don’t despair. Nissan has helpfully provided nearly eight hours of footage from the event. There’s everything from a Touring Sedan races involving Nissan Sunnys to laps with historic cars, including a banged up 240Z rally car in all its original battle scars.  Continue reading →

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PIXELATED: Gran Turismo Sport gets Fugu Z, new track

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Polyphony Digital has announced the December update to Gran Turismo Sport. It includes a bunch of classics, like the Bandit Trans-Am and split-window 1963 Corvette, but JNCers are probably most concerned with Sung Kang’s Fugu Z. Actually, though, there’s an even greater addition, and it’s not even a car. Continue reading →

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SHOWA SNAP: Fastbacks abound in 1975

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Every time you see a new crossover ambling down the street, clogging your view, remember what life could have been. In this 1975 Japanese street scene, fastbacks are everywhere. In the car park to the right there’s a Corona Mark II, B110 Sunny, and a Cherry X1 in the distance. Meanwhile, the street to the left has an E30 Corolla coupe and two A20 Celicas. Those who need extra cargo capacity drive Familia and Corolla wagons. It was a different world, and one we will likely never see again.

Image: eBay

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JNC THEATER: Discovery Channel Japan to air new car restoration show

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Discovery Channel Japan has announced a new car restoration show, Chihara Junior’s Car Revival Project! Hosted by comedian and TV host Chihara Junior, it will follow restorers and shops as they rebuild classic cars. Each car will have three episodes devoted to it, with a first-season run of 13 episodes. Cars in the roster are a 1970 Isuzu Bellett 1600GTR, 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce, Hakosuka Nissan Skyline GT-R, and a Mercedes-Benz 190SL. The show debuts December 14, but unfortunately there is no word of it airing in the US.

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QotW: What car should Nissan build next?

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Carlos “Le Cost Killer” Ghosn came to Nissan at a time when the company was in massive debt, due partially to the fact that it was building too many different and over-engineered cars. He started a ruthless cost-slashing campaign that pulled Nissan out of debt nearly two decades ago. But in more recent years, much of Nissan’s lineup has begun to feel like more of the same. With Ghosn gone, Nissan may have a chance to recapture some of its soul. Take a gander at Nissan’s lineup from 1991 for inspiration, or come up with something completely different.

What car should Nissan build next?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC represents 1989 the best?” Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Look at what Nissan had to offer in 1991

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The year 1991 might have very well been, for enthusiasts at least, peak Nissan. In a three-part series that year, Best Motoring covered the entire range of Nissan’s specialty cars, and there were tons of them. Sure, there were the expected flagship models like the Skyline GT-R and Fairlady Z, but Nissan also provided tons of more affordable options from hatchbacks to full-size sedans. Behold this epic lineup. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Nissan will make parts for the R33 and R34 Skyline GT-R again

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Last year Nissan announced to great fanfare the first phase of its Heritage Parts program. Through its NISMO division, the company would re-issue parts for the R32 Skyline GT-R, and if the program was successful enough Nissan would expand the program to other models as well. Response must have been good, because today Nissan announced that Heritage Parts would now include R33 and R34 Skyline GT-R models. Continue reading →

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LA Auto Show: Here’s the 2019 Mazda 3

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Mazda has unveiled the 2019 Mazda 3 ahead of the LA Auto Show in Hollywood, California. The design remains extremely faithful to the Kai concept that blew us away at the Tokyo Motor Show last year, and is an absolutely stunning interpretation of the compact hatchback and sedan. Continue reading →

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LA Auto Show: Honda resurrects two 90s nameplates

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Honda has brought back two iconic names from the 1990s, but sorry, it’s not what you think. Unveiled ahead of the LA Auto Show today are a pair of new models for 2019,the Honda Talon and the Honda Passport. Neither is a rebadged Mitsubishi or Isuzu.  Continue reading →

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