The origins of Mooneyes has been well covered. The iconic hot rod equipment maker is one of the most recognizable brands in the custom car aftermarket, denoted by its cartoonish eyeballs logo and signature yellow cars. Yet this classic American nameplate has also become inexorably Japanese. That part of its history has never been thoroughly explored. That is, until Craft of Speed. Continue reading
Reproduction Toyota AE86 shells are available on Alibaba
About 20 years ago, at the height of TNN’s Power Block and million dollar Hemi ‘Cudas at Barrett-Jackson, a company called Dynacorn blew SEMA’s minds with a complete reproduction 1967 Mustang Fastback body. Since then we’ve been wondering which Japanese car would be the first to get the same treatment. Well, you can now order a complete reproduction Toyota AE86 shell to build the touge warrior of your dreams. Continue reading
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Nissan Cedric taxis sure can take a beating, but the door hinges could use work
The Nissan Cedric taxi was once a staple of Japanese streets. It was also once a staple of Japanese car chases, where cheap 230s and 330s were sacrificed to to gods of Showa Era police dramas. To be fair, Toyota Crowns were just as common, but Nissan secured better deals with TV producers. Continue reading
The Lexus GS400 was a “barnstorming performance sedan”
The arrival of the second-generation Lexus GS turned up the heat on 1998’s luxury sedan market. Lexus was still young, less than a decade old, but the LS held down the unflappable luxury sedan corner, the SC had the beautiful grand tourer thing nailed, and the GS cranked the dial toward the performance end of the sport-luxury spectrum far more than any Lexus that had come before. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most 90s car?
As someone who lived through the 1990s, I feel like the decade is hard to pin down. A lot of what is called 90s is actually an 80s aesthetic, and everywhere you look there are claims that 90s fashion is coming back. But are graphic T-shirts and cargo pants really exclusive to the 90s? The automotive realm is one area where the 90s have a distinct look, with simple and organic soft shapes and just enough but not too much in-car tech. And, of course, it was a time when Japanese cars shined bright. With Y2K nearly 25 years behind us, is there a single car that can be called emblematic of the decade?
What’s the most 90s car?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How would you make a Mazda ad?“. Continue reading
JCCS exclusive diecast Skyline GT-R with Advan livery announced
As if there were any more reasons to go to the 19th annual Japanese Classic Car Show this year, an exclusive diecast car that will only be available at the show has been announced. It’s a highly detailed 1/64 scale Nissan Skyline R32 with Advan livery and widebody kit designed by tuner culture godfather Jon Sibal. Oh, and we also have a special coupon code for JCCS tickets below. Continue reading
Safari-fied Nissan Z “Warrior” trademarked
If trademarks are anything to go by, and we must stress that they’re often not, Nissan is looking at a safari-fied variant of the Z. But if it’s true, it would be a pretty entertaining car that has some historic precedent. If Porsche can build a 911 Dakar, Nissan can build a Safari Z. Continue reading
Toyota Castrol livery appears on Mustang race car in Australia
Toyota’s Castrol livery is getting resurrected once again, this time in Australia. Earlier this year the livery was worn on the NASCAR Mustang of Brad Keselowski during Darlington Raceway’s Throwback Weekend. The Aussie one does it better by putting the colors on an actual S650 Mustang body, not a generic NASCAR shell, and it looks darn slick. Continue reading
Honda Motocompo patent shows reveals foldable bike that doubles as a generator
Honda has long toyed with the idea of reviving the Motocompo, a foldable bike designed to reside in the trunk of the 1981 Honda City. A recently unearthed document shows that the dream is not only still alive, but serious enough to warrant a patent filing. Brilliantly updated for the modern age, the Motocompo now acts as both a bike and a power source for an electric vehicle. Continue reading
QotW: How would you make a Mazda ad?
It’s hard to make a car commercial stand out. Beautiful people, beautiful landscapes, the promise of adventure. Every company portrays their wares as thrilling to drive, even when they’re duller than dry dirt. What happens when you have cars that are actually fun to drive, but end up producing cringey ads that don’t really get the message across. It’s a predicament, especially when you have to talk to people who think a “V4” is a common engine. You have only 30 seconds to convince them to go visit your dealership.
How would you make a Mazda ad?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Have you ever seen Japanese government vehicles outside of Japan?“. Continue reading
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The 1983 Honda XXX three-wheeled land jet was Honda’s first concept car
Last month we discussed the 1984 Honda HP-X concept car that had been restored. Honda called the HP-X its first concept car, but there had been others before it. Take the Honda XXX, for example, a bizarre three-wheeled vehicle that was shown at the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show. Continue reading
Mazda CX-70 ad featuring an RX-7 GSL-SE is a real downer
We are always stoked when a JNC appears in an ad for a new car. It shows that the company cares about — or is at least aware of — its heritage. But there’s a rule of thumb in advertising — not sure where we heard it; could’ve been Mad Men — that no one should ever have any negative feelings when thinking about your product, ever. So why does this Mazda spot for the new CX-70 such a downer? Continue reading
Fuji Rabbit immortalized as a 1/8 scale subscription model
Hachette has announced their next subscription model, and it’s kind of an odd one. It’s a 1959 Fuji Rabbit Superflow S601, built by Fuji Heavy Industries, the former name of what is now known as Subaru Corp. If you decide to undertake the building of this 1/8 scale model a few pieces will arrive in the mail each week, taking nearly a year to complete. Continue reading
The Subaru Outback was patient zero of the crossover-pocalypse
Many say the Toyota RAV4, introduced to America in 1996, was the crossover harbinger of doom. While that may be technically true, the Subaru Legacy Outback predates it, having debuted in 1995. Crossovers are essentially wagons with higher ride heights, and the Outback was literally that. They took a Legacy wagon, added some rugged-looking cladding, jacked up the suspension, and threw on some foglamps and bigger tires. Voilà, instant moneymaker. Continue reading
QotW: Have you ever seen Japanese government vehicles outside of Japan?
In the US government vehicles tend to be American. It probably makes politicians look bad if they buy foreign cars, but some slip through. We’ve heard some states have Subaru police cars though we’ve never seen one. The Pentagon used to have unmarked Camrys but we’re not sure if they’re still in service. California uses Priuses, usually for parking enforcement, but we’ve seen Nissan Frontiers and Jukes in the colors of CalTrans, the state highway agency, and Toyota Tacomas and Tundras serving as lifeguard and beach patrol vehicles. The holy grail would probably be a vehicle painted in the mint green of the US Forest Service. The coolest one we’ve actually seen is a Mitsubishi-built US Navy Dodge D-50.
Have you ever seen Japanese government vehicles outside of Japan?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which once-derided Japanese car will make a comeback?“. Continue reading
Nissan Silvia revival is in exploratory stage, says exec
Nissan is apparently at least somewhat serious about bringing back the Silvia. It’s not definite by any stretch, but it’s also not a random comment uttered by an exec in a throwaway line either. One thing Nissan is certain of though, is that if the Silvia becomes anything, it’ll be electrified in some way. Continue reading
Yamaha XSR900 GP adds retro racing cool to already retro bike
In 2021 Yamaha released the XSR900, a sports heritage bike inspired by the company’s Grand Prix championship victories in 1984. Now, the XSR900 GP takes that foundation and adds retro race bike coolness to the equation. Yamaha says it hearkens back to the “Golden Era” of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, paying tribute to iconic machines like the Yamaha YZR500. Continue reading
The Nissan Armada should’ve been renamed the Patrol
Nissan has unveiled the 2025 Armada, a three-row, body-on-frame SUV that enthusiasts from the rest of the world knows as the Patrol. But does the Armada name really have more cachet than Patrol, which is pretty much recognized globally as an off-road beast rivaling the almighty Toyota Land Cruiser? Nissan itself seems to wish they could call it the Patrol, introducing the 2025 Armada alongside a 1967 Patrol and hiding easter eggs in the Armada’s design that recognize the Patrol’s status as a global legend. Continue reading
QotW: Which once-derided Japanese car will make a comeback?
History is filled with flops, but even some of the worst cars get a second chance at glory after some time has passed. There are owners who now love Chrysler K-cars, Pontiac Azteks, Trabants, and other forms of automotive awfulness. The important difference is that these owners aren’t the original ones who bought the cars when new. They’re younger, second or third owners who specifically sought out the supposedly bad cars, like automotive hipsters. And in hindsight they realize that people have been too harsh. After all, is a Honda del Sol really that bad compared to any number of modern crossovers?
Which once-derided Japanese car will make a comeback?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your ultimate hashiriya build?“. Continue reading
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Subaru SVX getaway car in ‘Loaded Weapon 1’
The 1993 movie Loaded Weapon 1 was a National Lampoon parody of 80s action films like Lethal Weapon. It was completely nonsensical, but actually had some big name stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Emilio Estevez, and Tim Curry. To us, however, the real star was the Subaru SVX that appears briefly as the bad guy’s getaway car. Continue reading
